Free .stl for SNCF Corail compartment coaches in N + interiors/doors 1:160

[Mike Harvey]

Edited June 20, 2020 by Mike Harvey
changed topic heading

[Mike Harvey]

I have had a 40+ year love affair with the SNCF Corail compartment stock. Over that period I have made coaches with screen printed side, photo-printed sides, and brass sides - always in N 1:160. Almost 1500 Corail Vu compartment coaches were constructed covering over 20 different diagrams. Over the past couple of months I have been completing files to produce 3d printed bodies which fit on to the Roco/Fleischmann Eurofima chassis. These coaches are readily available, and often very inexpensive on the second hand market. Most of the body accessories can be reused including the gangways, window inserts, and interiors. The chassis and running gear are a compromise - the Eurofima has Fiat 0270 bogies against the similar but lighter Y32 for SNCF Corail. The skirt is about 0.5mm too deep and different in outline. The Eurofima is based on one bogie centre spacing (19.0m) whereas the SNCF Corail uses 19.0m and 18.4m depending on build. Whilst most of the coaches can be adapted using the original Roco interior, for some the window spacing does not match up with the compartment spacing, or the baggage compartment cuts across several seated compartments. Nothing a bit of modelling cannot overcome. I am in the course of drawing up interiors for the mis-match coaches, and I already have available the interior for the only non-compartment coach in the range - the ambulance coaches used for Lourdes pilgrimage trains. I have not sought to duplicate the types offered commercially by Piko in N, except for the 10 compartment first class coach A10u Vu78, where Piko followed the SNCF General Arrangement drawing which contains significant errors, and the 1:1  factory followed a different plan. Along with the Piko compartment versions, alongside their models of the  more numerous open layout Corail coaches, it should be possible to make up accurate trains from the classic Corail era, as well as the later Téoz, TER, and Intercités services. The pilgrimage trains are fully catered for with the ambulance coaches (4 types) and the two types of 2nd class/baggage cars, which ran with commercially available full brakes (Arnold), 9 compartment Eurofimas (Roco, Fleischmann, Minitrix, Ibertren), couchettes and a variety of day coaches.

 

These are all in my Shapeways shop for anyone who might be interested:-

 

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/moving-buses

 

The individual product descriptions are in French, but I can provide a set of English language instructions for dismantling the donor coaches and mounting the bits and pieces on the 3D printed body.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Mike Harvey

[Mike Harvey]

This is the first second class/baggage car that I have had printed by Shapeways. The roller shutter door seems to have come out well. The photo is after cleaning of the support wax followed by a coat of primer. No attempt to smooth the slight surface irregularities just above the windows and on the entrance doors, and roof. This is a B5Dux Vu86 converted from a B6Du Vu86 by adapting one compartment for use in medicine preparation and for making hot snacks and drinks on pilgrimage trains. A half drop window was installed in this compartment. The main window openings on the model will be occupied by windows recovered from the Roco Eurofima second class coach, along with the chassis, gangways and interior. Normally marshalled next to the Vu75 and Vu80 ambulance coaches used in Lourdes pilgrimage trains, now no longer operating as loco hauled trains.

 

Edited August 22, 2019 by Mike Harvey

[Mike Harvey]

The final two orders for SNCF’s Corail open saloon coaches (Vtu) were fitted from new with sliding plug doors. These were 110 in the Vtu82 order made up of first class and second class versions plus some specials for the ill-fated “Fédora” special train project. The Vtu84 build was made up of

100 first/second class composites.

 

The original Lima Vtu coaches included a plug door option, but the more recent Piko models are uniquely fitted with the inset folding doors.

 

At the request of a French enthusiast I have just made available 3 sprues each of 40 doors (10 vehicles worth) for either just Vtu82, just Vtu84 or a 20/20 mixture of each. The doors are handed so different at each end of the vehicle when looked at from the side. The Vtu84 has the door opening button about 25cm lower than the Vtu82.

 

The new doors can be fitted without dismantling the Piko coach.

 

The conversion instructions in English are here:-

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UbaXmYjEQHKYwv8kAu1-4sIBI6R5Bw1-/view?usp=sharing

 

It is a really simple conversion.

 

 

This is a screen grab from the drawing file for the Vtu84.

 

 

This photo shows the 3D printed doors fitted to a coach in TER Rhône-Alpes livery.

 

 

I was surprised to find that I have only ever photographed one of these coaches which is seen here in a poor quality image taken at Lyon Part-Dieu on 12 August 2004.

 

 

The doors are on Shapeways now:-

 

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/moving-buses?section=Portes+Corail+1%2F160&s=0

[Mike Harvey]

Having had my enjoyment from drawing my Corail coach body range, I have now made the .stl files available for FREE download from my Shapeways shop. My files are designed around re-using the parts from the Roco/Fleischmann 1/160 Eurofima coaches, so this is an opportunity for someone who wants to use the Piko Corail Vu as donors to redesign and print their own, or just print from my own files for their own use.

 

The "Download Product" button is visible after signing in to a Shapeways account, and is found after the product description section.

 

 

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/moving-buses

 

Edited June 20, 2020 by Mike Harvey
changed topic heading