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N Gauge Class 309 - First Steps

justin1985

Entry posted by justin1985

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I've been very busy recently with things other than modelling, but Boxing Day has given me a chance to do a little more work on my N gauge collection.

 

Back in the summer I spoke to Allan Doherty of Worsley Works at the 2mm Association Expo, and asked whether there was any chance of getting his Class 309 etches adapted to the refurbished version of the units with hopper style windows instead of the original Mk1 sliding windows. Very soon after the etches arrived, and have sat in my "gloat box" ever since ...

 

 

... until now! I made a start on the the TS, as the simplest of the coaches that make up the unit. As I understand these were simply standard Mk1 coaches inserted into the 4 car versions of the 309. However, as far as I can see from the few pictures online, the TS doesn't carry much of the standard Mk1 underframe equipment, so for now I've only built up the underframe trussing with none of the other equipment.

 

71569 (TS) at Stratford on 4th April 1985

 

blogentry-3740-0-69851000-1293392912_thumb.jpg

 

The MBS is probably going to be the next item on the agenda, and I'm planning to build this around a Greenmax chassis, and try and fabricate a low relief impression of the underframe equipment to disguise the rather low-slung chassis.

 

One problem I've hit though is the roof - I had planned to use some sections of Mk1 profile roof that I'd obtained from the 2mm Assoc shop. Despite being a perfect fit in terms of profile and height, they are a few mm too short! I guess this is the scale difference between N and 2mm. Other than cut-and-shutting some of these, can anyone recommend an alternative?

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BernardTPM

An old Farish Mk.1 roof is 133mm long over ends. Filing the rainstrips off the edges (replace with new, thinner ones underneath) improves the profile.

On a 64' coach the scale difference makes the N gauge coach 4mm longer!

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2mm Dabbler
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Instead of a full 'cut and shut' it may be worthwhile trying to extend the moulding with thick styrene strip; I've found old or broken school rulers suitable! Use plenty of solvent and allow to set completely hard - days not hours - before filing and sanding to shape. I've used this trick in my military modelling days with success.

 

I'd also suggest reading Missy's blog about Elvis's roof to see that care and determination will give results.

 

Regards

 

Michael

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nick_bastable
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any thoughts on using a TPM chassis, Ive one on order for a side project and the Bachmann unit on order I have been thinking if I can use association drop in wheels although there is a article in the Journel Feb 1994 on converting this chassis/TPM conversion and disc tender wheels

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justin1985

Thanks for all the replies!

 

Quite silly of me not to think of the Farish Mk1 as a donor - it is the most obvious option! However I don't actually have any of the old Mk1s, and amazingly they still haven't hit rock bottom on eBay, so this could be an expensive option. (I also need two for some EMU barrier coaches I'm doing with Hurst overlays).

 

I guess I was thinking that Ultima\BHE\someone "must" do a Mk1 roof section, despite not being able to find one!

 

The TPM chassis kit had been my first thought, but the Bachmann chassis unit that is required as donor seems to be doing a very good impression of hen's teeth at the moment! The Greenmax chassis is pretty much spot on dimensionally and only worked out to cost about £20-£25 from 1999.co.jp so I thought I'd live with the boxy underframe.

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Peter29071974

The 309 sounds like a very interesting project.What livery are you go going to paint it in? I have studied the pros and cons of making one myself in great detail, using the Worsley Works Kit as a basis.I can see three problems with an N gauge class 309.

 

The first you have already solved with the help of Worsley Works, and that is the characteristic Beclawat hopper windows replacing the old Mark one quarter lights in the side windows, on the refurbished units.

 

The second is those tricky front ends.As I know you are aware there are a lot of differences at the front between a non powered Mark one or a Southern Region Cep/VEP/CIG and a class 309's.I assume that the ends provided by WW are folding etches to cover the area below the roof.This leaves those awkward curves and protruding upper gangway mouldings to capture - one for Milliput and 10 thou Plasticard maybe? Also, the recent Modern Railways periodical on the classes 305-306-307-308 and 309 is well worth a purchase if you get the chance.

 

Are you an N gauge Society Member? If so they always seem to have plenty of scrap class 90 bodies to provide pantographs, in the absence of the planned Dapol spares.

 

Finally there is the vexed question of powering the unit.If you aleady have a working motorised Greenmix/Kato/Tomix which can fit in, fair enough.If not as it appears you simply cannot get any Japanese chassi at all at the moment,the only way round it is rather scary and expensive sounding butchery session on a Farish class 170/168 chassis (Graham Hedges did one to power a class 205 on his layout)(Hattons are doing the class 168 for £57 at the moment)

 

I would be very interested to see photos of the completed model, as I model AC EMUs in N Gauge. Currently I have a WAGN red/white blue class 317, a (LTS/C2C)class 357 in original white and green livery and a West Yorkshire PTE red and white class 307 and a 307 in NSE.I have still trying to pluck up the courage to attempt a Centro green class 323 though..

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