Ferro Suisse RhB A + B + D Build 2

[A4CML]

Hi, hope everyone is keeping safe and well. I've had a few days 'Furloughed' recently which has given me a bit of bonus modelling time to catch up on projects, although now back at work.

 

Until recently I've been sitting on another set of Ferro Suisse RhB coach kits as hinted at in my other coach build thread. I've been trying to decide what to build them as without essentially repeating what I'd done before ie using different numbers etc. This is a major stumbling block, as far as I'm aware, there are no commercially available decals available for the era I'm interested in.

After a bit of thinking it occured to me that if I juggled and cut the numbers on the existing FS decal sheet I could come to a solution. Thus the A 1102 could become A 10, which was in the same series of coaches. In fact prior to renumbering, A 1102 was A 9 before 1911. Cunningly this left me with a spare 1 & 2. Changing a 0 for a 2 give me a B 2062 (I already had B 2061). A course was set.

 

The D 4052 gepäckwagen was another problem though as I couldn't juggle the decals. I elected to 'remodel' the kit. The kit version is based on the historic bar wagen and looking at the Schweers/Wall/Finke RhB book 1 is part of a series of 4 gepäckwagens originally rebuilt in 1928, a little late for my era, on the chassis of earlier coaches built around 1900.

They were originally built with paneling to the sides and later rebuilt with flush sides. I decided on modifying the kit to the as built state, still not 100% but giving it the appearance of a van built in an earlier era, matching the roof profile of coaches built from around 1900. For added good measure, the first gepäckwagen, D 4051, had a shorter underframe, 4300mm whereas the other three were 4700mm. I thought this would set it apart from the original kit too. I would worry about the decals further down the line.

 

With these decisions made, I had some enthusiasm to start building so started with the gepäckwagen as it would require most modification.

 

Modified chassis members compared to drawing from Schweers/Wall/Finke RhB Book 1

 

The above photo shows how I modified the underframe by scoring alongside the appropriate body support bracket positions where possible and carefully snapping off, essentially shortening the wheelbase by ~ 4.6mm. The small sections that had been removed were then re-inserted at the outer ends. 

 

 

 

The floor also needed modifying on a mill to allow the repositioning of the sideframe tabs, axle brackets, vacuum cylinder and also the battery box and dynamo which weren't required for the as-built version I later realised! Holes were also re-drilled for the re-positioned body brackets. You can see where I've soldered on the inside using 180' solder hoping that it wouldn't all fall apart when I used 145' for the remainder!

 

 

 

I had previously purchased a vacuum cylinder from MBA Pirovino so this was attached along with some nice castings for the footsteps and axlegaurds. Body brackets and various bits of wire completed the underframe. Onto the body next.

Edited March 31, 2020 by A4CML

[A4CML]

Time for a little catch up, as usual I've been lazy adding to this thread. I do keep popping into the forum and get really inspired with peoples projects, whether layouts or rolling stock. It doesn't really matter that it's not necessarily my main interest but there are some good modellers out there!

 

The last picture in thee post above of the underframe shows that the couplers mounts are missing. In the previous build of coaches I'd noticed the cast brass couplings seemed to hang a bit low and consequently -

a) not match in height with Bemo couplings and

b) have little clearance above the track 

 

To help solve these issues I reduced the height of the mount on a mill so that the coupling  would now just sit below the buffer beam.

 

 

Original on the left, modified on the right.

 

Now I was confident I had a decent chassis I moved onto the body.

 

 

This slightly cruel enlargement shows the modifications made to the kit. 

The etched ribs on the bodyside were removed with files which seemed to make the side curl a bit - presumably because surface tension is released? The etching process had left a few surface irregularities which I have attempted to fill with solder. I had some 0.2mm wire in stock which I thought looked ideal to add to the sides for the panelling as in the picture, not too overscale. The sides were carefully scribed with guide lines and the wire added. I found if I scribed deep enough the wire would just 'sit' in the groove whilst being held down which helped to keep it straight. Still a fiddly process!

 

The bodyside widows were 'squared out' with cills added and a new frame made for the window in the doors. Not perfect but as good as I could do without making new doors I think. I did all this before building them up with the ends.

 

The  photo below shows the effect I was after,

 

 

 

The ends also had the ribbing removed and the body built up. I like to have the roof removable so put some stretchers in and soldered nuts to the underside.