Fueling up.

Another project that has seen the light of day in the 16mm scale workshop over the past few months, is this fuel bowser arrangement. It’s a project I’ve wanted to create for a long time. In fact, I think I’ve considered it in most narrow gauge scales I’ve modelled in. This is the first time I’ve put my thoughts into action. 

The first time I saw the set up was in Roy C Link’s Industrial Narrow Gauge Modelling Handbook. Ostensibly a vehicle for his own products, the book contains a lot of useful information about industrial narrow gauge railways and how to recreate them using his products (the range is now produced by KB Scale and carried by Light Railway Stores.co.uk). The arrangement was meticulously drawn out in Roy’s own inimitable style and I knew one day I’d model it. Wether it would be using the kit in 0:14 scale or a creation of my own, was hidden in the future. 

Waiting for final details and the paint shop.

I thought that the internet would be filled with pictures of a prototype. I was wrong. I could only find a couple of images online in the Industrial Railway Society archives. Even asking fellow modellers only produced the same pictures. Anyone who had modelled it was using the same source material as me. I was going to be on my own. 

However, it was a pretty simple job. Binnie tipper chassis are used as the base, and the oil drums are produced by a company called American Diorama. These accessories are made for the automotive modeller, in scales such as 1:43, 1:14 and 1:18 There are nice items for workshops, as well as mechanics, workmen, and even bikini clad car wash girls.

The rest of the work on the project, like the cradles for the oil drums and the hand pump was modelled using styrene tube, rod and angle. The main achievement was the bending of some 2.4mm styrene rod on a convoluted path from the oil drum to the pump. A task completed at the first attempt.

Bending the pipe around the chassis at the first attempt.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with this.

Simple but effective

There we go. It was little more than a day’s work. Though I expect it would have been longer if I hadn’t been able to bend that styrene rod correctly the first time…

Tasks to finish the model include strapping to hold the drums in place, a handle for the pump, and a hose for dispensing the fuel. These tasks wait for things to warm up, so I can get into the garage to spray paint everything.