Open waggon load.

[bobg]

Fed up running a set of empty open waggons I decided loads were needed. Where to start??? Something light, something reasonably resiliant, something easy to work.

Open waggons often carried coal and other loose products and I'd thought of filling it with small coal. That left a problem with portability. Too easily spilled, and not particularly light anyway.

Clearing up after a different job I moved a sheet of Kingspan (other makes are available), and realised that it was very light, and very easy to cut. I cut a small piece with a sharp knife to fit the waggon.

The foil backing peels off very easily.

Find the right depth

Carve the shape with the knife and rough the surface by scraping with edge of the blade.

Rub over it with your fingers till the required texture is achieved.

Drop the load in and it looks like sand.

No doubt other materials could be stuck to it, that I will try.
The whole thing took only about 15 mins from 'go' to 'woh' for two.

 

[Cyclone]

It does look like sand, good idea.
BTW in the background of the last pic is that an uncoupler, and if so doeas it work well with the choppers?

 

[bobg]

Spotted!!! Yes Ed, it is the 'thoughts' of an uncoupler. Still working on the detail for the 'choppers' (not very fast).

 

[playmofire]

Smart idea and quick, too. I've used polystyrene foam as a base and then material glued on top, but it is a method which has to be spread over days.

 

[stockers]

Looks great - use water based glues (PVA). Solvent glues will melt the foam.

 

[bobg]

So far I've tried cellulose thinners, white spirit and polystyrene glue on the Pu foam and it's had no apparent effect. I would however still suggest that Stockers may be right, long term contact, as in paint drying, may do, so be cautious.

 

[stockers]

Thats good. maybe the Pu foam is more resiliant than polystyrene foam.

 

[CoggesRailway]

that is really good!!

 

[peterbunce]

Hi, I'd give it a double coat of PVA to seal the surface, and stop it shedding bits.

Use a stiff (kids bristle ) brush to dab it on (vertically) and you can texture the surface at the same time hopefully.

If the PVA is painted you can also add some coal of top , or potting grit (ours is a nice pink granite colour!) or 6mm gravel for a variation.

Nice work, and Thanks for the photos.

I have some of that stuff and will use it as you have done instead of polysytrene (ex packing) pieces. My loads are longer so I add some weight (lead strip) to the underside pushing it inside the load. The mass helps to stop it wiggling whilst being pulled, and will allow you to keep the loads a loose fit.

 

[Cyclone]

On my slotcar track I glued sand to polystyrene with sprayglue (for fixing paper/collages etc). That worked OK. Have seen glue melt polystyrene nicely.

Let us know how the chopper decoupler gets on...

 

[bobg]

Now, getting fed up with watching paint drying, well varnish to be truthful (it's even slower) I decided to make another load, same as the last ones but this time I sprayed the top matt black (plasticote).

I found a bit of real coal in Jill's bunker and carefully crushed it to a suitable grade.

A coat of spray glue, and just piled the coal on top and pressing it lightly by hand.

Result!

The paint and the glue seem so far to have had no effect on the foam, but I'll take a close inspection tomorrrow when it's had time for all solvents to disperse, but I reckon it'll do me!

 

[Steve]

Looks very good Bob

 

[bobg]

I've checked the load this morning and there is no obvious solvent attack to the foam.

I will make another, and this time use P.V.A. glue, as the spray glue's grip has remained a little 'soft' for my liking.