Constructing Container Flat Wagons for 2 TEU Containers

Pipalya

Pipalya

White Pass, SAR (South Australian Railways)
Country flag
As mentioned in my thread in Freight Wagons, the discovery and purchase of 1/24 scale container models from China which although not marketed as railway models are very close to the scale railways I collect (i.e. LGB / Piko 1:22.5 mainly White Pass and Yukon locos and rolling stock). In another thread I discuss the scale issues I found with container models of 20'containers produced by these makers being out of scale regarding the length of the container.
Piko G containers

However the models I found were accurate to 1/24 in every respect and therefore desirable.
Intermodal Shipping Containers

My next problem was that I did not have suitable flat wagons to carry them. As there seem to be no solutions, second hand or new, I decided to construct my own. The photographic story continues below.
parts.jpg

After looking at styrene extrusions and not finding any suitable sizes I was taken by aluminium at my local hardware. After sketching out some possible solutions and guided by various photographs of container wagon types used in Australia I decided on trying aluminium pieces bonded with superglue. Extrusions included; channel, flat and angle.
It worked very well.
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I used an LGB WP&Y container flat wagon as a guide for dimensions and bogie placement.

construction - 2.jpg
The main frame finished with bogie pegs made from aluminium tube fitted.

construction -3a.jpg construction -3b.jpg
Part of the centre frame cut away to enable bogies to swing further. As it turned out this was not necessary as the radius of the track curves did not require it.

construction -4.jpg
Completed bar fitting of the container posts, brake system and painting. Note second wagon under construction.

test run.jpg
Two wagons, painted with 2 TEU containers each on a successful test run to check that bogies did not foul and that couplers worked correctly. Also tested that their weight did not inhibit running.

brake parts.jpg brake system fitted 1.jpg brake wheels.jpg
A friend kindly printed some parts for the brakes; air tank ends and supports, AB unit and brake cylinder. With some printed steps this completed the units.

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Container flat wagons now operational.

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A view of the Garden Railway at Penfield, Adelaide, South Australia. The shunting yard.

Next projects:
2 redesigned 2xTEU flat cars to add to my rolling stock.
Build a Tanktainer.
 
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I have found that aluminium does not bond very well with most adhesives, unless specific (aluminium) primer is used.
 
I find it best to 'key' aluminium immediately before applying adhesive.
My theory is that it is quite reactive (in its own way) so you get the finest layer of oxide, very quickly..

PhilP
 
For glueing aluminium i use "putty" of polymax, high tec.
Dont use their colored stuff, those will not hold for even one year, just the plain white.
Sand your alu, apply high tec, it should last 3 years plus.
And i put it in very worse conditions, still going strong and stil elastic.

my 2 cents.
 
justme igor said:
For glueing aluminium i use "putty" of polymax, high tec.
Dont use their colored stuff, those will not hold for even one year, just the plain white.
Sand your alu, apply high tec, it should last 3 years plus.
And i put it in very worse conditions, still going strong and stil elastic.

my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Yes. I did sand all parts of the aluminium where I was gluing..
So far so good. My test pieces seem very strong. The aluminium was also washed with detergent and degreaser before painting with sls etch primer.
 
Sanding is enough, it will get rid of the oxidation and create a bigger glueing surface. grid 80-120 is sufficient.
Lower grid will do more damage than good. from 400 and up its meant to be polising.
Just curios, what type of glue/putty you are using?

with best regards Igor
 
Sorry for the late reply. I have used superglue. Test pieces have bonded well and don't break even with some knocks. So far so good.
Pictures from latest run day at Penfield, South Australia, on October 9, 2024 below....P1070596.jpgP1070600.jpg
 
Pipalya said:
Sorry for the late reply. I have used superglue. Test pieces have bonded well and don't break even with some knocks. So far so good.
Pictures from latest run day at Penfield, South Australia, on October 9, 2024 below....View attachment 333795View attachment 333796
Click to expand...
They look pretty good, interesting about the superglue bonds on aluminium , sure hope they last. Could i ask where you got your containers from you said they weren't listed as a models ?
 
The container wagons described above have lasted one year without mishap or damage. So I have set about building two more to a revised design.
P1070665.jpg

The redesigned flat cars still utilise the same central spine as my originals with two aluminium channels being super-glued back to back, but were given a more open structure and measuring slightly shorter at 530mm in length.
I use "Sellys Quickfix Supa Glue". Someone asked.

P1070721.jpg
The stringers help support the cross members and the narrow ones enable me to have a fixing point so I can firmly attach the containers to the wagon. On the previous wagons the containers are only held by the corner posts, although none have come off so far. I felt that they needed a better solution to hold them onto the wagons.

P1070727.jpg

I decided a green colour for these would fit in with the White Pass loco colours.

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Fitted with bogies and brake gear.
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Running at Penfield in January 2025 Open Day with a Tanktainer.
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The tanktainer was completed from an Italeri 1:24 scale Tecnokar trailer with 20' tank
and fitted to one of the new flat wagons. It is very slightly out of scale in comparison to the other 1/24 general purpose containers but still looks fine.

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The second new container wagon with two MAERSK 22G1 containers.
 
Nice job Pipalya Pipalya , have you considered trying to make Twistlicks that can hold the container on. These are what the real thing uses and I imagine may be dooable in our scale. They are very clever in that one can look down a long train a pnd see that all containers are secure providing the white lever is not at 90 degrees to the wagon.
 
dunnyrail said:
Nice job Pipalya Pipalya , have you considered trying to make Twistlicks that can hold the container on. These are what the real thing uses and I imagine may be dooable in our scale. They are very clever in that one can look down a long train a pnd see that all containers are secure providing the white lever is not at 90 degrees to the wagon.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Yes I have thought about it but considered that the scale is too small to achieve. If anyone has a solution I would be pleased to see it. As it is the keepers for the containers are simply that - Keepers. I drill a 0.7mm hole in the position required, thread a dressmakers pin through the keeper, cut off the excess length and slide the pin into the hole (pins measure about 0.67mm diam.) and fixed with super glue. Previously I just glued a keeper to the flat wagon but they could be knocked off. On the previous wagons I built I had only lost 2 over a year of use - but still annoying.

See below the keepers (brake gear not fitted at this stage).
P1070736.jpg
 
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Thanks Pipalya Pipalya , much appreciated. I have a few projects to make small 8'- 10' containers in 1/22.5 . The italeri 1/24 kit seemed pretty pricey to cut up.
 
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