RT Models Hudson Tipper - part 6.

Both wagons now have their brakes fitted.

The first job was to fold up the two cross beams, different length beams are provided for either OO or EM/P4. The instructions tell you to assemble these together with the shoes then solder the completed assembly to the chassis, I chose to solder them directly to the underside of the sole bars, lines are half-etched on the bottom of the solebars to aid placement. It took a few attempts to get them central and square, I tacked one side and kept adjusting until I was happy. Perhaps if I build some more of these I'll make up a little jig.
Once I was happy with the beams the shoe assemblies, which simply fold up into a two piece lamination, could be sprung into place and soldered up (click on the photo for a bigger image);

 

The next job was to form a bend in either end of the brakehangers. I used a 2.2mm drill to form the bend, after practicing on the unwanted OO hanger first (again alternative parts are provided for different gauges). .45mm brass wire is provided with the kit for the brake cross shaft, I replaced this with .6mm wire from Eileen's Emporium as I felt that the cross shaft needed more 'bulk'. As the cross shaft fits through both the shoe assemblies and the hanger I used it to check the fit and then hold the hanger in place whilst soldering the hanger to the chassis. In the pic. below the cross shaft has been left overlength, to be trimmed later, and the hanger for the second wagon can be seen in the foreground;

The holes etched into the hanger allow the enclosed box which results from the hanger being fitted to be filled with liquid lead.

The brake levers were soldered in place next after forming to shape, note that these attach on a tag above the pivot unlike conventional wagon brakes. There's nothing in the instructions about forming the levers, they just show the lever being straight, so I worked from photographs. After fitting the levers I folded up the lever guides and soldered them under the bufferbeams;

Note the stepped hanger behind the guide (admittedly quite difficult to see in the above photo), I assume that this was for chaining the wagon to the track when tipping, can anyone confirm this?

There's still a few more parts to be added, but they're coming along nicely and I'm really enjoying the build;

 

Again all soldering done with a 25w Antex and 188 degree solder.

Paul.