Uc tanker wagons


I love the look of those old-school Uc-1, Uc-2, and Uc-3 wagons, with all their busy strapping and trussing. And some of them had colourful paint schemes as well. Just look at this beautiful Uc-2, purportedly in chrome-yellow and black. . . (click on the the image or link below for origin, and access to a larger sized image). . . this one is my most favourite goods wagons of all time.

 

IMHO the best looking freight wagon ever built - Shell oil tank car "Uc" 1031.
Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 :Collection of albums, prints and negatives.
Ref: APG-2007-1/2-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23038480

 

 

The later Uc-15 style (Europa example at top of the page) looks to be a much easier build though!

 

 

Uc-1 and Uc-2 classes
Using the article in Railroad Model Craftsmen magazine July 2009 on building tankers as a basis, tanks were constructed using 25mm wooden broom handles cut to length rather than plastic pipe as suggested - was just what was to hand at the time!

The method involves adding layers of 0.005" plastic until correct diameters and design are reached. Superglue was used to add the layers for fear of distorting the thin sheet if using any solvent-based glue.

Finished off by using polystyrene cement though, sparingly on the joints that end up on the underside, out of sight.

 

The tank cradles were made from plastic strip, and to get consistency a jig was made from plastic strip to firmly hold the number required in a sandwich. Then use a piece of 25mm wooden broom handle wrapped in sandpaper to form the correct concave curve.

 

Cradle-making jig gives an even curve to all cradles.

 

 

The end supports are built up from plastic strip and angle and channel as per drawings and reference material. Again, commercially available plastic strip material makes the whole job easier than you think. Just be super accurate with your measuring.

Before the channel-section parts were glued in place they were squared up and thinned out a bit in the inside of the channel, ready to accommodate thick strips of "wood" that will help support the tank ends. Again, see reference material.

 

 

Detail of the tank end supports.
Maybe should have used brass angle for a finer look on the vertical supports?

 

 

Tank end supports and cradles all glued to an Ozzie 30ft chassis

 

 

 

Now with the layered tank sitting in place

 

The domes are built from appropriate size tube and a plastic card cap is added on one end before again using the tank wrapped in sandpaper to get the curvature right for the dome bottom.

 

 

Tanker domes from tube, and shaped.

 

 

And here's the dome test-sitting in place, and all on bogies (slightly crookedly!) to see how it looks.
Coupler cutouts have been left until later.

 

For the tank ends it may have been easier to round off the ends of the broom handle lengths but decided to make plastic ones from old (Frateschi - what I had to hand) tanker ends thinned down to correct thickness. Will use one as a master and mould and cast the number required for consistency.

 

Tanker end master ready for moulding and casting consistent size and shape parts. . .

 

. . .and the resuting one-piece mould and casts. Mmmm. . . chocolate.

 

 

More detail to follow. . .

 

Uc4

More to follow. . . including these.

 

 

 

 

Uc-15 and Uc-16 classes

More to come. . .

 

 

Uct Bulk Tallow tanker

More to come. . .

 

 

Uc-what?
A slight diversion here, another distraction. A "bash" possibility, an old Tri-ang bogie tanker.

 

 


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