Parkside 21T mineral wagon






21t mineral wagon, unfitted, diag. 1/107 (TOPS code "MDO")

Built from a Parkside (now Peco ref. PS15) 7mm/ft plastic kit.

Although around 1,500 examples of this type of wagon were built (1950 - 1951), the majority were taken out of service by the 1980s.

For my Spring Mill Street layout, set in the 1970s, I therefore wanted to show an example towards the end of its working life. By that time, very little of the original paint and/or metalwork of the body would have survived.

So, to get that almost gone paint effect, here I’ve used the "hairspray chipping" technique - removing the grey painted top-coat to reveal various shades of rust underneath.

The floating axle-boxes have been sprung using fine wire, bent to a ’Z’ shape.