With the Draisine largely completed I have been thinking about my next project. I am looking to convert a Del Prado X3800 into an X5800 unit with a bit of chopping and slicing (or cutting and shutting as I believe it is called.

The X 5800 is shorter than the Picasso X3800 units. They have a number of different features but the non driving end is very similar and the main dimensions are enough alike to consider the conversion feasible. I will have to construct some of the details out of plasticard such as the drivers cab on the roof which is not enough like the X3800 to allow me to reuse it. The driving end of the X5800 (pictured above) will require some thought as to how to achieve the look but so far I am hoping to salvage some of theX3800's parts from that end such as the lights and perhaps use a combination of Milliput and Plasticard to get the right look. I have ordered a Kato chassis to power the unit (the Tomix ones were either too long or too tall!).

Looking at the X3800 donor unit I have approximately sketched in paint where I am intending to make the cuts:

The roof will be cut first to the correct length. This will allow the unit to have some strength and will (hopefully) hide some of the cuts that will be made. There will be two sections for the roof and it will need sanding to remove some of the lines and to make it smooth in a similar way to the prototype.

Then the rest of the unit will be cut into parts. I have numbered the parts for ease of identification. Section 4 will require switching direction to put the doors on the correct side. Section 3 will have plasticard installed over the door to make it look like the door on the X5800 (which is mounted on the outside in a similar way to the door in Section 4). Section 1 will need some work to remove lights that are in the incorrect position and Section 5 may require some serious work to get it looking proper.

I am not starting this until I have finished painting the Draisine (which has been a JOY to build!!!).

Thanks for reading

Stephen