# Loads (for freight wagons)



## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, 

With my building of flatcars it became obvious that there ought to be some 'loads' made for them; one large load shown in several books is a light colored tarpaulin covering a quite sizable rectangular looking load on a CCRR flatcar. 

I think this is a load of hay - made up of a large number of square/rectangular bales of hay, and needing to be covered whilst being carried on the railroad, for obvious reasons. 

Incidentally, bales were bout 3 to 4 feet long, and 14" wide and 16" tall (circa 1920 to 1930), according to Harry Brunk, in the May/June 2008 Short line Gazette. 

The 'tarp' I think would be heavyweight unbleached canvas or 'duck' - like the sails of sailing ships. 

The load is made from three layers of scrap polystyrene packing; glue the layers together adding between and pushed into the layers some weights. When dry it is wrapped a couple of times with paper to give it some stiffness; using PVA as the glue; the second layer is your 'tarp' so use the thickest paper you have and carefully drape it at the ends to give a natural fall to it, be careful, work slowly as the paper will be weakened by the PVA glue; leave it to dry totally. 

I have added another layer on the bottom to protect the quite friable polystyrene from coming loose (and getting everywhere!). It will also stiffen the ends of the 'tarp' as well. 

When dry fill any inevitable tears with filler and when that is dry paint it: I used a base color of antique white, and then weather it to your taste, with more, and darker color on the upper horizontal portions. 

Here are are some photos - 































The first photo shows the (hay)load with two coal loads as well; the second shows it on a scratch built CCRR flat car. 

The last photo shows a close up of the lower (of two, the other being for a 3 plank DSP coal car). load I have built - note the extra and larger bits of coal glued on, this load has a small 'dip' in the center; the edges have been painted and the rest will be painted. The paint seems to stiffen the pliable sealant and also keeps it from getting the stuff on your fingers - it gets everywhere! 

The coal loads use the same scrap polystyrene packing; I have used a tip from Kevin Strong, who has used in the tender of his Bachmann 4 4 0 some coal glued down with construction adhesive. Not sure what that is here in the UK but we do have some 'gutter sealant' which is black which is what I was looking for! The first load I built used just the 'No Nails' but that is white and it needs lots of paint to fill all the nooks & crannies' in the load. Kevin's tip came just after that was finished! 

But first glue the 'coal' on the edges with enhanced PVA adhesive (No Nails) the 'coal' is Horticultural grit - sharp edged granite chippings; and the reason for the no nails is that it is cleaner then the black gutter sealant. Let it dry then the center portion can be spread with the black sealant and more grit spread over it, amnd pushed down into it; again leave to dry. To give some different sizes of lumps add some coal now to the grit, gluing down pieces; this is especially so for early loads before coal mine mechanisation made the coal all the same basic size when the plain grit may do. 

When dry paint the lot and the edges with matt black (acrylic) blackboard paint; when dry enhance various random areas with varnish to give a 'glint' to it as coal loads would have had. If you have added some (larger) lumps for early loads they should give you a 'flying start' in that necassary step. 

The grit will provide weight: I have a couple done now, and more are likely to follow, or till the packing runs out! 

Finally here is the 3 plank, 27ft DSP coal car before the (custom made) decals were applied, with its load in place.


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Peter, 

Again nice work on the car loads, and thanks for sharing your ideas. 

chuckger


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## Don Howard (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the detailed lesson. 

Any chance of a pic after the decals?


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By Don Howard on 09/08/2008 7:02 PM 
Thanks for the detailed lesson. 
Any chance of a pic after the decals?

Hi Don, 
The weather was in a good mood, so here you are. The light on the second one has caught the dark varnish over the lettering a bit, it is not as obvious in normal viewing, (we cannot get Testors Dullcote here the EU doesn't like the solvent in it!). I will possibly add some 'more muck' over the rest of the side, to make it much less obvious. 
These 27 foot long vehicles were what I would call the first of the modern (for the time) vehicles: quite big, (the next added another 3 feet to the length and were the last style of flat and/or coal box that the DSP built. They also had a iron protecting strip on top of the planks as sdid our (much smaller) 4 wheel coal wagons), especially when views with a 2 and narrow plank 26 footer. The trucks give the game away , the are a stiffened version of normal DSP ones, and do not have the 'end wings' that were on the early trucks. These trucks appeared from 1883, and were used under all vehicles, like the 27 foot box boxcars and Tiffany reefers as well.


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## Terl (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey the car looks great with the lettering, and is nicely weathered. So how do you remove the coal load when you want to? Do you just turn the car upsidedown? What scale is the car? 

Terl


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Terl. 
I just hook the load out, with a dental pick; it is not fixed or tight, so it very easy to remove. The lower portioon of it is still vigin polystyrene packaging, (made fom large golbules of polystyrene foam), so the pick will easily grab it. 
The scale is 1/20:3


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Peter, 

Three of my Bachmann 1:22.5 gons have polyether foam with crushed barbQ charcoal pva glued to it. Looks OK to me, well anything is better than a plastic load.  
It is the sort of coal that might be used for replenishing loco coal dumps. 
I have just dome another two loads, as per your version, using polystyrene packing with real coal (very fine pieces - some almost dust)and again affixed with pva glue. It looks very good, my critical son said so. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif 

Now to sort out some loads for my 1:29 gonds. I have one or two industrial looking items - motors and small shafts with cogs which were from windshield wiper motors plus the usual wheel loads. 

It seems the principal handicap with heavy items is in that it can limit train lengths. Anyway it all part of the enjoyment and interest generated by our hobby and I rather like trial and error on occasions.


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