Taz

+1 for the Proxxon TBM220. Very useful tool and small enough to store elsewhere when not in use.

The drill comes with 6 collets at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.4, 3 & 3.2mm. The Chuck is screw tightened. To be honest I only ever use the 1 that fits the two drill sizes I use. B.

There is no debate, there is only right and wrong. in this case Rob is right

I was half expecting a bloomin great space station to slowly spin into view...

Hi, The drill is a Proxxon TBM220 I use 5mm and 8mm drill bits. The 8mm is used for the vent holes which I then enlarge (normally 1.4mm) by hand with a pin vice. Proxxon list it on their website so they are still available.

That is correct. As supplied the Comet bottom hinge sticks out further than the top two. so I file them down a bit so they match the other hinges. On a coach with a continuous curve such as a Mk1 or Bulleid you need to use the larger hinges top and bottom with the smaller hinge in the middle. again filing of the two larger hinges is required to make them line up.

It has been a godsend. If you ever want it back a replacement will go straight to the top of my shopping list

Once I have double checked the Comet plans against prototype photos (where possible) I then mark out the roof with positions of roof vents and handrails. A set of compasses is really useful for this job. All the holes then need to be drilled out. Hand drilling aluminium can be a tedius and painful process so I use the pillar drill. Always try and prop the roof up so the point you are drilling is as close to 90 degrees to the drill. This will reduce the chances of the drill wandering and also decrease the likelihood of the drill bit snapping. Once the holes have been opened out if necessary you can glue in the supplied roof vents. I do this from behind with superglue. .45 wire is used to form any hand rails on the roof. The roof mounted water tanks are 20thou plastic sheet. Using the supplied plan cut to size and preform a curve using a knife handle or similar. Then secure with superglue to the roof. You will need to clamp this while the glue sets The roof panels are made using thin tape supplied by Comet (C20). Using prototype pictures the spacings of the panels are identified (note GWR coaches did not have regular sized roof panels but each panel was the same size as the compartment beneath - This means on a composite the spacing of the tape is not constant). The tape is laid over the roof overlength. I then strengthen the ends with a drop of runny superglue and then trim the ends. (Note this is not the roof from the brake second I have used for most of the demo photos)

Now we move onto detailing the ends. First the end steps. These are soldered in from behind. I modify these slightly by removing part of the etch. This is so it doesn’t block the holes already in place for the end jumper cables. Modified on the left, original on the right. This is a good point to show why reference to prototype information is so important. The model I am building in the pictures is a diag. D121 brake third. The Comet instructions tell you to add end steps to both ends. However the prototype only had straps at the passenger end. The brake end had no steps. So I plated behind the holes in the end with scrap etch and then filled them with low melt solder. I then add the hand holds folded up from .45mm brass wire. I also fit the suspension mounts for the gangways. These are included on the Comet detailing etch. However I don’t use the supplied positioning template as this sets them too low. I also only secure them by the top bracket with solder. Later, once the gangway is in place and I am happy with positioning I secure the bottom bracket with a tiny blob of superglue. I also model the train alarm gear. The ‘ears’ are part of the super detail etch. The rest is made up of .33mm brass wire which I attach using the resistance soldering iron. The gangways on Comet kits are made up of three castings. these are soldered together and then added to the ends. The gangway castings have little ears which need to be drilled out with a .5mm drill (before attaching to the coach). You can then use .45mm wire to complete the gangway suspension units. Finally the inter-coach electrical connectors can be soldered in place.

Next, in another deviation from Comet’s recommendation, I join the ends to the sides. I solder one end to each side, forming two L sections and then join these together. I tack top and bottom to check for fit and alignment before soldering along the entire join. Next job is to solder the brackets that are used to secure the body to the floor to the inside of the ends. These should be recessed so that the body sits over the floor. I tin both parts and sweat them together using my resistance soldering iron. At this point I can now screw the body to the underframe (which I build as per Comets instructions). The underframe ensures the body is held square so that I can solder two cross members using scrap etch. These are soldered to the brass strips added to the back of the sides. A piece of spare roof strip is used to set the correct width. Once they are in place the sides and ends form a rigid structure which will not flex. In order to accommodate these cross members notches need to be made in the interior so that everything fits (as designed Comet interiors reach above the height of the sides). I then cut the roof to size. This is done with a hacksaw and using a mitre block. We can then offer up the roof, body and underframe together to check everything fits so far.

The next job is the drop lights. Some coach kits have these etched in but if not you have to do it yourself. The drop lights are cleaned up and soldered in from behind. You have the option of positioning some open. If this is done snip off the bottom of the drop light so it does not come up against the coach tumblehome. Once these have been done you may need to clear out the holes for the door hinges etc if they have become clogged with solder or overlapped by a drop light. Next I solder the door hinges. On Collett coaches the top and middle hinge are shallow and the bottom hinge deeper. I think the deeper hinge on the detailing etch is too long so once added to the side I file it down a bit. The door bangs are made with .33mm brass wire. Wire is passed through the hole and soldered from behind. It is the snipped off and filed back until it is almost flush with the body. Once all this work on the sides is completed I then file back any protrusions or solder blobs on the back which would stop glazing material sitting flush against the body.

I was going to be demonstrating coach building with brass kits. Hopefully this will give everyone a taste of what they could have seen. I don’t claim to be a master builder and my models certainly aren’t display cabinet quality but hopefully they pass muster as good layout coaches (to pinch a term from Tony Wright). So I’ll endeavour to describe how I get from something like this: To something like this: My methods are mostly based on the principles of how Comet recommend you build their coaches. You can download their guide here: http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/data/PDF/Building%20Coaches%20the%20Comet%20Way2.pdf These methods equally apply to any other manufacturers kits that are designed to go together the same way, such as Worsley Works. Before I get started I try and do some prototype research to make sure I build the kit as accurately as possible. As I mainly build ex GWR coaches my first port of call is the excellent series of books by Russell but there are similar books for the other big 4 companies as well. The first thing I do (after checking everything is as it should be in the box) is to prepare the sides. I add extra details such as door hinges and bump stops. I make use of the Comet detailing etch -C26. This includes door hinges. For door hinges I study prototype pictures to determine the correct position and mark the side. These are then drilled out with a .5mm drill. I use a bench drill for this as it allows me to set the side up against a fence to ensure consistent positioning across all doors. I use stubs of .33mm brass wire to represent the door bump stops. Most Comet sides have indents etched on the surface where these should go. Worsley sides normally have the indents etched on the rear. If none are present I mark the positions myself. These are then drilled out with a .35mm drill bit in a pin vice. Next I deviate from the Comet recommendations. They suggest you build the sides, ends and roof as a box. The roof is used to prove rigidity to the sides to stop them bowing in or out. This means gluing the sides to the roof. However I have often struggled to make this glue joint neat resulting in lots of extra clean up required. You also have to be very careful that it doesn’t impinge on fitting glazing later. So now I solder a strip of brass across the back of the side at the top. This is rebated enough to allow the aluminium roof to fit on top. A simple wood jig which has a rebate the same depth of the roof flange allows me to solder the strip at the correct height. I tack either end and then solder along the entire length, regularly checking against the roof to make sure it is in the correct position. The brass strip can be a piece of scrap etch (I never throw any away) or you could buy some specific for the job.

Sorry I’m late, I overslept. Anyone need a hand unloading their car?

Worsley etches are designed to be built the Comet way, I.e separate floor and a body / roof box to screw to it.

Although that ceremony is infinitely preferable to the previous one which just involved parsnips

There are 3 photos of H25s in Russell appendix 2. All show 7’ plate. so I would guess Comet are wrong in their instructions. However Comet W27 is a H57. These ran on 6 wheel bogies. The Comet model of the H25 is W29A.

Excellent work there. Can I ask for more details on how you do your door hinges. When I build brass coaches I drill .5 holes and solder in hinges from Comet detailing etches. so I am intrigued at you adding them after painting. Thanks.

Is the scanning process capable of coping with that level of detail?

Likewise, nothing received here either. My World of Railways account still shows my subscription as print.

I would suggest in the first instance giving Andy a chance to sort this. He may be able to correct all our subscriptions in one go.

But surely the bigger question is..... would you swipe left or swipe right?

Likewise. Just checked and my account also says print subscription. not that I mind either way, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. (although I have recently completed an exercise where I have gone through decades worth of magazines, retrieving the articles I wanted to keep and binning or giving away the rest).

I’m a little confused. I thought Gold membership gave you a digital subscription to BRM but i’ve Just received a physical copy of the January mag through the post.

Too good an offer to pass up :)

Sorry to hear this. Always enjoyed bumping into the two of you at shows for a chat about all things western. Thinking of you and his family.