Turning CBs into coal wagons

DB says:

So excited was I at the rapid progress made in coaling up the CWs that a return visit was made to the dungeon to do the same with the CBs. 

All the CBs had thin card false floors fitted a dozen years or more ago, which were of various degrees of coal-tightness, but the gaps were easily plugged with dollops of PVA. One had been topped with an experimental application of builders expanding insulation foam, but that was a bit of a disaster as it takes some practice to tell how much - or more correctly, how little - needs to be added as it keeps growing for some time after you squirt it into place. This was largely cut away with minimal damage to the wagon.

Those cross braces between the hungry boards were an inspired decision many years ago, as they look pretty neat with coal across them.

While on a roll, I painted the CE, CW and CB Microtrains copper-coloured brakehoses, touched up any chips and scratches accumulated in the last decade, greyed up the CW bogies to match the other wagons, put an additional bit of panel wash weathering onto the CWs and considered a few other improvements. 

So that's 17 wagons for a decent coal train from 2005-2013, which covers the Tranz Rail blue through black, through Toll through KiwiRail period - dated from when the CWs got hungry boards until their demise. I think the red non-chuted DXs were probably gone off the coal trains by 2005 unless in use as an uphill leader through the tunnel as non chuted leaders on the eastbounds were still allowed then? A few more CEs and CBs instead of the CWs and the train would work up to the present time.