Some more wagons have gone through the shops in the last 24 hours. This Bachmann Queen Mary brake van has only just been taken out of store and hasn't had much done to it as yet. The tension-lock couplings have been clipped from the bogies and some Smiths hooks epoxied into the buffer beam, but nothing more.
Originally intended for use with a local propelling move on my layout, inspired by operations at Walsall, the plan was scrapped because the original Bachmann Class 37 turned out to be of no use to me. With the re-tooled version looking distinctly more 37 shaped, things are now back on track. Photos of the real thing can be found here, taken when 37695 drew into the platform before setting back into the yard. See also Nigel Burkin's article in the May 2003 'British Railway Modelling' magazine.
Some more Bachmann BR Standard brakes have received couplings. Two are end-of-rake vehicles, with an instanter on one end and a Kadee #18 on the other. The grey example nearest the camera, however, has instanters at both ends as it's destined for a shunty-shunty lifestyle on local trip workings.
The biggest problem with the Bachmann model is the trenches between the planks - a real swine when it comes to renumbering.
A selection of Hornby hoppers have also received Smiths instanter couplings. These are destined for conversion to HTVs at some point in the future, but in the short term I don't mind running them around as place-holders in their unaltered form.
If you're wondering why most of these photos show groups of three or four wagons, it's purely because that's about the number I can get done before the two-part epoxy adhesive starts to set. By a fortunate coincidence this fits well with my ability to tolerate this mind-numbingly dull task.
A trio of Bachmann 13-ton sand tipplers all instantered up and awaiting their first turn of duty. My intention was to produce some quick, fill-in vehicles just by swapping the couplers, but the multi-part chassis design and the steel weight right where the coupling hook needs to go mitigated against this. In the end, after much cursing and swearing, it would probably have been quicker to build some of my Red Panda kits rather than mess around with a chassis that was never designed with the modeller in mind.
As you can probably guess, the majority of my modelling time over the Christmas period has been frittered away fitting couplers, I dread to think how much of my life has disappeared this way over the years. I can't delude myself that this is modelling, that it has any kudos attached - it's simply wasted time caused by poorly designed products. With my American stock I just throw away the provided coupling and replace it with my preferred Kadees, using the standard draught-gear box habitually fitted to most stock. With my European stock the situation is similarly easy, but uses the standard NEM socket rather than the draught-gear box. Only with UK products do I need to start hacking around like a complete amateur (sorry, I know I'm supposed to say 'craftsman' but it sticks in my throat) in order to get even basic functionality out of a model. Attempts at providing the standard NEM socket on UK stock have so far been limited and incorrectly applied. So, whilst the Bachmann brake vans can have Kadees plugged into the provided sockets, the sand tipplers cannot - the socket is at the wrong height, just as it is with many Bachmann products.
This is the key reason that Americans can build significantly sized model railroads, while many UK modellers struggle to get beyond the test track/shunting plank/diorama trap. It's not the myth that all Americans have basements the size of Central Park that's the factor, purely the availability of suitable products. The correct tools and materials for any job are critical for success.
Currently On My Stereo: Ozric Tentacles - Floating Seeds (Remixed)