A brake van fit for royalty…

In my last post about Grain Crossing Box, I mentioned that from time to time inspiration strikes when least expected. I try hard not to go down these modelling rabbit holes, but sometimes they're very hard to resist!

I do like a brake van, but those with 4 wheels meet all of my current and future layout needs. Several years ago I picked up a rather battered Bachmann Queen Mary with no real intention of doing anything with it. The model was in poor shape with missing buffers and questionable "weathering". It sat, entirely forgotten about, in a box in the attic for many, many months and it was only by chance that I came across it - while looking for something else.

I'm one of those modellers who much prefers the process and I'd much rather build something - and expend ridiculous effort in the process - even when it's something I don't technically need. Once that inspiration strikes, I get carried away.

The Bachmann model was released in 1996 [I think] and is certainly starting to show it's age. It has none of the finesse and detail of more recent wagons, and is quite clunky by comparison - especially the bogies and bufferbeams. Having done a bit of online research, I noticed that there weren't many examples where the modeller had made much effort to improve and detail the base model. I decided to go all out on my model - this is where the aforementioned expending of effort comes in!

The model breaks down into a couple of component parts - a one piece cabin, a metal weight, the underframe and the bogies.

First off, I decided to make things difficult by removing the moulded handrails - not fun and not easy. I also decided to represent a van with sheeted sides - hence the plastic sheet visible in the photos.

The single biggest, and most involved, improvement was replacing the bogies with etched items from Roxey Models. They're simple etched frames containing the wheels, with the rest of the details added on top.

A photo showing a comparison between a detailed bogie, and one minus all the additions.

Once the extra details are fitted - footboards, axleboxes and springs - they really are little models in their own right and the visual difference is well worth the effort in my opinion.

The brake gear was all guesswork and cobbled together from various bits from the spares box. Same for the buffers - entirely the wrong type, but readily available and infinitely better than the originals.

A lot of effort for a model I have no use for but did I enjoy making it? Yes. Will it ever get painted? Maybe one day!