Coach interior detailing pack

[Scalescenes]

I have been throwing a few ideas around for a coach detailing sheet that could be printed on to self adhesive paper. Some of the elements that could be included are seat fabrics, wood panelling, posters, curtains, newspapers and editable destination boards (and blinds for DMUs) (similar to my station sign packs). With coach lighting becoming more common, adding just a few simple elements like these would really pay dividends (I personally have rakes of both Mk3 and Mk1 stock crying out for something more than a single colour plastic insert).

 

I will most probably produce two or three separate sheets to cater for different eras.

 

Basically I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good source of information for interior coach details.

 

Any ideas, suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

[bubbles2]

I always thought the Peco cardboard interiors looked great inside the kitmaster coaches, you still see them on Ebay now and again, I have a few tucked away that I could post some pictures of if it would help.

[Horsetan]

I have been throwing a few ideas around for a coach detailing sheet that could be printed on to self adhesive paper.....

Any ideas, suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

 

Well, funnily enough, PECO for many years offered exactly that. Printed coach interiors for the old Kitmaster BR Mk.1 coaches.

 

Bill Bedford also offers a couple of sample sheets for download ----> Click here

[Marty Mc]

Hi

I have been throwing a few ideas around for a coach detailing sheet that could be printed on to self adhesive paper.

 

Well I think that is a great idea and I will put my hand up to buy some kits from you. What coaches are you thinking of doing? I would love some art deco backgrounds for my Pullmans. I paint all the interior of my coaches add passengers, lights etc but this would make my life a lot easier.

 

Great idea and I will watch with interest your developments.

 

Best of luck on your project.

 

Martin

[Allegheny1600]

If you could make a transfer that reproduced the check pattern on BR 1st (orange) & 2nd class (blue) seating, that fitted say, the Bachmann Mk1 and Mk2 coaches, certainly in the blue/grey period, that would be great as these are difficult to reproduce with a single colour paint(!).

I would certainly be interested in these as i've just done 7 Mk2's and it took some doing!

ALso welcome would be;

Destination labels that (used to be) stuck on coach door windows,

'Doilies' for the first class seating,

Curtains for coach windows (available now in etched brass),

Food/drinks trays for table tops (complete with polystyrene cups & triangular sandwich holders!),

Luggage (& racks?),

Pictures for compartment decoration,

Tha, Tha, Tha, Thats all folks!

John E.

[Oldddudders]

Terribly tiny, I know, but I'm always blown away by the "smoking"/"no smoking" window labels on my Hornby Maunsells. They really were part of the coach furniture until comparatively recently, so any kit going back a few years ought to give the modeller the chance to drive him/herself batty fixing them on the windows! Perhaps printing them on acetate would help do the trick? Does acetate work with model aeroplane window glue? I suspect so.

[BernardTPM]

Terribly tiny, I know, but I'm always blown away by the "smoking"/"no smoking" window labels on my Hornby Maunsells.

 

These are included on the HMRS (formerly PC Models) BR coach transfer sheet. They have been printed so that when applied to the inside of the glazing the wording shows outwards. The ones I have are Methfix, but they were done as Pressfix too.

I think Fox do them as waterslides.

 

 

Printed seating material would be good. One familiar type from the '60s was Trojan, a dark grey with small black, white and red squares. Same goes for the wood veneers. I agree that the Peco interiors are very good given they're half-a-century old, though Mk.1s probably got retrimmed many times through their lives so the upholstery patterns better suit the '50s/'60s rather than the '70s or later. Some late ones had laminate finishes too. There are plenty of preserved Mk.1s about, but you'd need to take care; not of of them will be 'authentic' by now.

[Scalescenes]

Thanks for all the responses and suggestions. I'm not actually familiar with the Peco interior packs, I'll have to check them out.

 

I definitely would like to include fabric patterning where applicable. I wasn't necessarily thinking of designing elements to fit a particular coaching stock but rather supplying a palette of elements, eg half a page of British Rail blue chequered pattern seat covers, half a page of wood panelling etc.

 

Plenty of research ahead it would seem...

[BernardTPM]

Given that in 4mm the Bachmann Mk.1 is the 'default' model, might it be worthwhile making them fit that? The same would apply to the forthcoming Farish ones too. Both types are likely to be current for many years.

Here's some of my own efforts (for OO9):

 

Edited July 1, 2017 by BernardTPM

[bubbles2]

Here's a few pics of the Peco interiers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Scalescenes]

Given that in 4mm the Bachmann Mk.1 is the 'default' model, might it be worthwhile making them fit that? The same would apply to the forthcoming Farish ones too. Both types are likely to be current for many years.

 

Here's some of my own efforts (for OO9):

 

Nice work Bernard, yes I guess given their popularity making the fabric elements to fit Mk1 stock sounds like a good staring point.

 

Many thanks to Bubbles2 for posting those images. As a graphic designer I have to say they really superb examples of 50's artwork. Like Bilteezi and older Superquick models it is amazing the level of detail they managed to achieve without the aid of desktop publishing, I've got it easy being able to zoom in 4000% when I'm creating my artwork!

 

Does any one know of any good books or weblinks that deal with fabric patterns and colours? This one element really is looking a bit like a 'can of worms'. For the pre-70's seat colours maybe a range of generic 'best guess' patterns and colours might be the only option.

 

The exact colours are going to be hard to source but one thing is clear from most of the pre-70's B&W coach interior images I have found so far is that the fabric that was used was anything but plain (as is often seen in many restored examples - though I guess you just have to upholster seats with what's available).

 

Here are some of the images I've found so far (from my copy of the very entertaining 'Eagle New book of trains' published in 1963).

 

[BernardTPM]

Does any one know of any good books or weblinks that deal with fabric patterns and colours? This one element really is looking a bit like a 'can of worms'. For the pre-70's seat colours maybe a range of generic 'best guess' patterns and colours might be the only option.

 

There are some details of the Mk.1 Pullman and some of the later Restaurant interior colours given in the Parkin Mk.1 book, but I would suggest looking through some old BTP DVDs for '50s and '60s colour interior shots; I doubt you'll find many colour interior phots from before the 1960s (I've got some good ones of XP64 in 'Transport Age' from 1964). Another possible lead would be to enquire with some of the larger preserved railways. I believe they have, in some cases, had old upholstery material remade, involving co-operation between them to get a good bulk order together; I'm sure I read that somewhere in the last few years. The Bluebell or Severn Valley would be the obvious ones to contact first.

 

I agree - it does help being able to zoom in (and being able to use layers so the carpet can be 'worn').

[jwealleans]

Bill Bedford does something like this as a downloadable pdf on his website here.

 

Precision Labels also do a range of double sided window labels with a range of different 'No Smoking' sings (LNER gold circles, for example).

 

All these are in 4mm but I don't see why they shouldn't be available in 2mm as well.

[iL Dottore]

Just came across the thread...

 

I too have been creating my own carriage interiors (with greater or lesser success) and I have found that the Peco interior kits (of which I have quite a few - all unused) are great for providing measurements for my own efforts.

 

I also downloaded the Bill Bedford PDFs and found them inspiring, but a bit too "generic" for my needs

 

Now, once Mr ScaleScenes has sorted it out the BR carriage "fittings and trimmings", if he could turn his attention to the GWR (oh, yes, and the rest of the Big 4), I'd be a happy camper indeed.....

 

F

[melmerby]

Bubbles2

 

I like the price on those Peco sheets - 14p!

That won't even buy the froth on a pint of beer these days.

 

Keith

[Coombe Barton]

Following Mr Nevard's attempts at Railex, as spotted by the Stationmaster - this may be something we don't want to reproduce - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/7352575/Cockroaches-cluster-on-trains.html

[Etched Pixels]

Nice work Bernard, yes I guess given their popularity making the fabric elements to fit Mk1 stock sounds like a good staring point.

 

Mr TPM also has some to fit various Farish coaches as free downloads on his own site at http://www.tpmodels.co.uk of course, and some very nice etched restuarant car interior bits too.

 

For clear stuff acetate doesn't work well (its hard to print and the print processes needed to print onto it well mostly involve inks that health and safety banned - something to do with the joys of toluene ;. Printing onto vinyl sort of works but you can only print one side so you have to accurately line up the vinyls and then still get a white visible join due to the material thickness. The scalpel is thus probably a lot easier anyway. Plain you can do with suitably coloured vinyl as the sticky and non sticky side are the same colour unlike printed vinyl which of course stays white on one side.

 

Alan

[Steven B]

Does any one know of any good books or weblinks that deal with fabric patterns and colours? This one element really is looking a bit like a 'can of worms'. For the pre-70's seat colours maybe a range of generic 'best guess' patterns and colours might be the only option.

 

Compare the Moquette have a couple of samples on their website.

 

Sounds like you need a tour of preserved railways though...

 

Happy modelling,

 

Steven B.

[craigwelsh]

Compare the Moquette have a couple of samples on their website.

Happy modelling,

Steven B.

shocking, not even a hint of meercat anywhere! Interesting site though.

[Mallard60022]

For clear stuff acetate doesn't work well (its hard to print and the print processes needed to print onto it well mostly involve inks that health and safety banned - something to do with the joys of toluene ;. Printing onto vinyl sort of works but you can only print one side so you have to accurately line up the vinyls and then still get a white visible join due to the material thickness. The scalpel is thus probably a lot easier anyway. Plain you can do with suitably coloured vinyl as the sticky and non sticky side are the same colour unlike printed vinyl which of course stays white on one side.

Alan

 

I have in the past used printer acetate to do stuff. If the signs were downloadable and then printable on printer acetate on your PC printer, maybe this method could be used? Somehow I think the quality might be c**p.

36E

[Etched Pixels]

Home printers are designed to print translucent inks over white background. That means there is little except black that you can print which isn't see through - great for printing stained glass but not for coach interiors.

 

The choices I have found so far are

 

- Generate set of images and masks and get a pro digital print outfit to do it. Most of the small shops can't but the big ones can. They are pricy for small orders.

 

- Screen printing - very pricy setup, peanuts per copy. But unless you are going to do several hundred coach interiors it's not really viable

 

- Laser cutting - per unit cost is somewhat higher and you get unpainted but you can do low volumes and do separate doors etc plus cut the compartment walls the same way

 

- Weetabix packet, paper and scalpel - cheap, but takes a bit of time.

 

- Etched - can do wonders but it works out quite a bit per coach even in N

 

- Vinyl cutter - single plain colour but can do low volumes, customise to needs and is easy to make. Ubervinylgeeks can do two sets of printed vinyl for each side of the clear plastic sheet and align them (which does require patience and a pointy hat)

 

Alan

[BR60103]

I've wondered about the practicality of making these in single-compartment units: a first and a third second. Plus the other little rooms. How close to uniform were compartment sizes? They could probably be fudged a little to fit.

[Phil Traxson]

I've wondered about the practicality of making these in single-compartment units: a first and a third second. Plus the other little rooms. How close to uniform were compartment sizes? They could probably be fudged a little to fit.

Given that they are standard sizes it is possible to cast complete single compartments in resin, I already cast a 7mm compartment for Alphagrafix for one of the Irish narrow gauge coaches.

 

The alternative is a seat plus thin compartment wall unit which glue back to back, which I already cast for other retailers in gauge one and gauge three, plus all the ones I do for the interior of my own 7mm narrow gauge coaches. The internal corridor wall would be a simple flat casting, effectively a flat coach side, contrary to popular opinion it is possible to cast flat detailed sheets down to .020 inches thick (or thin!).

 

The only problem with this is that I am flat out casting at the moment ( a great feeling in the present economic climate), and would need patterns making anyway as that is something I very rarely have time to do. (Except in the evenings when I'm away on holiday!) Perhaps a nice little hobby business here for someone? I don't mind showing you how and can put you in touch with my materials suppliers.

 

Phil Traxson

Port Wynnstay Models

[Etched Pixels]

I've wondered about the practicality of making these in single-compartment units: a first and a third second. Plus the other little rooms. How close to uniform were compartment sizes? They could probably be fudged a little to fit.

 

They vary enormously by coach, period and company. It's also not unknown for different compartments of the same class to be different sizes. You'd get a pretty good approximation for most stock with two or three sizes and if it's print your own you can just resize them anyway, same with vinyl cutting and laser - you can tweak the size trivially.

[BernardTPM]

Plastic moulded seats are already available from people like Southern Pride, with and without arm rests and in corridor and non-corridor widths (and a range of seats and tables for 'open' stock). The seats glued back to back effectively form the walls between compartments so different widths of compartments aren't really relevant here. The main thing needed for a normal corridor coach would be a corridor wall and the most obvious way to supply that as an etch is with the etched sides.