With the recent mastering of trunnions and stanchions I have had a go at producing a more accurate miniature skip.
Many manufacturers have had a go at skips over the years, both Rugga and Continental patterns, most have had issues to some degree or other, accuracy, the production medium, the construction method, appearance etc.
As those that know me will be aware I love skips and all the varieties of the weird and wonderful that have been built over the years, so this is an attempt to bring together a selection of components to provide as accurate a model as possible, by no means perfect, but, I think, a step up.
This is a representation of an Allen’s of Tipton 27 cu ft skip from 1920 this is an English pattern skip recognisable by the flat top to the skip bucket.
I started with the skip itself, this is from Simply 7/8ths etched in nickel Silver, I have replaced the supplied trunnions with a pair of ModelEarth ones and added many additional rivets in styrene using a punch and die set, along with some works plates from the axlebox conversion set that ModelEarth supply. I will add some remnant’s of its last load to add interest, and disguise some of the gags in the interior from filling the half etch on the plate work at the bottom. Sadly the rest of the kit will not be of use on this build.
The chassis is a modified ModelEarth resin casting, I removed the moulded couplers, and re-scribed the buffing plate to represent the wood blocks often added to prevent the prototypes buffing plates from too much abuse, the buffing plates themselves are Talisman brass. I added a loco haulage centre beam from styrene section, and the side plate used to attach the pressed steel chassis of the original. The end stanchions are resin with the reinforcing gusset reshaped, and the straps underneath are from styrene, the multitude of rivets are punched styrene.
The Axleboxes started out as Talisman castings, I have added the etched Allen’s conversion, of all the product that ModelEarth offers, these are probably of which I am most proud, splendidly originated by Allen Law, properly left field! The filler corks are from punched styrene.
For wheelsets are from The Train Department in the U.S. in practical terms about the best 14″ skip wheelsets you can get, ours have the edge on detail but the TD ones sound so much better when running.
Finally a couple of shots of the components placed together.
Next up will be priming and finishing.
Si
U.S. loco crew, these are available as a pair for £37.00 or individually, Clint the driver for £18.50 and Wyatt the fireman for £20.00
