As there is a limit to the number of repainted NQ Gondola wagons that you can have on your layout I have been looking at a "cheap & cheerful" conversion to something else which doesn't involve a vast amount of work, unlike the Argentine brakevan build I posted on here earlier in the year.
I bought a couple of 1/24 scale models of Fiat cars at the Duxford Showbus rally last year which were from an Italian "partwork" publication which are actually rather nice models and set me back all of £5 each. I bought a Fiat 500 and a Fiat 127, together with an NSU Prinz which will still remain in a display cabinet as my Father owned one of those in the late 1960's! (though I have a real Fiat 127 in my garage, though it isn't on the road at the moment..)
Fiat 500's and 127's can still be seen in daily use in Argentina, so a car carrier wagon to go with my Piko 218 conversion/wagons/brakevan seemed a good idea, with a relatively simple job of removing the wagon ends and providing some loading ramps. The wagon sides will be retained on the finished product, but have been removed whilst I alter the flatbed body.
The main job has been constructing the loading ramps on the body, various sections of plastic strip and oddments of plasticard being used.
The initial work involved a couple of strips to fit between the tyres on the cars so that they would be positioned centrally on the wagon. The eylets in yellow are from a Hartland flat wagon kit and will be used as pivots for the unloading ramps. Ramps on the wagon floor have been made from plasticard.
Rods were inserted through the eyelets and then the end unloading ramps are construted from more plasticard sections stuck directly to them.
To be continued.............(now back to working on the portable N scale layout..!)
I bought a couple of 1/24 scale models of Fiat cars at the Duxford Showbus rally last year which were from an Italian "partwork" publication which are actually rather nice models and set me back all of £5 each. I bought a Fiat 500 and a Fiat 127, together with an NSU Prinz which will still remain in a display cabinet as my Father owned one of those in the late 1960's! (though I have a real Fiat 127 in my garage, though it isn't on the road at the moment..)
Fiat 500's and 127's can still be seen in daily use in Argentina, so a car carrier wagon to go with my Piko 218 conversion/wagons/brakevan seemed a good idea, with a relatively simple job of removing the wagon ends and providing some loading ramps. The wagon sides will be retained on the finished product, but have been removed whilst I alter the flatbed body.
The main job has been constructing the loading ramps on the body, various sections of plastic strip and oddments of plasticard being used.
The initial work involved a couple of strips to fit between the tyres on the cars so that they would be positioned centrally on the wagon. The eylets in yellow are from a Hartland flat wagon kit and will be used as pivots for the unloading ramps. Ramps on the wagon floor have been made from plasticard.
Rods were inserted through the eyelets and then the end unloading ramps are construted from more plasticard sections stuck directly to them.
To be continued.............(now back to working on the portable N scale layout..!)
