SL&NCR Railcar B

[33lima]

This 00 Gauge model of Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Railcar B is being made for fellow 'railcar nut' Michael from Galway. The original, though dilapidated, is at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, so fingers crossed, we may see the real thing all her glory at some point. But in the meantime, as with other railcars, now long gone, but which once dutifully pounded the tracks of Irish railways and were 'the train' for so many of us for so long, we have the ability to recreate her in model form, and can see and run her when we please.

To such an end, I invariably prefer to modify an existing vehicle, as the body provides a true and solid basis - and I never seem to be able to get two bulkheads exactly the same shape. But here, there was little option but to scratchbuild, I reckoned. So that’s what I did.

Sources included the RPSI/Five Foot Three Railcar B drawing by D Malone and readily available online; photographs, online and in print (notable amongst the latter Tom Ferris's Irish Railways in Colour vol.1, Derek Huntriss' Irish Traction in Colour, and the new Irish Railways in the 1950s and 1960s by Kevin McCormack); and for inspiration, the Railcars B of other scratchbuilders, notably David Hollman in 0 Gauge and FletchJ1 in 00, the former featured on the Irish Railway Modeller site and the latter, here.

Starting with the chassis, various options were considered, the most realistic being potentially a Bec or similar coupled 4-wheeled power unit designed for a model tram. In the end, performance and availability were preferred to pure aesthetics and Michael conjured from his bits box a Bo-Bo heavy metal chassis with twin flywheel can motor and shaft drive (to one bogie, the other one having been disconnected). This looks to have come originally from an HO gauge US outline switcher or similar, and has suitably small wheels and wheelbases. To get the overall length and bogie centres right, I had to hacksaw the chassis in two and insert a long spacer in between the bits the surgery left me with. This was one of those moments when you are saying to yourself 'This is probably going to be a disaster, cutting up something that worked before' but you just press on and hope it'll be all right on the night, as the saying goes. This spacer was made up from a thick plasticard floor, braced and supported by aluminium beams sandwiched top and bottom along each side, epoxied in place. This turned out quite strong and rigid. I left the original underfloor metal fuel tank in place – as this served as the motor mount, it was best left undisturbed, I felt. Little of it would be visible in daily use.

I also left alone the bogie sideframes, as these held the pickups. The detail on the frames was quite deep and I was concerned how badly this might prevent the bogies from swinging, constrained as their throw would be by the bodyshell’s pronounced skirts. Combined with this, I wasn’t sure how to articulate the cab at the powered end, and toyed with the idea of keeping a rigid chassis.

Instead, though, I decided to pivot the powered bogie at the articulated end, and make that cab’s body a push-fit down onto the pivoting bogie. This articulation would be more realistic than a rigid chassis, and would also mean that the skirt would not inhibit bogie swing, at that end. I had to replace a metal bolster which had been removed, drill this, then fit a short wire pin to act as a pivot. With the wiring then reconnected, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the chassis ran quite well, and could negotiate points and curves. Hopefully the body, when fitted, would not get in the way!

The pics below show the chassis unit later, as completed. Underneath, I’ve added plasticard trussing. At the articulated end is a floor and some rudimentary detail for the full-width cab there (the other cab is just a corner one). Also rudimentary is the seating, such space as there is left for it. The seat pitch should be closer, in the central compartment at least.

 

 

 

 

Can't make out too much of the motor or flywheels? Good! That's why I painted them black

 

Driver figures for diesels don’t seem to be the easiest things to get but I reconstructed one from a standing figure from a set obtained locally. He's currently in the paintshop, and will need a prosthetic right hand as the original one wasn't well moulded.

As for the bodywork, the main unit was made first - actually before the chassis arrived, such that some trimming of bulkheads was needed to fit when it did come! Using the RPSI drawing for reference, I cut five bulkheads all told, and joined these together with rectangular lower side (and cab front) panels cut from plasticard sheet. The middle two bulkheads go either side of the deeper set of sliding doors, which were cut from sheet and fitted into the gaps, along with the less deep doors. Plasticard strips were added above window level as cantrails, to join everything up and act as a basis for the roof.

The bulkhead or wall at the articulated cab end was made so as to have a gap just larger than the corridor connection would be. Some additional roof formers were added and the roof was then built up from longitudnal ‘planks’ cut from plasticard strip, reinforced by bands underneath as it came together. Window, roof and cab detail was then added from plasticard strip and sheet, including beading above and below the windows.

The domed roof at the cab end was laminated from 'contours' of plasticard sheet, sanded and filled smooth, with plastic rod for the horn and headlight. The unusual buffers were made from plasticard discs glued to little strips of sheet brass, folded to shape. The corner cab had inside walls added but these needed a gap left in the inside corner, to permit the worm drive housing, sitting atop the bogie, to pivot – though the drive itself is missing at that end, its housing is what holds the bogie in place.

 

 

 

There are some variations between the RPSI drawing and pictures – I think maybe there was a fifth roof ventilator at some point but I stuck to four. I did vary the vertical window ventilators at the fixed cab end to follow photos rather than drawing, though, and was careful, when building the articulated cab, to do likewise with the side doors, which pictures show were offset, and not mirror image as in the drawing.

Vehicles do of course change over time and one thing that certainly did change for Railcar B was that the roof-mounted radiator, on the articulated cab, was boxed in at some point, at the sides, the result looking like a small roof rack of the sort often found on road buses. That of course was in the days when we didn't much worry about aerodynamics on stuff that didn't actually fly. Michael wanted the boxed version, so that feature was added to the articulated cab, which was built in the same fashion as the main body.

 

 

 

Speaking of boxes, I mentioned that the chassis’ bogies have a box-like structure on top, which houses a shaft-driven worm gear. To this housing at the articulated and driven end, I glued short lengths of 60 square plastic strip, vertically, two either side of the box, to form a channel onto which the articulated cab would push-fit – gripping a wide slot in the rear cab wall. Also onto the housing I assembled a corridor connection, formed from an inverted ‘U’ cut from thin plasticard. The front of this would sit flush against the rear cab wall, and at its rear would extend a short way into the wide slot in the front wall of the main body. It's all a bit thrown together but I'm quite pleased with the design, in a self-satisfied sort of way.

The pic below shows the cab and main body from the side after an early fitting to get them sitting right, and before the underframe trussing or corridor connection were added. The body sits a little bit lower after final adjustment – a bit lower still might have been better, but the final result looks at least adequate to me. The articulated cab grips the drive housing well enough to need no further securing. The main body is held in place by a Tri-ang brass screw, engaging in a bolt glued to a plasticard frame inside the roof.

 

The next pics show the model with the buffers in place, below which is the sort of mini-cowcatcher or frame thingy which is visible under the ‘chin’ of each cab front.

 

 

 

That rooftop radiator, just about visible in these pics, is made from suitable bits of card and strip and sits loosely in its little box, pending application of paintwork. Likewise left off for now are the paired handles for the sliding doors. I gave up on drilling holes for wire ones, as the narrow window pillars didn’t suit this treatment, and instead made them in fixed pairs from plasticard strip. That way, they can be attached after painting, using Humbrol Clearfix or similar so as not to mar the finish. Spares are provided as insurance against loss from handling!

Happily, when tested, the assembled railcar ran as before, there still being enough swing in both bogies to enable her to negotiate standard Hornby pointwork and second radius curves. So far, so good!

 

 

Edited February 8 by 33lima

[kirley]

Welcome back Ivor, great to see your work again.  That's an excellent job as usual especially articulating the body and getting it to work.  

 

I had a body of Railcar B made for me by a model bus builder in England and he put me off trying to have an articulated body as he said it would be unstable.

 

 

 But you have proved him wrong.  Looking forward to seeing it finished, what livery is Michael going for? 

[61666]

VERY impressive - especially in 4mm scale, where any errors are much more noticeable than 7mm in some ways. The subtle curves of the prototype seem well captured, again not easy. Will look forward to seeing it painted!

 Arigna Town's 'B' will be at the Woking show in a couple of week's time for anyone interested in the Irish scene.

[33lima]

Thanks guys! Lot of catching up to do here, not least on Kieran's most excellent forays onto BCDR tracks!

 

This Railcar B will be in SLNCR livery, tho I think she looked more 'modern' in CIE colours, as pictured above. Painting has begun and tho that's never my strong suit, I'll post some more pics when she's painted and glazed.

 

You'll likely be glad to hear the driver's surgery (or was it a fitting?) went well and and he's recovering at home with his his new prosthetic hand

Edited August 28, 2017 by 33lima

[Corbs]

Very impressive, I thought the body must have been moulded plastic!

[Mike 84C]

First class modelling, I also thought the front curves had been cast in resin. A  lovely job. I look forward to seeing the railcar  finished  and maybe pictures in New Irish Lines?

[Glover]

Merciful hour! That's some modelling.

Railcar B is on my list but I'm waiting for someone to come up with a simple solution to all the many challenges that this vehicle presents.

 

It did look well in CIE black 'n tan but has anyone ever seen a photo of it in CIE green?

 

Very well done.

 

Regards,

 

Glover

[33lima]

Don't recall seeing 'B' in CIE green, but here's this incarnation in S&L colours, after major paintwork was completed. Roof is Humbrol 22 acrylic Gloss White, upper body Humbrol 23 matt Duck Egg Blue with a coat of Humbrol gloss varnish, and lower body a mix of gloss Humbrol 2 Emerald Green with 3 Brunswick Green and matt 60 Scarlet. The driver is fully recovered from the fitting of his new right hand, though he hopes his rather draughty cab will soon be glazed. The darker green looks rather more olive in shade when it's not reflecting a white surface. Pic in the background is in the new and rather good Pen and Sword Irish Railways in the 1950s and 1960s by Kevin McCormack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8 by 33lima

[NoelG]

Very impressive model

[kirley]

Excellent work.

[fletchj1]

Excellent piece of work!.    Looks the part.  

On my own version I left off the enclosure around the roof radiator.   I think it was removed as it obstructed the cooling airflow which relied on the movement as there was no fan.  It also would have hindered maintenance access.   There were similar enclosures at one time on the contemporary GNR railcars. 

[runs as required]

...On my own version I left off the enclosure around the roof radiator.   I think it was removed as it obstructed the cooling airflow which relied on the movement as there was no fan.  It also would have hindered maintenance access.   There were similar enclosures at one time on the contemporary GNR railcars. 

Would the original casing-in mod be to protect the rads from from damage and debris from overhanging trees?

Did the GNR carry out maintenance work on the SL&NC cars as well as on their own and the CDRJC vehicles? By the time I knew the Irish scene only the GNR fleet was still running (on the Enterprise).

dh

[33lima]

 

On my own version I left off the enclosure around the roof radiator.   I think it was removed as it obstructed the cooling airflow which relied on the movement as there was no fan.  It also would have hindered maintenance access.   There were similar enclosures at one time on the contemporary GNR railcars. 

 

 

Aha, makes perfect sense! I'd thought it was the other way around ie 'box' fitted later tho it's hard to be clear just from photo captions. The fact it was not there on pics taken in CIE days, though, tends to confirm you are right!

Edited August 30, 2017 by 33lima

[fletchj1]

I don't know for sure but the enclosures could very well have been there to protect from overhanging branches.   Obviously they were deemed in due course to be unnecessary.

I don't think the GNR did any maintenance on SL&NCR's rail cars, although I may be wrong.  Railcar 'B' was the only one of that type on the SL&NCR.

The older GNR railcars (C1, C2, D, E, F, G) (Walker's designs) were generally far too slow and under powered to be used on the Enterprise.  

[33lima]

Current state of mode shown below, with a little touching up of paintwork, application of black lining above and below windows with a fine marker pen and a not-too-steady hand, and addition of a 'B' decal to each cab front. Next is application of the rest of the lettering - the ampersand is going to be a bit of a challenge! - followed by glazing then fitting of the pax door handrails.

 

She sits a bit tall I know, but there it is. And I'd have ditched the bogie frames if I could have done it without messing up and having to reconstruct pickups - I'm just glad the surgery to the chassis doesn't seemed to have marred the smooth running, without risking that for the sake of improved 'under the skirt' looks.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8 by 33lima

[fletchj1]

Again - magnificent job!.   May it run well for you and the recipient.

As far as I know the boxes were originally fitted but were removed early and the railcars were without them for most of their operating lives.    I don't think GNR railcar 'A' ever had such boxes around the radiator.

[33lima]

All done bar the shouting, or in this case, bar the glazing and the affixing of the paired door handrails. Some lower window sills have been evened up and paintwork touched up a bit here and there. SL&NCR lettering has been applied to each side of the main body.The dark green looks just a little tad darker in real life than it does in these pics but they convey the olive shade I was aiming for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8 by 33lima

[pat141]

That's a very nice model, great job. 

[colmflanagan]

Very definitely the best 4mm model of this unique vehicle which I've yet seen; well done.  Like others I had thoughts of making a representation of it using  window and side panels from the Airfix railbus, with lots of plastic card and a black beetle  bogie,  but never got anything done. 

 

I had the good fortune to travel on 2509 (as it became) during its last days with CIE (in 1968) as part of a railtour round Dublin; it was remarkably quiet in the passenger accommodation.  Will we ever see it restored? Currently it seems unlikely.

 

Colm

[33lima]

Thanks Colm, that's high praise, coming froma doyen of Irish railcar modelling!

 

Hopefully we'll see both Railcars 1 and B on the go again, one day. In the meantime, we have the models.

[fletchj1]

Lima 33.

It is certainly worthy of praise for its realism!.

 

I don't see the reason for a comment above (model bus builder in England to Kirley) that having articulation would cause instability!.    My own 'B' which is articulated runs perfectly well and steadily.   The front of the passenger compartment sits on outriggers on the sides of the power bogie and the rear non powered bogie can rock side to side on uneven track.

[33lima]

Thanks Fletch, I'm a big admirer of you railcars as well as Colm's, especially your NCC no.4 which is the one I remember seeing in the sidings ay York Rd on the 1960s and asking Dad, why are those little turret-like cabs on the roof like that? In particular, I like the way you get the glazing, even in a small model, to look like it was built into the body rather than added to it.

 

I've just been reading the Railcar B chapter in Michael Hamilton's 'Down Memory Line' (thanks Michael W!); the author was for a time its guard. His account implies the railcar started without the boxing-in around the roof radiator but this was soon added, the reason being - as Runs as Required said - to protect from low branches. A pic captioned May 1953 shows no box, another captioned June 1954 shows the box in place. He also says it was indeed removed, 'eventually', because it reduced cooling airflow, being replaced by 'a wire mesh'.

 

I'm going to have to repaint the seats and floor, though, because the author says these were 'light blue', leather in the case of the seat upholstery and 'heavy linoleum' (remember 'lino'?) on the floor. 'Paddy Nevin's railcar' he says they called her, after her rather proprietary principal driver.

 

I can't resist quoting the end of the chapter, which is quite poignant, the more so as it was written before Railcar B was saved and while she was rusting away, windows broken, at Mallow. Michael, by then retiered and since sadly passed away I believe, writes:

 

"I have gone on two occasions, August 1998 and June 1991 to Mallow station to see it. As I looked at it, many memories of its bygone glory days ran through my mind. When I turned my back to walk away I could feel a sense of sadness creep over me. It was like I was leaving a graveyard. From the passenger platform I looked again at it for the last time hoping that maybe sometime it might be miraculously restored to its former glory, once more wearing its coat of two-toned green."

 

Amen to that; we can only hope that Michael's spirit sees his heartfelt wish fulfilled, and that, just maybe, seeing our little models brings a smile to his face in the meantime!

Edited September 8, 2017 by 33lima

[33lima]

Here's the final pics of the completed model (except for the corner cab's windshield wiper, which broke during fitting and awaits the replacement). Interior is now repainted in shades of blue as reported in Michael Hamilton's book.Handles are fitted to the external doors and glazing has been completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8 by 33lima

[NoelG]

Congratulations on a sublime piece of master model making

[pat141]

Another great piece of model making. You must be pleased with it, it's great.