Some time ago I purchased a Broad Gauge Bodies V wagon kit with the intention of making a PH power van so I could run my A-class on my N-set prototypical (as most VR modellers know the A-class were not fitted with Head End Power so they required a PH van in the consist to provide this power). As it turned out, I had the wrong kit for this project:
Photo from Norm Bray's Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60901191@N08/
The version I have is one with a central door of the earlier pattern. As you can see in the above photo, the PH vans have two doors and they are of the B van type. What a bugger!
So the kit got put away until I happened to flick through one of my volumes of the Brief History Books produced a couple of years ago and came across another van which I had intentions of modelling one day:
One of my photos taken on a visit to Maldon
This is a VZVA van (originally coded HD for departmental traffic). Two of these vans were put into service to transport chemicals for the Weedex Train and given roads numbers 247-248. Of these wagons 247 has ended up as part of the Victorian Goldfields Railway collection (hence why I wanted to model it). So the kit I bought by 'mistake' turned out to be the correct one to model this very van!
It is still early days with getting this one together. The biggest challenge is the curved roof. BGB provide some corrugated card and some thin metal sheet. Basically you have to shape the metal to the correct profile and then stick the card over the top of it. This takes time and cannot be rushed as you end up with a dodgy roof otherwise.
I should point out that the first attempt did not go all that well after gluing it down and I had to do some trimming (superglue has a nasty habit of grabbing before you are ready....and not grabbing quick enough when you are) but I did salvage it. The next time you see this project it should have progressed to a stage where it can be painted.
Now I just need to get the correct kit to build that PH!
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