Greg's Railway Modelling Musings: Mapleton Tramway Whole Stick Cane Wagon Prototype

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Mapleton Tramway Whole Stick Cane Wagon Prototype

Over the last few weeks I have been busy designing in Tinkercad various iterations of how I have interpreted the plans for these wagons from John Knowles' book "The Mapleton Tramway". Now I think I have finally settled on the designs to use for the prototype and follow on sets.

There wasn't a specific set for the Whole Stick Cane Wagons as used on the tramway however reading the book and examining the photos lead me to an interesting revelation. The Mapleton sugar cane wagons were very versatile. Running on the smell of an oily rag, the Tramway made do with what they could afford and re-purpose.

I learnt that these wagons were actually used as bogie wagons when needing to pull log disconnects on logs too large to be put on the usual long flatbeds. They also used these as mini flatbeds for carrying cases of produce and other supplies to the communities along its route.

So using the plans for the log bogies and referencing various photos and a plan for the sugar wagons used by the Moreton Mill in Nambour (similar but not the same as far as I could tell), I scaled the plans 1:20.3 that my Shay is made in and converted to metric (mm).

I 3D printed the chassis, side frames, wheel brake, and brake handle supports. I used strip wood for the timber areas and stained these with the ink/metho blend to age the timber. I'm just deciding if these need to be darker or look perfectly OK. I'll let the reader comment their thoughts. Brass was used for the brake handle, log bolster chain hooks and swivel, and locator pins for the log bolster and removable end stanchion. The wheel sets are to scale 13" as used on the Tramway and these were sourced from the UK. One day I'll teach myself to use a metal lathe! The wheel gauge is not to scale for this Tramway but to 45mm so I can use it on the Club's G layout.

I also designed and printed a individual storage case for the wagon to protect it when in transit.

I've printed another 7 sets of 3D prints to clean up and assemble. I still have to cut all the timber required to make the 7 sets. I also have to print off 7 storage cases. I will then have to get the correct size chain (well as close as possible) for the log bolsters and disconnect connections, sort out coupling pins and chains. Then sugar cane loads (old straw broom bristles), logs, and produce/supplies wooden cases. Busy, busy, busy!