Ron Wallman
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French DZ wagonI have now reached this stage building a five inch gauge driving trolley. The model is 1488 mm long over the sole bars, 360 mm wide and weighs 51 kg so far. The enclosed capacity is about 57 litres. The idea is to drop the doors and remove the stanchions to place a saddle on the deck for riders. I think if you compare the view with mi-dz-0207-5 on the Welsh Highland Railway Bangor site you can see my version is chunky to resist being used especially the brake handle that is cast aluminium. I also made the end I think as built.
I know there were several versions of these wagons. I made a mixture of what suited me. The stanchions are released by withdrawing a bolt and they then swing on a lip at the bottom to clear the latch knuckle and away. At least one DZ labelled wagon had this feature. I needed a clear side to place a riding saddle. The lashing shackles seem to be fitted either way round depending on example. I used screws to aid construction. The ends are held by just four screws so I can take them off for working, transport, storage and to have a flat bed wagon if I need one.
I do my own aluminium casting using a blowtorch and a hand held ladle. Even spiders run when they see me coming.(' ')
The job has been on the go on/off for two years may be a little longer. I could not get anyone to sell me rivets for example or at least not at an affordable price. I only wanted a thousand. Reeves told me they could not quote as they did not know the weight, so I calculated it, packaging and postal rates. Then they had the cheek to just add an £8 handling charge effectively doubling the price. I got my rivets from a genuine supplier with no handling charges and no fuss.
The doors are a nightmare. I thought they looked a good design but having made some if I was I/C there would be several changes. I made my version by pressing 0.7 millimetre steel sheet. The sheet is scrapped filing cabinets hence all the colours! I made a 12 ton hydraulic press and even so this can only manage that infuriating outer bead by doing a bit at a time. The centre section has to be pressed in one go or it looks worse than awful. The top Tee is 20 x 20 x 3 milled down and finally filed to make a pro rata chunky version of the real thing. After filing twenty four feet twice to make the rounded edge I thought I would take a rest.
The bogies are due to have brakes fitted but I had not had a lot of success with shoe brakes. After ten years on my MR coal wagon I needed to re-profile and the brakes got damaged due to derailments at exhibitions. The DZ wagon has disks as I know these will take a lot without fouling up. All I have to do is decide how I am going to make the calliper, make and fit them. It will probably take me some time.(' ')
Since building other photographs have shown my bogie interpretation to be inaccurate. I have noted the differences in case I build a second wagon. Mind at a probable finished weight of 52 kg this model is big. I have eight 6205 2Z ball bearings in stock.
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. The rivets really finish the wagon off well so its good you found some 
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