Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

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ironhorseriley
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Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by ironhorseriley »

Hello everyone,

Any British and Welsh rolling stock fans out there, I have an interest in building reasonably accurate models of the Welshpool & Llanfair light RY 2’6” gauge gondola wagons. I intend to build them to run on 7.5" gauge track.

The following link is of some drawings I found with Accucraft / UK but I need matching dimensions. Can anyone provide some measurements that would help?

http://www.accucraft.uk.com/content/upl ... ebsite.jpg

http://www.accucraft.uk.com/content/upl ... t-Grey.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidedwards/3933292371/

All leads would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Jim
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steamin10
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by steamin10 »

IMHO, set the scale you wish to build in. Since you are talking 7.5 gauge, then 2" or 2.5" (3 inch?) might be appropriate for the narrow gauge track proportion. From the drawing, a car length, wheel size, or side board dimension, can help to generate a yardstick measurement to scale things out. Then its plug in the numbers and build it off.

If you have other stock to match with , this will influence your decisions, but the result will be all yours. I love engineering in this way. It creates a variety of 'new' that is above the ordinary.
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jkimberln
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by jkimberln »

ironhorseriley wrote:Hello everyone,

Any British and Welsh rolling stock fans out there, I have an interest in building reasonably accurate models of the Welshpool & Llanfair light RY 2’6” gauge gondola wagons. I intend to build them to run on 7.5" gauge track.
I have plans for a "wood Wagon", that is it is a wood frame and sides with cast iron wheels and other metal parts. Basically one of the British 1923 standard wagons. It's a 7 plank wagon with loading doors. It is 7 1/2" gauge and is 24 1/2" long plus buffers, and 13" wide. I have mine lettered as a Private Owner Wagon.

If this is of interest let me know.

JerryK
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ironhorseriley
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by ironhorseriley »

Thanks Dave, helpful stuff. I was able to access the Accucraft site that the drawing was on partnered with the model it was producing. They gave the scale and bare bones dimensions that I deduced to 14’ overall length, coupler to coupler & 6’ 7-1/2” wide & 5’ 7-7/8” high at the railhead. (after wrestling with the metric givens and scaling to full size)

I must admit to being a Colorado 3’ gauge snob and all the posts here & on Discover Live Steam have opened my eyes to the beautiful Welsh narrow gauge equipment designs. The recent build logs on the Hunslet & the 2 Sweet William locos are begging for a string of these little wagons bobbing along behind.

I have horse traded for a pair of wheel sets and thought building something like this would be a great way to get my feet wet and allow me to fabricate most of the hardware needed myself.
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ironhorseriley
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by ironhorseriley »

Jerry,

I would love to see those plans if you want to share. I am assuming that is a narrow gauge prototype as well?
Jim, Former railroader, fascinated by wood working & “all things engineered”.
jkimberln
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by jkimberln »

ironhorseriley wrote:Jerry,

I would love to see those plans if you want to share. I am assuming that is a narrow gauge prototype as well?

I'm happy to share, but you'll have to PM me your email address since some of the files are large. The plans would get you the dimensions of most of the metal parts for 7 1/2" gauge but they are not narrow gauge.

What scale are you going to use in your build? Are you going to use a factor based on 30" to 56 1/2" and back to 7 1/2"?

The plans I have are based on the "Railroad Clearing House 1923" specifications. They may be of some use to you, at least as far as the running gear is concerned.

JerryK
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by jkimberln »

Glenn Brooks wrote:Jerry, interesting how similar these wagons are to the 600mm (24" ga) WW 1 rolling stock used by the UK War Department to re supply the front, just a few years earlier.
Glenn, they are not similar at all. I do have some drawings of a US 600mm 8" rail gun and support train, however. An example of the truck (bogie) used is attached. All of the RCH 1923 wagons are 2-axle with link couplers and double buffers. The drawings of those that I have are for a wood framed wagon although the same drawings can be used for a metal framed wagon. Most all the prototypes are 16 feet long.

JerryK
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ironhorseriley
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by ironhorseriley »

I am not the best at researching, but I did stumble across a picture link showing some of these wagons in the yard of the railway before the tourists took over.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news- ... e_facebook
The photo credit below:
Welshpool and Llanfair Railway. Welshpool, Wales. Various freight wagons. General view of Welshpool and Llanfair Railway in sidings. Welshpool, Wales. Credit: Science & Society Picture Library
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by bill4227 »

Try Blackgates Engineering in the UK http://www.blackgates.co.uk/ Download the catalog. I bought the drawings and wheels to make the slate wagon. The plans had dimensions for 3.5", 5" and 7.25" gauge, large scale as the cars were for narrow gauge railways. Wheel gauging is not a problem just make the axles per the gauge you want to use and spacers between the wheel and outer bearing support.

Bill
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ironhorseriley
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by ironhorseriley »

I will have to check it out. Thanks, bill.
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ironhorseriley
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by ironhorseriley »

My wheel sets arrived and the excuses are off. This may have to turn into a build log. I am researching my bearing options. I am very interested in "simple" and stable. A 3-point suspension is my goal with the rider's weight centered above a solid unsprung axle at the rear and a sprung or otherwise movable front axle.

To quote from the "Lord of the Rings", "and so it begins"........!

Jim
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Wheel set shipment.
Wheel set shipment.
IMG_20160316_050129903.jpg
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Re: Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

Post by Adirondack »

ironhorseriley wrote:My wheel sets arrived and the excuses are off. This may have to turn into a build log. I am researching my bearing options. I am very interested in "simple" and stable. A 3-point suspension is my goal with the rider's weight centered above a solid unsprung axle at the rear and a sprung or otherwise movable front axle.

To quote from the "Lord of the Rings", "and so it begins"........!

Jim
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