I’m not getting a lot done at the moment because of work and looking for a new apartment, but another burst of enthusiasm last week saw the Longyearbyen wagon mostly painted and heavily weathered using my normal artists acrylics. I’m still working on the final effect which I want to achieve with the weathering. I’m after an almost monochrome look created by loading fine coal in high winds and running through a blizzard to the port. My imagination pictures the whole model as dark buildings and snow and coal dust, with occasional splashes of colour to relieve the scene, so it’s almost a natural monochrome. Not that this layout looks likely in the near future unless I build it on the windowsill in the loo…
I think any future wagons may have less horizontal bracing so that I can get a three digit number on the side. I think that would improve the wagon and give an impression of seeing a small part of a bigger complex. I’ll also have to work on some bogie detail and coupling method on the production run. Speaking of coupling methods, the yellow end is to denote a ‘normal’ coupling on the wagon. I’m assuming that the wagons would be in fixed rakes -probably three as any longer would be too big for the layout- with a simple bar within the rakes so they could be emptied, and a normal coupling on the ends.
I’d have to think of something else for the railway to carry so operating gets a bit more interesting- perhaps a dingy mess van or stores for the hungry miners up at the summit which would both make interesting project in 1:32.
Next time we visit our new apartment, I’ll measure the loo windowsill…
On standard gauge equipment here, coal hoppers and gondolas in particular, colored end denotes rotary coupler: logic being colored end is different = rotary coupler is different.
Ahh, here’s a reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_car_dumper
“Originally, individual cars would be decoupled and placed in the dumper, but now it is possible to dump an entire unit train of coal without uncoupling any of the cars. The cars used for these trains are equipped with rotary shaft tightlock couplings (AAR Type F) on one end. The end with the rotary coupler is marked with a colored stripe, typically white, red or yellow. The dumper rotates the cars on the axis of the couplers.
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In the UK there is a similar system, now I come to think of it. It makes sense as well, but as this is a small isolated system I think the ‘outer ends’ marking would make sense, if only to stop the locomotive being wrenched off the rails…