Ian Kirk 7mm Gresley 52' 6" Corridor Coaches

[brossard]

I finished the side jig:

 

 

Machine cut birch ply with an undercut in the corner.  The base is an offcut of 1/4" ply.  All stuff I had lying around.   I hope I interpreted your instructions correctly.

 

John

Edited December 31, 2019 by brossard

[DOCJACOB]

Not a million miles off.

 

Here is my jig.

 

Assemble the side with bits face down, care to ensure no glue oozes onto the visible coach side.

 

Just need assemble all the pieces in right order.

 

I would be tempted with a straight 3rd initially as the coach side step in brake 3rd means a bit of fiddling with the roof?

 

For those with long memories and in 4mm scale the early Kirk brake 3rd side was in 2 pieces (4 compartment 3rd and brake side) so to make a 3rd it was double up.

 

The less common variety was the Push Pull brake 3rd with a suitable end for Epping-Ongar. The Scottish PushPull brake ends (used Arrochar-Craigendoran) were different.  

[brossard]

Thanks for the picture Jacob, I will see how I get on.  I'm building a layout for a friend at the moment so my progress on the coach is likely to be slow.

 

John

[brossard]

Wow, how time does fly but I've made start on my coach.  I used the jig to assemble the sides:

 

 

 

P1010001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

Things came out straight and square so happy with that.  Note the door hinges made from 2.5mm long 0.20" strip.  The bottom hinges are doubled to allow for the tumblehome.

Reverse side reinforced with 1.5mm thick plastic:

 

P1010002 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

On the corridor side there will be a handrail.  I made brackets from 0.40" x 0.080" x 3mm strip:

 

P1010003 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

These have been drilled for 0.032" (~0.85mm).

John

Edited April 9, 2017 by brossard

[brossard]

Assembled the sides to the ends.  Starting to look like a coach now.  All this just so I can measure up the underframe floor precisely.

 

P1010002-001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

Compartment side.

 

P1010001-001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

Corridor side.

 

P1010003-001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

Some more detail on hinges.  I doubled up the 0.020" strip on the upper and middle hinges and trebled on the lower.  Once the plastic was hard, I sanded them so that a straight edge lies on them vertically.

John

[brossard]

For the last while I've been toiling away on the underframe.  I think it would be correct to say that the Kirk Parts Pack (can't really call it a kit) is an aid to scratchbuilding.  This is what I have been doing.

 

P1010002 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

I had to cut out the floor from black plastic provided.  There are spine parts that need to be cut to length.  The bogie bolsters are glued down.  I had previously installed a captive 4BA nut in these to secure the bogies.  The splayed members are cut and glued down.

The dynamo comes in two halves which are glued together.  The pulley is also two halves.  I used Kemilway instructions as a guide to make a dynamo support and adjustment screw.  This was done by scaling the drawing in the instructions and using scrap brass to cobble up a representation of the support.  Copper wire was added.

Vacuum cylinders were mounted on a trunnion made from some 4mm brake etch V hangers.  They were drilled out and 0.032" wire inserted.  The white thing on the cylinder is a connection for the vacuum reservoir which this coach doesn't have.  The cylinders are angled slightly.  I will fit the rod, lever and crank (all made) later.

Footsteps are 5mm wide plastic strip.  I had a lot of trouble getting them straight.  I think they are acceptable now.

Battery boxes are a lot of work.  You only get the front face and have to make up everything else.  Robs pictures of his coach build were very useful.  Note the strap made from brass strip.  I'm not sure whether there were threaded rod supports at the battery box ends, something else to think about.

Still a ways to go with steam pipe and vacuum pipe runs that I'm mulling.  There's the truss too and I'm trying to make turnbuckles for that.

I found some marvellous photos here:

http://www.lnersvrcoachfund.org.uk/general_items.html  under LNER Projects.

If anyone has drawings I'd love to hear from you.  I'd like to get a better understanding of the steam and vacuum pipe runs.  I'd also like to see how the battery boxes were attached.  Plus of course any other relevant details.

 

BTW I do have the Issinglass drawing and it is extremely useful.  However, it doesn't provide any underframe detail.

John

Edited April 12, 2017 by brossard

[MikeTrice]

Rigid truss or turnbuckle? If rigid, rivetted or welded?

Edited April 12, 2017 by MikeTrice

[brossard]

Hi Mike, it's a Dia 25 Ex GER 52' 6", 7 comp't all 3rd.  It has turnbuckle truss.  I've also got the companion 3rd brake (Dia 42) and full brake (Dia 111).

 

Cheers

 

John

Edited April 12, 2017 by brossard

[MikeTrice]

Does this help?

 

 

 

[brossard]

It does indeed Mike, thanks very much.  It confirms, more or less, what I suspected.

 

John

[MikeTrice]

Vac pipe running along solebar:

 

 

Note the connection from the vac cylinders visible in the bottom photo. As far as I am aware these vehicle only had the two trusses.

[brossard]

Lovely, thanks again Mike.  The pipes (steam and vac) don't seem to have crossed to the opposite side as in most coaches.  At one end the vac hose would be on the right (for the viewer facing the end) and at the other end, on the left, if I read things correctly.  Steam hoses opposite.

 

John

[MikeTrice]

The pipes do cross over just inboard of one of the buffer beams:

[brossard]

Ah ha!  Another great piece of info Mike.  I'm loving this learning stuff.

 

John

[brossard]

Maybe I'm nuts but I decided to try to make turnbuckles.  These are a prominent feature (even Hornby represented these on their 4mm coach) but are not on the truss moulding.

 

P1010001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

I found a great closeup of a turnbuckle in a Rob P album - thanks Rob.

 

For those who might be interested:

Start with 2mm plastic rod (I don't know if there is tube), slice off 1mm and 2mm thick pieces - drill it for 0.032".  Start with 0.020" since you have a reasonable chance of getting the hole centered if you start small.  This may take some practice.

Thread some 0.032" brass rod through a 1mm and 2mm slice and space these at 5mm (I marked a ply offcut).  Attach 0.020" rod to each side of the tubes using liquid solvent.  Tease into position and LEAVE it.  After about two hours attach two more pieces of 0.020" rod and let harden overnight.

When dry, remove the assembly from the brass rod - it will have stuck so hold the brass with pliers and gently twist your turnbuckle until it loosens and slides off.

Trim the excess 0.020" rod and use a sanding stick to shape.

 

John
 

Edited April 14, 2017 by brossard

[brossard]

I decided  wasn't real happy with the way the underframe was going.  I realised that the trusses supplied with the kit are the wrong length and I built the battery boxes too long.  I've since rebuilt the battery boxes.  I discovered that JLTRT do Gresley coach details including cast queen posts and turnbuckles, so I've ordered a bunch of those.

 

While waiting, I wanted to get on with another major task - building up a second set of 8' 6" bogies, this for the 3rd brake that is next up.

 

So, here we are:

 

P1010001-002 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

Same methods that I used for the first set.  I got the information for the details from Kemilway instructions which are available for download.

 

In this unpainted state it is easy to see what I added to the Kirk mouldings which are basically sides and bolsters.

 

I need to add the boxes containing bolster springs (cut down 4BA screws), these will locate on the white pads under the center of the bogies.

 

John

Edited April 27, 2017 by brossard

[brossard]

Today I gave some thought and attention to the all 3rd interior. 

 

P1010001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

The seats are cast resin from Invertrain.  While browsing I found some very apt seat covering brocaide pattern.  Probably not LNER but I think it looks appropriate.

I copied the pattern and made a Powerpoint file.  By trial and error I reduced the size until the pattern looked to be about the right size.

Next I printed enough to do all 14 seats.  I cut out and did a rough fit to the seats, folding as required to get the paper snug.

I used spray adhesive and stuck the paper down.  Messy stuff but I got it done only having to re do one seat that went ahoo.

The bottoms, sides and tops were painted a bauxite colour.  Any areas where there was incomplete bonding were stuck down with CA.

Finally a coat of matte varnish.

 

John

[brossard]

Yesterday I worked on the partitions:

 

P1010001-001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

The kit comes with white plastic partitions that are not full height.  I cut the ends off for the corridor.  I then added plastic sheet to make the partition full height.

The partition decoration is a paper overlay.  The original was made available by Mike Trice in his titivation thread:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/121184-titivating-bachmanns-original-thompson-lner-coaches/page-2

See post #41 for the PDF.

I blew up the artwork to suit 0 gauge and, because we're in a larger scale, added real pictures.  I also added a brown panel under the buff so that white didn't show at the top of the seats.  I made my artwork a Powerpoint file so if anyone wants it just send me a PM with your email.  Thanks Mike for your partition art, it gave me a good head start.

Getting paper to stick to plastic was a two step process.  I started by laying down spray adhesive on a sheet of paper and laying the partitions on that.  This was repeated for both sides and trimmed.  I then cut out my printed partitions and used Pritt to stick them down.

Seats were attached using contact cement.

I think they pass muster but now wonder if I shouldn't make luggage racks as well.  Has anyone made these?

 

John

Edited April 29, 2017 by brossard

[brossard]

I thought it time for an update.  I've been pottering trying to progress all three coaches.  I'm waiting for parts from JLTRT so I can get on with the underframes.

 

The 3rd class coach:

 

P1010001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

I added the strip at the body to act as a recess for the roof.  One of the problems I see with this is that the sides tend to bow in alarmingly.  Putting the roof in the recess is one feature to hold the sides straight.  Another idea I had was to use the partitions.  I slipped one in to illustrate the point.  I added a kind of hook to the corridor side to engage the top of the side.

 

P1010002 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

This shows where I got with the roof.  It is pretty much correctly shaped but does need to be held down somehow.  I'm mulling over whether to make it removable using screws to secure it.  I've ordered some passenger figures from Omen-Miniatures  http://www.omen-miniatures.com/index.php . They're a bit dear but do come highly recommended.

 

P1010003 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

Here's the full brake body assembled.  At least with this keeping the sides straight is a doddle.

The 3rd brake body is in WIP.

[brossard]

Well, here's a job I'm glad to see the back of, luggage racks.

 

P1010001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

Each one has four 2 piece struts.  A 10mm length of 0.45mm NS wire was soldered under a length of 0.032" brass wire.  When all 80 (!) were done, 0.032" wire was soldered to them to form the luggage rack frames.  There are enough for my 7 compt 3rd and 3 compt 3rd brake.

I did use jigs to get everything looking the same.

Next task is to make the netting.  For that I have a frying pan fat catcher to cut up.

John

[brossard]

I got a packet of underframe details from JLTRT today.  I didn't like the plastic turnbuckle truss, mostly because it was the wrong length.  I discovered from Rob that JLTRT do a range of Gresley underframe details and decided to take advantage.  Now I can get back to underframe assembly:

 

P1010001-001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

From top left we have vacuum cylinders, alarm gear castings, corridor support brackets, turnbuckles.  Below these are brackets for dynamo support.  Below those are the brake rod and levers.  Bottom middle is the queen post and finally, bottom left are the luggage door handles.

 

These will give me a much more convincing build.

 

John

[brossard]

I should mention that I assembled the interior module but I don't like it all that much:

 

P1010001-002 (2) by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

The luggage rack netting is too coarse and ratty.  I've been talking to CPL about getting some interior parts so I'll put this on hold for now.

 

John

[brossard]

Another major task complete today, the assembly of the third pair of bogies (phew! glad that's done):

 

P1010001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

These are for the BG and this time are 8' WB Fox bogies.  In this unpainted state you can see better what I did to them.  The parts pack includes sides and bolster.  Everything else I added.  The brake shoes and yokes are from Parkside.  Safety loops are 0,032" PB wire as is the top diamond shaped pull rod.  PB is actually a good material for this because it's quite ductile and easy to shape.  Brass is somewhat harder.

Painting next.

John

Edited May 24, 2017 by brossard

[gobbler]

A lot of detail going on the underside

 

Making a good job, will be popping back in a day or so to see your progress

 

Scott

[brossard]

Thanks Scott, but progress is slow as I've got several projects going.

 

John