LBSCR-type 4 Sub

[Guest]

This is my first completed attempt at producing an unusual prototype using a combination of etched brass and 3D printing.

The prototype is a Southern Railway suburban electric unit, a 1930 rebuild of LBSCR a.c. electric stock as a d.c. unit.  The underframes of these former a.c. units were not standard and were therefore not suitable for the Southern’s post-war programme of rebuilding with all-steel bodywork.  Some survived in their original form until about 1960.

 

The units were electrically and mechanically compatible with the post-war fleet and their angular, panelled bodywork and low arc roofs looked particularly old-fashioned when  running in multiple with a smooth-sided wide-bodied all-steel 4 Sub.

 

I designed the model using CorelCAD but feel that so far I have only scratched the surface of this powerful vector graphics software package.

There is a limit to how thin one can go with 3D printing so to make sure that the glazing is not too deeply recessed I had the coach bodysides etched on 0.4mm brass by PPD Ltd.  The etching artwork consists of two layers, one where white shapes on a black background represent areas to be etched right through the brass to create window openings, etc, the other where red shapes are half-etched on one side only to represent panelling.  PPD has an excellent website that explains in much more detail how to create suitable artwork for their etching process.

 

CW Railways 3D printed the underframes, ends and roofs - their acrylic polymer prints have crisp detail and excellent dimensional stability and Tim, the proprietor, has been extremely helpful with expert advice.

 

Motor bogies are the very smooth-running Hornby 2-Bil type and the trailer bogies are Roxey LBSCR plate-frame kits  The trailing bogies of the motor coaches have DCC Concepts wiper-type pickups for additional contact.  Close coupling between the cars is achieved with Keen delta-plate couplers.

 

The assembled motor coaches are fairly light and I found that I needed to add ballast to improve adhesion - my layout involves some rather heroic gradients and tight curves behind the scenes.

[sem34090]

I would definitely be in the market for a set if you were to put them on sale.

[andrewnummelin]

A lovely model that brings back memories of commuting to school. What I remember is that most such units had 3 old coaches with one Bulleid (?) open coach that stuck out (literally) from the rest and was more pleasant to travel in. If I remember correctly, one compartment nearest the motorman’s cab was designated as “Ladies Only”. We were envious of those who travelled on other lines in the “modern” 4-EPBS!

[Guest]

Thank you for the kind comments.
As you say, after the war these units were first made up from 3 to 4 cars with an all-steel trailer. Most of the other cars with pre-Grouping bodywork were later rebuilt as Southern-type EPBs (the Eastleigh production line ran until 1959) but these were not suitable so in about 1956 their all-steel trailers were replaced with a fourth LBSCR trailer from a scrapped unit and the re-formed survivors soldiered on for a few more years.

Next on the stocks is a 1925 bull-nose Sub like the one in the NRM. This will have a 1941-type wide-bodied trailer - once I've worked out how to get the bodyside curve right. 

[KeithHC]

How about a 2SL or 2WL as well.

 

Keith

[Guest]

21 hours ago, KeithHC said:

How about a 2SL or 2WL as well.

 

Keith

Its a thought - I am old enough to remember riding on the 2-Wim units as a small boy with my mother on our way to visit my grandmother (West Byfleet to Wallington - 20 miles, four different Southern Electrics).  I was particularly taken with their side-gangway layout and its scope for hide-and-seek en route.

It would make a nice, quirky model and it could be done using a Hornby 2-BIL/HAL as a donor for the motor and other bogies but on the other hand the units were confined to a single route.  Would it make a commercially viable model?

 

[rue_d_etropal]

On 31/12/2019 at 16:47, KeithHC said:

How about a 2SL or 2WL as well.

 

Keith

I have already done the 2SL,

http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3D-printing/passenger-stock-sr/3d_printed_2sl.htm

and plan to do some of the other units.