French Railways SNCF

[Dimitris]

Hello people, and good morning once more.

I present you my unpainted 2-axled automobile wagon (wagon transport d'automobile / Autotransportwagen) of the type: TA60 (ex-TA260 - 1960/72), epoche III, of the SNCF from HAXO HO (France), upgraded by PROTO: 87 standards, is out of brass with brass-castings for the brake-system. It was connected as prototype to the back of auto-trains (autocouchettes / Autozüge). This is my first effort of a wagon-kit, constructed (selbstgebaut) by hard-soldering out of brass parts. It took me a lot of time to assemble it (2010), because I am very new in exact PROTO: 87 modelling. I used solder of Ag + Sn with my simple 48Watt solder-station (Lotkolben). However, hard solder needs 48-60Watt minimum. It's not as a simple solder - Sn + Zn, and it melts at about 300-400degrees.

The upgrade consists of:

- Airbrake-pipes out of brass castings (Messingguß), from WEINERT HO (1: 87),
- Couplings (attelage a vis) out of brass, from HAXO HO (1: 87),
- FREMO : 87 / PROTO: 87 blackened nickel-silver wheelsets - 10,6mm in diameter (BA88 - year until 1972) from WEIMANN HO (1: 87) = 920mm exactly to the prototype.
- The wagon has suspension by compensation (suspension fonctionelle individulement), not 3-point suspension.








[img]http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2157/pu4i.jpg[img]







Thanx for watching

Dimitris

[Andreas]

Hi Dimitris,

I think you have used a lot of solder. Show some pictures more. What solder did you use?

Cheers
Andreas

[Dimitris]

Hi Andreas,

and thanx for the reply.

I have used Sn96/Ag4 solder from Gerard HUET in France (now he is retired).

I assembled it in 2010, and my soldering skills were very new and not so experienced at that time. Now they are better. However, the areas of the body-shell, where the solder is, need a little filing, very smoothly, for making it flat. However, it rolls excellent on the track, and the suspension takes all the cushion from the rails. I worked on bends (curves), and it's OK, too. Also, I left it unpainted, because I like the color of the brass (Messing), though it needs a lot of cleaning.

The liquid I have used for fast soldering in 2010 was Castotin, but weren't so good as the one I have now Lötwasser (Flußmittel) from Fohrmann Werkzeuge. I corrected most of the parts of the wagon by soldering with the Lötwasser . The Castotin had a problem, that if it is kept in a hidden place, it solidifies, and then it cannot be used anymore. Probably, if some water is poured in it. The Lötwasser does a great job, never solidifies and stazs a liquid even if kept in a hidden place. See pics of the liquids.



I'll post some pics of the wagon, later on, from 2010.

Regards,

Dimitris

[Andreas]

I think you used to much solder. Furthermore I took a look at that solder and it has a melting point of 221 C. This means you must have to solder iron at about 450C. This is to high and without proper care it can deform the metal. Currently I use 145C solder so I work at about 300C with my solder, a lot of liquid flux (9% phosphoric acid) and for white metal 70C low melt solder with the same flux. For cleaning after soldering I use a glass fiber pen and I suggest you get one for cleaning up.

On the other hand, if this is your first brass kit, I think you choose the wrong one. To difficult and complex from the construction. Try to clean it up now and continue.

Cheers
Andreas

[Dimitris]

Everyone makes mistakes in the first effort. Everybody has or ought to respect this.

Also, even if in some parts has (like the sides) has solder, more than the other parts, it's still OK to me, while it operates excellent on the track as well as with the couplings. As I said, I can file smoothly the excess solder for making the areas of the sides flat.

I didn' see any metal deforming even in 300-350degrees (maximum temperature of the solder station 450degrees).

As I said, I won't clean it, as I prefer the color of the brass, and I won't paint it.

In 2010, I never cleaned the areas after solder, due to lack of experience. Now, I do - I mean in corrections of this wagon or upgrades of other rolling-stock. I use water with tissues and then I dry it up and it's OK. Everybody has it's own ways.

Yes, I chose a complicated one in 2009, when I bought it, as I was started the real thing of train-modelling this period of time and I didn't have experience on it as well as in hard-soldering. Now, I do.

As I said, I did some corrections on it from then.

Regards

Dimitris

[Andreas]

Hi Dimitris,

this is by no means critics. This are my thoughts written. Everybody can what whatever he wants with his techniques.

I tell you my experiences with soldering and how I try to tackle the problems. I've been experimenting a lot with that for a number of years now.

I wish you many pleasant modeling hours.

Andreas

[Dimitris]

Hello.

I finally soldered the handrails / Griffstangen on the upper deck of the automobile-transport wagon / Autotransportwagen. I have also soldered the brake-releaser / Lösezüge - presented with red arrows on pic 9. Now, is complete.

I have used this solder: Sn45/Pb45/Bi10, that is very good for brass and others, i.e. white metal, and melts at 145degrees Centigrade. I didn't use Sn96/Ag4 - melting-point: 221degrees Centigrade, however this one makes very strong joints of solder.



Thanx

Dimitri

[Dimitris]

Now the wagon, is 100% complete. It has also the door, which moves for the car entry/exit / Plate-forme-amovible:





So, it's ready to accept cars. I don't which brandt in 1: 87 scale, but I am looking for CITROEN ones.

Thanx

Dimitri

[Dimitris]

Hello.

The pics show the added "hanger' of the balancers of the system with the air-cylinder / Achsbremsgestänge + the system with the manivele / relier - connected to the handbrake / Handräder on the lower deck that lowers and raises the ends of the upper deck for the cars to move out or on the wagon, respectively.






Thanx

Dimitri

[Dimitris]

As you see from the the system with the manivele / relier - connected to the handbrake / Handräder on the lower deck that lowers and raises the ends of the upper deck for the cars to move out or on the wagon, respectively, may be seen better as a view to this TA60-KIT in scale O / 1: 43,5 from the company Benoit SEMBLAT. The kit has PROTO 43,5 - wheels. http://benoit.semblat.free.fr/w_ta60.html





Thanx

Dimitri