SUNDAY AFTERNOONS WERE MADE FOR...

... building plastic wagon kits!

Yet another mineral wagon has been assembled and has been added to the queue waiting to enter the paintshop. It's a bit cold for spraying paint out in the shed (only managed 5degC today) so I think I'll hang on and see how the weather pans out over Christmas. If I know I've a few jobs to tackle at the same time, then I don't mind cranking up the heater and piling on my thermals and big socks to spend a full day in the shed. Airbrushing paints should only be tried at a minimum temperature of around 12degC, or the liquid never behaves properly. The fact that I use acrylics for the vast majority of my freight stock, makes this even more crucial.

Anyway, this Parkside Dundas hopper has been a joy to build, although it's not a quick job by any means.  After all, it's quite a complex shape and the chassis takes time to get right - ensuring that both axles sit correctly. Adding weight is vital for reliable running but, as I wanted this wagon to run empty, there's limited space underneath for ballast. I managed to squeeze a fair bit of Liquid Gravity - secured with Roket Hot thin cyano glue (both from Deluxe Materials) - into the hopper base and behind the bufferbeams. As I'll be fitting working coupling hooks, I had to leave space for them to be fitted, with notches cut in the inner ribs too.

I've a few more Parkside kits to work on over the festive period, although not all of them are for my colliery project. There's a trestle wagon that I'm planning on upgrading and a brake van too. Plus a couple of 'N' gauge vehicles for a bit of variety...