Saddle Up

While the tank is the big ticket item on the water tanker project there are quite a few smaller bits to make before I can think about fitting it into place.

Prime among these are the 3 cradles which it rests on atop the flat DZ wagon chassis.

As these need to be identical to each other the easiest thing to do is make one master and cast the three I need for the wagon.

I'm making this wagon without ever having seen it with my own eyes.

I do have the benefit of some research pictures taken for me by a friend, and another who ran a tape measure over it, but I've made an assumption here that the supports are in the form of a saddle rather thatn separate ones on each side - it's very dark under there and impossible to tell from the pictures I have.

If I've got it wrong I'm sure someone reading this will be quick to correct me.....

I have also been carrying out the alterations to the DZ wagon chassis.

It's not really possible to use the side castings from my flat wagon kit because they include the remains of the stanchions and door stops which have been stripped off the frame used for the water tank wagon.

So instead I have fitted plain lengths of styrene which I will decorate in due course with transfer rivets.

There was a similar issue with the ends so for this I have adapted a couple of castings from the ballast wagon kit which are uncluttered.

I've also put together a pair of diamond frame bogies for it run on.

Once the saddle parts have been cast I'll be able to see what it looks like with the tank on top!