by Neil Ramsay
I run my 15mm stock occasionally at a local friends huge double track Gauge One layout. He is happy for me to do this, but I have always been keen to join in with running the smaller scale trains. Fortunately, I have been given a couple of small (and rather crude) G1 tank engines, so decided to make a bit of stock to run with them. I decided on 10mm rather than 1/32 scale, as this fitted the little Aster I was given. It seems more common in G1 circles anyway.

As my first loco bore a slight resemblance to a Jinty, and there were obvious Irish connections, I decided to model Midland Railway vehicles to start. With help from members of the club, I found suitable drawings and got started. With some guidance from my G1 friend, I decide to save a bit of time by using neat little chassis units supplied by a helpful chap called Peter Korzilius. These are formed from laser cut steel, with sprung axle boxes and springs in white metal that are very strong and run beautifully. They are available as complete 4 wheel chassis, or single axle units to suit a specific wheelbase. As many of the wagons I built had a non standard 9ft 6 inch wheelbase, this is mainly what I used. I have subsequently gone on to use these units for some of my narrow gauge projects, as they are so effective.
Peter Korzilius also supplied the sprung buffers and coupling hooks, which are the correct MR pattern, and look great.

Peter Korzilius axle unit - the axleboxes slide into the W irons and are fitted with a little coil spring. The brakes will fit on the little sticking up bits, to which i have soldered little brass pins. I secured the units to the bodies with a couple of 8ba bolts. 

One good thing about 10mm scale, is that it is easy to work out sizes! My first two vehicles were vans, built by cladding plywood shells with appropriate sized planking and framing. The strapping is 0.5mm thick Evergreen strip - same as my NG stock but 1.5mm wide instead of 2mm. I struggled at first with bolt heads -starting with Grandt line 0 gauge bolts, which were fine but worked out very expensive as there are so many needed. My later model have little sections of 0.85mm diameter plastic rod solvent welded in place. For larger bolts I have continued with the Grandt line.

Midland refrigerator van built with Grandt line bolt heads - the things on the roof are for ice.
A more usual Midland van with sliding doors

As with my 15mm Irish stock, I was keen to use individual planks of real wood to give greater realism, this has really paid off on the open wagons, where the individual planks are clear on the inside. The techniques I have used are exactly the same - just a bit smaller, and helped by a few more correct scale items off the shelf than I am used to!.

High Sided Open wagon - 0.85mm plastic rod bolt heads.

Five plank open wagon.

5 plank open interior showing wooden planking - I washed the wood with dilute black acrylic to darken and highlight the grain and planking.




4 wheel brake van completed

This is very much a secondary interest for me, but I would like to keep making the odd vehicle now and again. I was a little bit put off making coaches when I built the brake van - as cutting out the little windows was even more fiddly than I expected - no wonder most G1 guys use etched brass kits. I still might give it a go though, if I can find a prototype without curved panelling.