Continuing from my previous post, this time I describe building the body of the horsebox, including the groom's compartment interior.

The main etches for the body are in two parts, each with a side and an end, to be folded up to make two 'L' shape pieces. There are overlays for the sides of the compartment and the ends, to create the different layers of panelling.

 

The first stage was to put on the overlays, and then add all the details such as hinges, door strapping, and so on:

 

 

The overlays required the use of the mini gas torch, as even my 100W soldering iron couldn't put enough heat into the amount of brass involved. This was a learning curve for me, trying to avoid over-heating and distorting the parts due to differential expansion of the metal.

 

Before assembling the two body parts, I did some work on the interior, which was all done in plasticard.

 

The plasticard compartment sides are quite complex, as they have to accommodate the windows and droplights, which are in different planes. I used different thicknesses of plasticard in different places to allow for this. The first stage was a 'core' layer, fitted to the brass sides, on which the visible interior was built:

 

 

The various panels of the interior were built up in sections, each with the planking scribed with an Olfa cutter. I didn't have details of the interior of the diagram N4 horseboxes, but there is a detailed cross-section of the slightly earlier diagram N3 in Janet Russell's Great Western Horsepower, which was my main point of reference.

 

 

My plan was to use the etched droplights on the outside of the window, and make plasticard ones for the inside of the droplight. Here, the brass part is held in place with sellotape, while the plastic part is cut to match:

 

 

In the end, I managed to lose the brass droplights while working on other parts of the build, and had to replace them with more plastic. One of them has since turned up, and I am confident the other will appear when we move house.

 

The ventilation grills over the door were marked out by punching two lines of holes in plasticard using the rivet press:

 

 

These could then be cut through to make the slots with rounded ends. Once fitted, the side panelling was complete:

 

 

With that done, the body could be assembled:

 

 

 

I then made the rest of the interior - floor, partition and end wall:

 

 

I knew I would need to paint the brass body and interior parts before fitting the interior. The flanges on the top of the brass sides prevent the interior dropping in as a single assembly, so I designed the end panel, partition and floor to sit tightly between the interior sides, so the sides would be held tightly against the inside of the brass body at both ends and along the bottom once assembled. The use of various layers to make the sides meant there was some distortion as the solvent dried, but they are flattened out because the end, partition and floor wedge between them.

 

Next was the seat, the back of which also forms the partition with the thin compartment used for storing bales (partitions that go between the horses):

 

 

Opposite the seat is a low box, that covers the spring mechanism that counterbalances the weight of the drop down doors to the horse compartment.

 

 

Above, there are three hatches, in line with the heads of the three horses the box xan accommodate, which allow the groom to check on the horses. The hatches are each on structures with tapered sides and bottom, projecting into the groom's compartment. I made these up with layered plasticard, cut and filed to size:

 

 

 

 

The drawing shows the seat as upholstered, but not the back. I used a 3D print from CPL, filed down to make it a bit thinner:

 

 

The drawing is difficult to interpret, but seems to indicate an armrest on the centre line, so I made one from plastic strip, and cut the cushion in half to fit round it:

 

 

Back with the brass body, final details were added - end handrails, door bolts, and so on:

 

 

 

The grab handles were bent up from brass wire, filed to make the flat front face:

 

 

Looking at the prototype photos, the drop down doors to the horse compartment have rounded strips where the door lands on the platform, and at the bottom of the door. I used some plastic rod, scraping it with a scalpel to make a half-round section:

 

 

That completed the detailing, with the exception of the door handles for the groom's compartment and the bale compartment, which stick out and are vulnerable to damage. I left these off until the very end of the build:

 

 

The brass body was painted first with U-Pol #8 etch primer, and then Precision GWR coach brown in an aerosol. Once hard, the paint was rubbed down and buffed using Giles's technique, described here:

 

 

 

Weathering was with water soluble artist's oil paints, mainly raw umber, which is very similar to the GWR chocolate, but which gives the impression of dirt accumulating around the edges of the panelling, and so on. The process is to brush on plenty of paint all over:

 

 

This is then wiped off with paper towel, leaving it in the nooks and crannies. The paint dries very slowly (days) so you can keep working it until you are happy.

 

The interior was painted with Vallejo acrylics. Once painted, it could be finally assembled into the body, but before that, I set up the scene with the groom figure - an S&D whitemetal casting - and photographed it for the record:

 

 

And then installed in the body:

 

 

 

 

At this stage, the chains for the door securing pins were added from twisted 5 amp fuse wire:

 

 

Transfers are HMRS pressfix, and the door handles are lost wax brass castings from the Broad Gauge Society; they completed the build of the body:

 

 

 

In the final instalment, I will describe the roof, and the interior lighting.

 

Nick.