Bit more today with the tankers. As they are Ch*n*s*, the quality is rubbish. However, I have managed to rebuild them so far. The couplings were removed, along with the single buffer and rivet detail on the buffer beams to leave a flat surface. The single axle bogies were Araldited into the correct position and Accucraft wheels fitted, replacing the extremely doubious ones supplied. Some spacers were also introduced to lift the wagon a few mm up to the shunters buffers. The tankers are still a bit low but not worse than I have seen in real life. Upon reassembly, the four self tapper screws used to attach the end bed plates to the chassis frame spun in their threads. Quelle Surprise! I solved this by just super glueing them in. They wont be coming apart again so it does not matter. If they fail, I will drill through and put a 10BA bolt, nut and washers in there to replace them.
The buffers are prints, with the original brake pipe and a pair of 19mm drawing pins for the buffer faces. Bit big but I think they will go round R1, again, we will see. The coupling hook is also printed. I reasoned that the force exerted by three other wagons would not break the hook, if they break then I will remake them with brass. If I make them with brass, then I will incorporate a hole for a coupling chain to be held within the hooks assembly, like a real wagon. The walkway at one end of each wagon has had to be removed to get a further couple of mm height on the buffer beams. The handbrake will be re mounted on the solebar with a couple of printed handwheels instead of the one supplied. Both bufferbeams will be Araldited on initially, but, due to me not knowing how well the Araldite will adhere to the Ch*n*s* plastic, I may have to follow up with some boltage. Time will tell.
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