SPIRIT DESIGN 1036 Manual

1036: SFX/VFLX Victorian Railways- V/Line container flat wagon.
Thank you for purchasing this kit and I hope you get many hours of enjoyment from it. Chris Pearce (Spirit Design)
SFX-25 loaded with pipes. Note the white handbrake identification stripe on the bulkhead. Courtesy Rob O'Regan.
Basic history notes: Between 1967-1970 the SFX wagons were built in two distinctive groups, 1-25 and 26-120 of
which Newport workshops produced 1-50 and Ballart North engineered the rest, numbers 51-120. When built they had
bulkheads and removable side stanchions, as well as the first 25, had lashing rails the length of the wagon and wooden
decks, units 26-150 had all-steel decks. Designed as a general all-purpose flat wagon they would be seen all over the
system with various loadings such as flat steel pipes and poles. Many different types of machinery loadings were also
common because of the many lashing points and pockets they had built into their decks.
With the increase in containerization around the late 1970s, many were fitted with container anchors and had the
bulkheads removed. They had a loading capacity of 49 tons. Throughout their lives, they have been made into various
niche groups as needed by the railways. SFF plywood traffic, FPX Panelboard traffic for SA, OGF LPG gas traffic
With the conversion to 4-letter coding, the class carried the following: VFLX, VFLY. VFLF, VFMX identities and when
skeletonised they received the coding VQLX. See Spirit Design Kit No. 1035 (3 versions) for this wagon.
Equipment & Materials: Exacto knife (blade no 16 or similar), 800-grit aluminium oxide sandpaper, small flat needle
file. Also and 'Hold and Fold 'is Ideal for bending the etch or vice with 2 stainless steel rules will help. Fast-drying
wood glue like 'Selleys Exterior PVA', 'Selleys Kwik Grip' water-based, a soldering iron or super glue are required for
completion (all recommended: usual disclaimers).
Soldering notes: when removing any item from the brass etch with an Exacto 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. It is 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.
Assembly Instructions: There are a few steps that require close attention and they are highlighted in
Parts referred to in the text are marked (P1), (P2) etc.
italics!
positioning of all parts.
way is to assemble both the brass component and timber sub-assemblies and paint them before gluing the two units
together. The wooden underframe is best glued with a 'PVA' woodworking glue and the assembled frame is glued to
the brass decking using 'Selleys Kwk Grip'.
The Etch:
1. Cut the main deck etch free (P1) from the surrounding brass. Place in so that the orientation of the unit
matches the parts listing (see diagram below). Bend the end sills up at 90 degrees.
2. Using a 'Hold and Fold' or pliers, gently bend aside up so that the fold line is on the inside of the unit of (P2).
3. Repeat the same for the other side. Make sure that you do not damage the side stirrup steps of the grade
control cage and the two valve representations enclosed in the cage.
when assembled.
© SpiritDesign
ABN 92 510 718 068
As there are several ways to build this kit, I will leave it up to the builder to decide. The best
http://www.spiritdesign.com.au
Refer to the photos, which illustrate well the correct
All fold lines remain under the wagon
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Web site:
bold and
23-Mar-22 Revision 1