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Brass etch notes: when removing any item with an Exatco knife please take care.  Cutting should be done on a self-healing mat using a few score marks rather than the cut once method.  Make sure that the brass is clean before soldering by using a brass cleaner like Tarnoff, very fine wet and dry sandpaper or using a fine wire brush in a Dremel to lightly polish the surface front and rear whilst taking care not to damage the etch itself.  Depending on your skills some soldering is required but you could use superglue or Selley's water based Kwik Grip to glue items on.  Really its up to you the modeller to decide your skill level.  It is assumed if you use solder you will also be fluxing the joints with Carr's Red label flux or equivalent.

The design was prompted by the use of larger than normal containers that were starting to be used in Australia around the early 1970's.  These monster wagons (84ft plus) represent the third generation of wagons designed for TNT in Australia and were designed in consultation between TNT and the Victorian Railways systems.  The railways were use to running goods wagons of the sizes between 50-60ft.  Other states built very similar units to the VR ones for TNT in both SA (coded SCFW) and NSW (coded JCW).  Thomas Nation Wide Transport desired to increase the size of their containers in line with the size/tonnages that were appearing overseas.

Their newer trucks were designed to handle these larger containers but at railway yards the current facilities and wagons were going to prove inadequate and to the Victorian Railways credit they were able to overcome many design obstacles to satisfy their customers needs.  TNT itself spent many millions re-equipping its yards in various states as the result of the new container loads.

One of the major criteria was that the wagon had to hold a projected container height of 2.82m and all fit within loading gauges plus pass beneath tunnels and other railway structures without hindrance.  Considerable difficulties were also encountered in the two jumbo-sized containers that had to fit on the wagon and the wagon it self had to fit around minimum radius curves.

The design problems were gradually overcome between consultation between both parties and in 1973 the first of the massive 25.73m (84ft plus) wagons appeared.  The wagon featured a special drop center frame mounted on 840mm diameter wheels with bogies mounted along way back from the buffer ends so they could negotiate tight curves.  They also featured a special gooseneck type automatic coupler.  Their tare weight was 23.5 tonnes and had a payload of 53 tonnes.  The first batch of 3 wagons proved successful and the group's numberings were increased to 25 with subsequent builds.  Initially they were grouped in sets of five for safety reasons because of the large overhang when shunting through tight yards.

Originally they were coded FCF, as they were not going to be bogie exchanged, as the containers would be transshipped between similar wagons at each states borders.  This was later altered for through running and then re-classed as FCW between 1977 and 1978.  1979 saw the group obtain the four-letter code of VQDW.  The increase in traffic beyond the initial TNT contract saw the construction between 1983 and 1986 of another fifty vehicles.  These carried the numbers VQDW 26 - 75.  In the late 1980's a large number of the wagons were leased out to the NSW railway system and not long after were re-coded to their numbering system until taken over by the NRC who again re-coded them.

They can be seen all over the Australian continent hauling multiples of container sizes because of their versatile deck space and container locating systems.  They are a regular feature on the APM train to Maryvale with their colourful Reflex paper containers.

Paint schemes: They were painted standard VR wagon red.  A good match is Steam Era wagon red.

1. Begin by removing the fish belly under frame from the etch.  Whilst looking at the “A” marked on the under frame bend the two sides down using a folder or flat nose pliers.  You may have to gently fold down side sections a bit at a time working from one end to another eliminating folds or creases you introduce with this method.
   
   
2. Looking down on the under frame ("A" facing you) gently bend the small end locating tabs up.  These will help guide the deck plate into position.
   Photo below: the folded underbelly prior to being soldered into the deck plate.
   
   
   
   
3. Carefully remove the decking plate from the etch paying close attention to the ladders that you don't cut them away from the main deck piece.  Only remove the tabs at the bottom left and right hand sides securing the ladder.  Don't fold up the ladder yet.
   
   
4. Number boards:  Using a pair of needle nose pliers grip the decking at the ends making sure that you cover the decking between the gaps and the number boards.  You will be protecting a 1mm wide section of the deck from twisting whilst folding the number board.  Using your fingernail gently fold the number board down.  Looking at the etch diagram above, the number boards are in the bottom left hand corner and the top right hand corner of the main deck, i.e near where the couplers are mounted.   Interstate modelers if using the other number boards provided in the deck solder these into position as per photos of your states wagon.  Victorian modelers remove the two extra number boards that are between the holes in the middle of the decking and discard.
   
   
5. Position the 2 pieces together so that both "A's" marked on the etches are facing each other.  With the under frame belly centrally positioned in the deck make sure that the slots in the under frame line up opposite the brass legs in the deck.  It is critical that this is lined up as you will later be soldering the supports for the deck into the slots in the under frame and these should line up with the deck legs.
   
   
6. Apply flux, solder or solder paste along the base of the frame where it meets the deck and solder each end paying attention to the points mentioned above.  Once the ends are soldered the entire length can then be soldered up.
   
   
7. Fold the end sills up at 90 degrees and run a bead of solder around the coupler area and the number board sections.
   
   Photo below: The finished decking with pipe work after having the underbelly soldered into position.
   
   
   
   
8. There are six underbelly support pieces (they have triangular cutouts in their arms) that are soldered beneath the twin holes in the deck representing the container locating lugs.  The first two are to the right of the small ladders (31mm from edge) in the etch above. Each unit slots into a slot provided in the sill belly.  Carefully apply a small amount of solder making sure that each arm of the brace does not protrude pass the decking proper.  Repeat for the next support piece.  The next two are approximately 76mm and 80mm from the left hand edge.  The last two are 114 mm and 118mm from the left hand edge.
   Photo below shows the bracing supports opposite their respective slots in the fish belly.
   
   
   
   
9. The last four supports, once again working from the left hand edge, are soldered in place at approximately 52mm, 65mm, 92mm and 106mm positions.  Note make sure that you centralize the arms over the 1/2mm deck struts so they don't protrude left or right of these as it could spoil the appearance of the unit when view right side up.  This will take a bit of care to achieve but it is well worth the results.
   
   
10. The bogie holes are approximately 24mm in from both ends of the wagon.  Bend the two tabs on the bogie washer to approximately 45 degrees and these will aid you by positioning them between the belly frame, whilst lowering the round part of the bogie washer into the small recess in the belly frame.  Solder the two bogie bolster washers centrally in place
    
    
11. Fold up the small ladders and the brake wheel support plates and run some solder over the fold lines for strength.
    
    
12. Halfway between the wagon ladders and the two hand wheel brackets are two grade control valves on each side of the wagon.  Bend these at 90 degrees and solder.
    
    
13. Solder the hand wheel brakes to the support brackets using a small piece of wire to aid lining up the holes.  If you would like free spinning hand wheels you could attach them with plastic rod.
    
    
14. Fold up the shunter step bottom plate so that the fold is in front of the ladder section of the step (i.e. the fold line faces you when looking from the front).  Bend the two tiny support lugs at 90 degrees to the ladder support so that can be positioned into the end holes of the wagon sill.  The shunter step side on should look 'Z' shaped.  With care solder the shunter steps to the wagon.
    
    
15. Clean up any messy solder joints, removing excess solder before filling the under belly base with weight in the form of ‘plastibond' or similar compound.  Try to keep the four elongated holes and the two bogie holes in the underbelly free from the ‘plastibond'.
    
    Side on view of the finished soldered wagon prior to cleaning and taking any kinks out of the decking.
    
    
    Pre-production sample showing plastibond filled belly with space left around the four elongated holes mentioned above.  Shunter steps have yet to be fitted.
    
    
    
    

Painting the wagon.

VR paint the wagon 'Steam Era' red, decal, all steps and hand wheels to be painted white.  Weather to taste, attach bogies. Vehicle code numbers white
V/Line:-Same as VR above
Freight Australia/Victoria:-Humbrol no3 Brunswick Green or Steam Era FA Green. Numberboard area Steam Era VR Yellow or Humbrol 69. All steps and hand wheels to be painted white. Vehicle code numbers yellow.
Pacific National:-Humbrol French Blue with a few drops of Midnight blue. All steps and hand wheels to be painted white. Vehicle code numbers black.

The completed VR weathered pilot model before number boards, and pipe work were added to the current etches.

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