UTA railcar No 1

[colmflanagan]

UTA   (ex NCC)   No 1 railcar project May/June 2015
 
As many of you will know, some of us have been operating two exhibition layouts, based on the ex LMS NCC main line to Londonderry in UTA days, since 2004.  We’ve had a good selection of diesel railcar traction,  most of the UTA types put in an appearance from time to time, and the most recent addition to the “diesel” stud was the ex BCDR "Harlandic" diesel No 28.
But, for me anyway, there has been one especially significant omission; we’ve had no representative of the railcars which pioneered the concept of the underfloor engine design, NCC Nos 1-4. Two of these, Nos 1 & 4, remained in service into the mid 1960s.

So recently, as this thought struck me again, I decided to try and do something about it, and settled, after a bit of thought, on No1. This railcar appeared in early 1933, and was the first in the British Isles to have two engines situated under the floor, and driving one axle on each bogie, with a torque converter as transmission (a system also adopted in the 1950s by both BR and the UTA). There were driving cabs at both ends, first and third accommodation, and a top speed of 60mph, (officially) making it capable of operations on busy main lines. For me, the era of the diesel railcar train begins with No 1. Bits of it exist still at the RPSI base at Whitehead though it is very unlikely we’ll ever see No 1 restored.
 
So I decided to a have a go at a 4mm/16.5 model of this historic railcar, inevitably using a Mainline LMS 57’ u/frame and a Black Beetle power bogie (9’), both favourites of mine for conversions  –neither strictly correct, but the overall proportions of the vehicle should be preserved; the corridor side of the Mainline coach has windows very close in size to those fitted to No1, and it had a similar roof profile as far as I can tell, though inevitably most pictures are taken from a low angle.

 

 
I cut pieces from the sides of the coach, again, not 100% accurate (for example, the small half windows behind the passenger doors are full size) but I have got the correct number of windows!  The panels were cut, just above the top window moulding. I had quite a selection of old coach sides kept after earlier conversions, to chop up, and it was just as well. It took quite a few “panels” as you can see - 8 on one side, 7 on the other!.

 

 
Roof ends had to be totally re-profiled – as a pioneer, it was inevitable that aspects of No1 would vary from more common types, and the roof profiles over the cabs were different from anything else I’d seen, necessitating cutting a “V” shape back into the roof, then using copious quantities of filler to get it reasonably “right”; the ends were made from plastic card and the lower bit of a coach panel, very slightly curved.
 
Interiors are made from plasticard; I have retained some “first” class although the originals were removed in 1954. drivers controls, driver and first class still to be completed. I have left this for now as part of it will need to be cut away to disguise the Black Beeetle mounting, which has to be above floor level.

 

 
If you look carefully at the pictures you and compare them with a drawing or pictures, you’ll see that one thing I hadn’t thought of has needed dealt with – viz: the coach bogies are too close to the body ends, so my “easy” solution got a little more tricky, and I have had to move one bogie mounting (the left hand one) in by about 4mm and adjust some of the under frame struts and so on, to clear it; the Black Beetle will of course require its own cut out anyway. I am thinking of having a coupling at one end so that it can pull a brown van or a single trailer coach of some kind -occasionally this was done to increase accommodation, including first class, which was rather small. They didn't do this that often, No1 did not have the "turret" cabs of the later cars, which in theory allowed them to push trailers ahead of them.

 

 

 

I’ve cut away battery box etc., underneath and hope to get some cast engines to put in there as well as other underframe details, necessary on a railcar model if it is look the part.
 
The pictures show progress to date (13 June); I have begun work on the roof mounted radiators, again a feature not perpetuated on later railcars.  They were apparently prone to icing up too easily, and leaks could be a nuisance over the guard’s compartment.

 

 

 

 

Building of No1 is proceeding in  parallel with a Mogul build, so I’m waiting for the Back Beetle to come before I do much more. It will be painted in UTA early 1960's livery, possibly overall green with the cream ends and wasp panel.

 

 

 

 

[merlinxlili]

Once again Colm, another wonderful piece of work! The speed at which you generate these models amazes me. Do you intend to move the second inwards also, to make them symmetrical.

As you say, an important piece of railway history. If only the RPSI would demonstrate their responsibility as a museum and save this irreplaceable relic before it is too late!

[colmflanagan]

Once again Colm, another wonderful piece of work! The speed at which you generate these models amazes me. Do you intend to move the second inwards also, to make them symmetrical.

As you say, an important piece of railway history. If only the RPSI would demonstrate their responsibility as a museum and save this irreplaceable relic before it is too late!

Oh yes, I'll be cutting a big hole when the Black Beetle arrives, and plan to re-use the original Mainline bogie sideframes - waste not, want not being my motto.

 

Colm

[33lima]

Lovely work, Colm. Look forward to seeing it finished...and hopefully, in action on Bleach Green at the Carrickfergus show!

 

Glad to hear she'll be in the UTA green of her later years...though you must have been tempted to go for Crimson Lake!

[colmflanagan]

Lovely work, Colm. Look forward to seeing it finished...and hopefully, in action on Bleach Green at the Carrickfergus show!

 

Glad to hear she'll be in the UTA green of her later years...though you must have been tempted to go for Crimson Lake!

 

Yes, I was! Or even the red and cream/white of later years.  

[jhb171achill]

Absolutely stunning, Colm, as always!

 

Can't wait to see the finished article.

[colmflanagan]

It's been a  while but No 1 has finally been finished; some may have seen it running at the UMRC Carrickfergus show, though it still awaited its diesel exhaust pipes at that time, as you can see in the picture  (Goodness knows what it's emission figures would have been....)  

 

Not so obvious then was that it had no power bogie and was in fact propelled by the  brown vans attached.  It can now move on it's own, unaided.

 

Here are some pictures of it in operation. For quite a long time No 1 was associated with the Portrush branch.  I have some pictures of it at Ballymena hauling a single coach; it had very limited first class accommodation, which the UTA removed in later life. The coach model is 2 Bachmann "Clarabelle" coach bodyshells on an old Hornby Dublo under frame.

 

 

 

You can't really do the exhaust pipes 100% properly as they ran along the bogie sides and our 4mm/16.5 model bogies swing out far too far on curves (even 5' radius ones!) to make that possible.

 

 

 

And it would have been more than adequate for passenger traffic on parts of the BCDR if they hadn't been closed so swiftly.

 

 

I rather fancy doing No 4 at some point, those fascinating driver's "turrets" at either end might raise some comment. But other projects call.

 

 

[kirley]

Great to see it finished Colm and under it's own power.  It's turned out to be a delightful model.  Another first for you, keep on path-finding.

[Hunslet 102]

Nice,very nice,a beautiful model that looks right at home in Coleraine station,well done