The New Zealand Model Railway Guild Inc.
4 Wheel Open Wagon Kit Assembly

One of the many aspects of a Model Railway, is building up a fleet of wagons. Four wheel open wagons were once common on the NZR, with many variants. Presented here is what you might expect in a whitemetal kit and the steps to complete the assembly. As each type of wagon kit will consist of different components, what is shown here is indicative only, and assumes the required skills have been aquired. The kit used is HO gauge, 1:64th scale.
	The kit to left consists of whitemetal, brass sheet, lost wax brass castings, wheelsets and bearings. Whitemetal parts are the sides, ends, solebars, brake cylinder, brake shoes, coupler pads and underside detail. The floor is sheet brass while the handbrake and brakehoses are lost wax brass castings. The wheelsets have plastic injection moulded centres on steel axles running in brass bearings. The instructions included are not shown.
	Using solder, tin the floor - all of the underside and the edges of the top or what will be the inside of the wagon.
	A square block is useful in attaching the ends to the floor. Here low melt solder is being used to tack an end to the floor.
	Once both ends are tacked in place, test fit the sides.
	Both sides have been tacked in place with low melt solder in this view. The advantage of using low melt solder is that it is easy to adjust positioning of parts, and aids fast assembly. It will also flow readily into the joins of the wagon making for an improved finish.
	Flow low melt solder around the joins on the inside of the wagon. It is also a good idea to low melt solder the underside as well. This will make for a strong and neat finish.
	Turned brass top hat pin point bearings are fitted into the holes cast into the sole bars. The photo shows bearings that have been secured with low melt solder. Add some oil to the bearings before assembly with the wheelsets.
	The next job is to locate the solebars and wheelsets to the underside of the wagon. Low melt solder is used to tack the solebars in place. Check the axles are square to the body and parallel to each other, then low melt solder the underframe in place.
	To complete the wagon construction, details consisting of brake shoes, brake lever, brake hoses, coupler pads and door bracing have been added.
	The kit parts assembled. The addition of handrails and couplers are now required. Painting and weathering will complete the project.
	An La8 wagon painted and with decals ready for weathering.
	The same wagon showing some of the extra detail that has been added.
	A close-up view
	The end of the wagon.

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www.railmodel.org.nz..last updated November 24, 2008