Rebodied HTV Render

Carrying on our series of blog posts with renders showing new models in production we're excited to be revealing this re-bodied dia. 1/146 coal hopper.

Diagram 1/146 started to appear in about 1952 and with its BR style hand brake, Morton brakes and welded body can be considered to be the standard design of 21T coal hopper. This is further reinforced when you consider that some 17000 wagons were constructed.

However, carrying coal in any type of steel wagon has one big problem, corrosion. This was originally dealt with but cutting out corroded sections and welding in new metal. By the late 1960's this approach had been generally superseded by the process of replacing the whole body. From 1971 to 1978 a major re-bodying program took place with larger numbers of wagons from all diagrams receiving a new style of welded body with two ribs on each side.

Given their sheer number a many dia 1/146 wagons would have received the new body and this is what is featured in our renders above. Fitted and unfitted wagons from other diagrams were also re-bodied and some gained vacuum brakes at this time too.

BORAIL EB Render

We've been beavering away quietly on a few things lately and selfishly haven't shared! As an example of what's been going on here's a render of a brand new model that has it's first version complete.

The wagon in question is a British Railways designed, vacuum braked, bogie rail wagon used for transporting lengths of rail from steel works to customers and for export. Originally these wagons were not for the use of the engineers department and were built as a traffic wagon. This design was dia 1/483 and was the final design created following a number of variants based on pre-nationalisation designs.

The deep fish belly underframe is particularly distinctive and makes this wagon impressive at over 60ft in length. The vast majority of the design were overhauled and fitted with new bogies, air brakes and a new deck and bolsters, but that is the subject of another model and another blog post!

VEA Vans: Weathered ODAs

Bright, sparkling wagons are usually a rarity on the rail network and cleanliness is often a short lived state after repairs. As such, we feel it's important to include some slightly more work worn examples of the wagons included in our Train Simulator expansion packs.

The ODA wagons that will be included in the VEA Vans expansion are no exception and we're pleased to show the more grimy versions of the two liveries to be included in the pack.

VEA Vans: Work Worn and Dirty

It's always good fun to show the bright and shiny ex-works wagons. However, in the real world they soon found themselves in traffic and rapidly building a layer of dirt as the paint began to fade.

As with the majority of our expansion packs the VEA vans will feature both clean versions and the weathered ones featured in this post.

Carflats: Fresh Paint

It's always good to start getting base textures on to models and these have been no exception as the application of colour is really starting to bring them to life. The paintwork at the moment is still very much base coat with the ambient occlusion added with a basic set-up on the shaders so still a way to go!

This Dia. 1/131 FVV is in Rail Blue complete with Motorail branding. The wagon has the taller type of sides with removable end sections and wooden ends.

This version will also be supplied carrying TOPS code NGV representing the 16 or so vehiucles that were transferred to the non passenger carrying coaching stock series for Motorail use in the mid 1980s as a part of the sectorisation of British Rail.

This Dia 1/177 FVW in brown livery has the short version of sides with removeable sections and wooden ends.

This model will also be supplied as an FVV without the through air pipe.

A Dia 1/088 vehicle carrying Rail Blue livery and Motorail branding. The wagon has fixed sides and a steel end along with a buckeye coupling and dual brakes, hence the TOPS code of FVX.

the story of the carflats is complex and confusing to say the least and that was before in service modifications! As such we've taken a decision to portray the best fit of variations in terms of sides, ends, braking and draw gear. Vehicles to every diagram had a mix of all elements but those shown are the most prevalent for the diagram in question.

All that remains now is to start adding some grime and the finalise the set-up of the shaders oh and some loads of course. I've just seen a WIP render of one of the loads under development and I think there will be a very interesting blog post in the future.

VEA Vans: Railfreight Distribution ODA

Even though there were only 50 conversions of tube wagons to form the ODA air braked version, one of the wagons still managed to gain a coat of Railfreight Distribution livery.

Much like the VEA conversions the ODA looks pretty smart in a livery conceived some 30 years after it was originally built. This screen shot also includes a contemporary battery powered flashing tail lamp.

Let's Ride the Rails

A bit of an irresistible title I'm afraid!

A few weeks ago we were contacted by an experienced reskinner who expressed an interest in creating some reskins to form part of the scenarios we include with our Train Simulator expansions. With the scenarios for the Bullion Carriers under way the chance was taken to recreate one of Gateshead's allocation of Class 47s in the form of 47406 'Rail Riders' in original InterCity livery to use as the player locomotive.

The locomotive uses the class 47 included in the European Assets Pack/original routes and has a new texture, 3D nameplates and crest plus added ETH jumpers.

Although forming part of the scenario within the expansion pack the reskin will also be available to download from our website once the Bullion Carriers have been released. Don't take the screenshot as an example of the scenario though - it looks much different and you may have struggled to see the loco ....

VEA Vans: Railfreight Distribution VEA

One of the most exciting things about developing Train Simulator expansions is the little bits of history it can throw up. The story of the Vanwides and later VEA vans is no exception.

Not only did some 1950's built vans gain a new under-frame and air brakes to become the VEA vans featured in our expansion but at least six of them also managed to gain Railfreight Sector livery as the responsibility for Ministry of Defence trains passed to Railfreight Distribution.

Naturally, there was some variation in the way the livery was applied but the version we've chosen seems to have been the most prevalent judging by photographs. It must be said though that the VEA vans carried the livery well and it's a huge change from the all over brown they wore when originally built as Vanwides!

Bullion Carriers: Bullion Van Completed

With the textures and shaders finally completed it's great to see the bullion van in a completed form.

It seems to have been a very long unwrap and bake process with this one but the van and flats are finally with the testers.

If they come back from testing without any issues there will just the the levels of detail to add to complete the models.

VEA Vans: The expected one

When most people think of the VEA Van conversions they remember the Railfreight flame red and grey livery that the vast majority of the fleet carried from conversion.

Even now the vans look very smart in the livery and hide their more traditional history.

To complete the story there's a screenshot doing the rounds internally of the other livery the vans carried. When complete it's sure to feature in another blog post very soon ...

Bullion Carriers: Also in white

With the light application of  grime complete the opportunity has been taken to create alternative versions of the bullion flat with white containers.

The few photographs of the bullion flats in traffic shows them with either blue or white containers in a number of different positions. It's hard to say if this is chance or an era defined choice as there are so few pictures of the flats in service.

Bullion Carriers: Bullion Flat in Need of Grime

The bullion flat is now in the condition where it's really looking the part. The texturing is now complete and all of the lettering has been added.

All that's now left is to add a little bit of grime here and then and get the testers to give the bullion flat and bullion van a once over before the LODs are created.

Once these master shapes are finished there's a little bit of minor tweaking needed to add a little more variation to the pack.

VEA Vans: Sparkling Maroon

So we might have been hanging on to this for a while, but here's the first official works photo of a VEA coded air braked conversion of a 12T Vanwide.

Converted for use in locations where long wheelbase, modern air braked wagons couldn't be used the VEAs became closely linked with MoD traffic between various depots and bases around the country.

Although usually associated with the Railfreight flame red and grey livery the first fifty conversions were turned out in maroon livery.

Bullion Carriers: Old school or TOPS

As the mammoth unwrapping and baking cycle comes to the end for the bullion carriers it's nice to be able to show some progress.

The bullion van is now lettered and numbered complete with the option to take control of the coding.

The picture is still very much work in progress with lots of material and texture tweaks still needed. Looks like the tweaks will include investigating why the end lettering appears to be glowing in the picture!

Carflats: Trio Variety Pack

If there is one group of rolling stock that provokes huge amounts of discussion it's the carflats generally converted from mark 1 coaching stock under-frames as people try to trace donor vehicles and the like.

With the bullion carriers out of bounds as they had their shape test the chance was taken to wrap up the outstanding bits of the carflat shapes. The renders below show the three base shapes that will probably be continued through to release.

A dia. 1/088 carflat with steel ends, buckeye couplings, dual brakes, fixed sides and Motorail branding boards.

A dia 1/177 carflat with wooden ends, screw couplings, shorter split sides, vacuum brakes and through air pipe.

Based on a dia. 1/133 carflat, this render shows what appears to have been a later modification with taller split sides. The wagon itself is vacuum braked and has a number of wheel chocks on the deck used to stabilise vehicles.

HEA Hopper Conversions: Simple Barriers

A conversation with one of our customers asking about barrier wagons reminded me that we've already shown you the barrier wagons converted from HEA hoppers but hadn't got round to showing the full body versions.

These probably count as some of the simplest conversion going with just a change of TOPS code to identify their change of use. Most of the hoppers were looking pretty scruffy in this use but some did receive Railfreight Coal livery and will feature in a future post.

Bullion Carriers: Flat Completed

It's always good to get back to grips with projects and see them make tangible progress, especially after the trials of the previous few weeks.

The shape for the Bullion flat is now complete along with the containers for it to carry.

Built at Derby in 1971 the flats usually worked with the Bullion Vans converted in the mid 1960's from Mk1 BSK vehicles. Descriptions of the flats varies from reference to reference with some likening the to Frightliner flats but with buffers and B5 bogies and others to Mk1 underframes. Through the modelling process it would appear that the second description is much closer to the reality.