MOC: WT Water Tank Wagon

[scruffulous]

Another addition to my collection of Victorian Railways rollingstock.

These WT water tank wagons were used to transport water to stations in drought prone areas where there was no permanent water supply.

[lightningtiger]

AWESOME piece of rolling stock again 'scruffulous' !

Love the details including the stickers for id and weight etc.,.

You are excellent MOC'er and really really......I'm a conformist! !

[Captain Zuloo]

Indeed! This is truly an amazing piece of work. It is so smooth, very realistic. And the stickers add a heap of detail! This is a great MOC. But what are those black tube 1 x 2 tube parts on the laddery thing? Is that cut flexitube?

[Fistach]

I really think that it is of outstanding design but I have one question - these cars were so low?

[scruffulous]

Thanks guys.

But what are those black tube 1 x 2 tube parts on the laddery thing? Is that cut flexitube?

Yep, it's cut flex. I shed a tear every time I cut some, but it comes in really handy.

I really think that it is of outstanding design but I have one question - these cars were so low?

Yes, these wagons were low. I'm not sure why, but I guess the chassis couldn't support more than 2000 gallons. They were known as water trucks (hence the WT designation), and were usually used for carrying water for locomotives or firefighting. Normal water tanks were usually used for carrying potable water, although water trucks were also used for this purpose in times of drought (and designated DW for "domestic water"; the taps were also positioned higher to avoid sludge).

[Fistach]

Yes, these wagons were low. I'm not sure why, but I guess the chassis couldn't support more than 2000 gallons. They were known as water trucks (hence the WT designation), and were usually used for carrying water for locomotives or firefighting. Normal water tanks were usually used for carrying potable water, although water trucks were also used for this purpose in times of drought (and designated DW for "domestic water"; the taps were also positioned higher to avoid sludge).

I see. It just looks a bit ... different but it's design is still perfect. Thank you for additional information!

[legotrainfan]

This is a superb waggon! Congrats! It looks amazingly realistic due to its details.

[scruffulous]

I had the pleasure of seeing one of these IRL today. I took the kids to the Steam Trains for Kids day held by the Victorian Goldfields Railway, and glimpsed a WT wagon in a siding as we pulled into Muckleford station. I was surprised by the coincidence of seeing a WT wagon, given that I'd just made a MOC of one. At the end of the day I wandered up to have a closer look (and take this photo) and I realised it was exactly the same wagon (i.e. 192 WT) from the 1978 photo I'd based my MOC on! An unbelievable coincidence.

[Cooper]

just curious, now that you've seen the real thing, do you think you will adjust anything in you MOC?

Recently I had the opportunity to see the real deal, and it resulted in a near total rebuild.

Yours seems very faithful to the original (at least until Ben starts making Dark Red train wheels). That said, before seeing the real thing, I would have guessed your MOC was more recent.

[scruffulous]

just curious, now that you've seen the real thing, do you think you will adjust anything in you MOC?

Yep, I've posted pics of a new version over on Flickr. I'll probably work on one further version once I have some comments/feedback.

Edited April 12, 2010 by scruffulous

[scruffulous]

And yet another version:

The main changes from the previous version are:

• Retained the type 2 handles, but changed their position and orientation slightly. Used Brick, Modified 1 x 4 x 1 1/3 No Studs, Curved Top to allow the top handles to be positioned closer to the edge of the tank.
  
• Slightly different stickers.
  
• Flat top on the filler dome (thanks bricktrix).
  
• Different lever handbrake.
  

I'm pretty happy with this now, but further comments still welcome.

[lightningtiger]

AWESOME 'scruffulous' totally AWESOME !

The stickers set it apart from any other kind of rolling stock MOC by saying Vicrail !

Great trim work again too !

I'm a conformist! 'scruffulous' I'm a conformist! !

[Duq]

I'm not familiar with the original at all but I really like this model. Lots of nice details. I especially like the new handbrake.

[Brickthus]

And yet another version:

The main changes from the previous version are:

• Retained the type 2 handles, but changed their position and orientation slightly. Used Brick, Modified 1 x 4 x 1 1/3 No Studs, Curved Top to allow the top handles to be positioned closer to the edge of the tank.
  
• Slightly different stickers.
  
• Flat top on the filler dome (thanks bricktrix).
  
• Different lever handbrake.
  

I'm pretty happy with this now, but further comments still welcome.

Yes, I like that one even better.

It begs the question "When exactly does one finish a MOC?"

This is one reason I did LEGO trains, so I could keep improving them. Unfortunately I have quite a few that I exhibited up to about 5 years ago, and standards have kept improving, so there's a lot of work to do!

Some of my more recent ones, which are small wagons, are here. I see them as templates for rakes of wagons because most wagons look best when there are several, either of the same type or of similar types in a mixed goods train, depending on the train, load and era of course.

Mark

[Bricktrix]

It begs the question "When exactly does one finish a MOC?"

When one is personally happy with it or if someone points out a glaringly obvious improvement which one has overlooked.

[scruffulous]

...most wagons look best when there are several, either of the same type or of similar types in a mixed goods train, depending on the train, load and era of course.

I agree. Whenever I do a BrickLink order, assuming finances permit, I get two or three times the number of bricks I need so I can make multiples copies at a later date.

It begs the question "When exactly does one finish a MOC?"

When one is personally happy with it or if someone points out a glaringly obvious improvement which one has overlooked.

...or if LEGO releases a new part that provides a better solution, or LEGO produces an old part in a colour you need, or you change your mind...basically, for me, the answer is "probably never".