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LNWR, Observation Car, OO

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Welcome to this LNWR rolling stock build or should that be design. I don't normally enter competitions as the standard is very high especially here, but as I had this started, I thought it would encourage me to finish it.

This journey started two years ago, replacing some old scratch built items, one of which is the LNWR observation car, I obviously by my username model the Bluebell Railway, and one item of rolling stock is usually on the end of set's every time I attend.

So why this particular carriage? As far as I am aware there is no kit for this particular coach in 4mm or OO, instead of scratch building this, I feel not just to benefit me, but others also I would try go down the 3D print route, but this means a lot of research, and the best way to go about it.
 

Two years ago, I started researching, contacting the LNWR society for any available drawings of the observation car, they managed to find one, but no measurements. Thanks to some contacts on the Bluebell Railway, they kindly helped me out with detailed photo's and a few measurements.

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(A selection of research images)

With basic measurements I could start building the coach in CAD, for this I turned to a nice simple 3D software Google Sketchup, I am not an expert at 3D design, and I am sure someone who is more experienced than I could do a better and faster job, which is why it took 2 years. This model will be printed to 4mm scale OO, which is what I model in.

Due to its length and complexity the body was divided in to 3 sections, 2x ends, and 1x middle, details for the roof were added details, as well as an interior were all printed separately, to aid quality. The chassis was printed in a different material which will be dyed black, to aid painting, this is a flexible nylon material, which has similar characteristics to plastic but just cannot do the detail.
 

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(Some completed CAD's showing the main sections)

 

More soon next time.

 

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The body CAD was sent off to a home 3D printer using a 3D print hub, for a quick and slightly cheaper turn around, this was printed in grey resin, using a the SLA printing process. Took about 3 days to print the whole lot, which isn't bad going. The print was not bad at all, and didn't show too many print lines, and all the detail came out quite well including the handles on the top of the seats, crazy! But amazing!
The print was cleaned and all supports removed before it arrived with me, which save me a lot of time. I did however clean it again, and sanded any areas that required some cleaning up with fine wet and dry.
The chassis plus details arrived from Shapeways a week later, and again wasn't a bad print thanks to the new customer or designer tools where I get a say which way round the model is printed.
Some of the smaller items, roof vents, and buffers, I printed extra ones, as you never know when it may get an unfortunate tap and something breaks.
The body was test fitted together making sure all 3 sections were square and fitted together nicely.
 

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(Complete print, 3 body sections, 3 lots of seats, 1 chassis, roof and chassis detail, some spare parts included in the smaller details.)
 

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Excellent, at least you can tell me if I got it right or wrong hehe.

 

Its been a long time since I've been there 4 years nearly, maybe 5 since I actually travelled on that particular carriage.

 

Still enjoy doing the research on these carriages the other I'm working on is also up to 2 years.

Edited by Bluebell Model Railway
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  • 2 weeks later...

The main job on this 3D printed kit was to fit out the chassis, as it's just the basic shape with no detail like vacuum pipes or truss rods so this needs to be made up. The truss rods and the supporting rods were made-up of 0.8mm brass rod and soldered together.

The battery or electrical boxes also required some extra detail small rods were required around them, small holes were drilled in the tabs I had made on the CAD as these were made with holes but are way too small to actually print, so had to be re-drilled.
The lower footboards were made with 0.5mm brass rod and some brass sheet, again soldered together.

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(Plan transferred to paper from the CAD drawing, then made in to the brass.)


 

Edited by Bluebell Model Railway
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Hi Dave,

Yes I'm surprised too, when I built the other one which was... 5 years ago I think there was nothing... I checked again this year.. Found an O gauge kit but nothing in 4mm sadly...

 

Shame it's a nice coach

If you speak nicely to Worsley Works they might consider it. They do the LNWR Director's Saloon.

This is a lovely looking project by the way.

Phil

Edited by Mallard60022
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So the bogies, obviously I never printed any bogies, and as the print is rather light, I wanted to keep the weight as low down as possible, so I wanted some white metal bogies. There is also openings in the battery boxes for additional weight if required.

I ordered a pair of bogies from 247 Developments, and added my own NEM pocket for standard Hornby or Kadee couplings. The bogies were fitted with the standard 13mm wheel size, with brass bearings. The bogies will be secured with some Hornby self tapping screws as the chassis is made out of nylon, it will tap a thread in to that quite nicely.
I added a 1mm plasticard schim on the bogie as it was sitting quite low in the chassis, so a small modification on bogie boss on the CAD for the chassis.
 

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(Bogies, soldered together, with coupling pocket, after an addition of a schim to raise the chassis they were primed)


 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Matt,

 

That sounds very interesting, what printer have you purchased?

Hi Steve,

 Sorry for my late reply I have been chasing transfers, and etches not for this particular model but other ones.

 

 Its a DLP printer, I think one or 2 others have a similar one, but spent a bit more to have the extra height, to fit in one particular coach, I haven't fired it up yet and given it a go as I am waiting to set up a little area to print, clean ect....  So we shall see.

 

Hopefully have an update on this thread soon!

 

 

 

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Yes already building one of Worsley works models not for the faint hearted... In fact 3d printing the kit I'm currently working on (not LNWR), it has been cheaper... And less hastle trying to find all the missing parts.

Your LSWR (Edit) LBSC build article is not in the October Paper. Pah!

Edited by Mallard60022
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Didn't know I was building an LSWR carriage.. Certainly building an LBSC, LNWR sadly everything takes time..

Sorry I meant the Director's Saloon ..... LBSC. My age you know. I also thought you had submitted further info for the second article and yes, I understand fully, things take time, or in my case they take years and years and years......... :scared:

P

Edited by Mallard60022
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  • 2 weeks later...

On to the body now, and a slight confession, when I do a lot of modelling my hands become quite painful, and tend to have some issues with movement. The picture of the body sections above was the initial test print in resin, when working on it, I unfortunately dropped it on to a hard floor... woops, and being brittle shattered, however I have pieced it back together for an example to show at meetings what 3D printing can do.
 

So I scrapped together some funds to print a mark 2 version, but even with the accident it gave an opportunity to refine some areas, mainly the way the body attaches to the chassis, I decided to try and fix M2 nuts in to a U shaped recess and glued those in place.
The 3 body sections were cleaned thoroughly and lightly wet and dry sanded so the sections fitted together nicely. These were glued together with standard super glue.39830967985_83464726b1_b.jpg40735522642_5b83921349_b.jpg

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

With the cleaning test fitting to make sure everything was ok, then I could move on to filling and priming, and a fair bit of sanding. I built up layers of filler primer, then flatted it back, then a few more coats flat it back then finish with grey plastic primer, and then check for any areas that need filling, then flat back and prime again.
I then added the roof detail on, I had to make a surround for the middle vent, a very thin brass sheet radiused to the roof profile, with a shroud on either side, all made from brass. The vents were then glued in place. Rain strips were added using plastic evergreen strip, all this was lightly primed, as the roof will be primed white later on.
This took about a week to do to make sure it was ok.

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  • 1 month later...

Its been a little while, the roof has been primed white....
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Next comes paint, I picked up some LNWR paints in May at my former local exhibition in Buckinghamshire (Railex) I of course wanted it to be as it is currently in it's LNWR livery. Paints acquired from Phoenix paints, P379 LNWR Coach Plum, P380 L.N.W.R. Coach White, most of this carriage was hand painted which I prefer personally so I can be more accurate with distribution and where it goes. One small error which I will fix at the end is the door windows or I guess droplights, require painting the coach plum colour rather than white.
 

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(Coach painted, in it's plum and white, with some brass handrails added for the photo)

 

Next the lining, something I haven't done too much of recently, but having designed this model to have a bit more depth off the moulding gives me a better edge for me to use a bow pen to follow the shape easier. The lining looks on the preservation carriage to be an off white or a slight Tan colour.
I went through a number of paints and found the closest one... and tried it and came out quite well...
 

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With what I thought was the most difficult job done, next was the transfers...
The next tricky part to get hold of... the dreaded transfers, when I built the original coach I couldn't find any then... HMRS didn't have them in stock 3 years ago, and sadly the same again in 2018 no stock anywhere, so I had a bit of a problem, either make my own with images that I had of the crest and numbers which I had used for my previous scratch build, or put a plea out for transfers that someone may have lying in a draw somewhere... Luckily a couple of generous people came forward, many thanks to Stephen Lea (Compound2632) who supplied the crests and numbers.

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(HMRS transfers fitted, kindly supplied by Stephen Lea)

 

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