DLT's NG Workbench - Back to The Hunslets

[DLT]

Started on the kits, I've built the underframe of the bogie coach, and I'm doing the bogies. I will start on the bodywork once the running gear is done.  Nothing much to see at the moment, so no photos yet.

Cheers, Dave.

[DLT]

Bogies are done, not a difficult proposition, but still lots of soldering.  The solder job looks a bit untidy, but as these are barely visible on the finished coach, I'm not worrying too much.

 

 

 

The bit sticking out with the hole in the end is for the wire centre-ing spring.  Its meant to be the coupling mount, but I've shortened it and will be pointing it inwards instead of outwards.

Cheers, Dave.

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Right, at last I've managed to get back to the workbench.  I've started the "cut and shut" job on the Foxdale kit, as follows.

The sides in the kit look like this:

 

The sides are cut like so, the two compartment section at the end is 78mm long, the central compartment section is 51mm

 

Remove the brake end and the left-over door section:

 

Add the 2 comp end section from the other side:

 

And slide them together:

 

And there we have a five-compartment composite side, the correct length (207mm) and only one small panel to fill in.

 

Now all I've got to do is build the rest of it....

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Doing the same to the second kit gives me two matched sides:

 

Leaving two brake-ends left over to form the basis of the basis of the 4-wheel Passenger Brake Van.  But more of that later.

 

Cheers, Dave.

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Apologies for recent lack of updates, but I've had various domestic decorating duties to attend to.

Anyway, the coach project is progressing, there should be some photos soon.

 

Cheers, Dave.

[DLT]

At last some progress photos.  The inside of a coachside, showing the splicing together.  In addition, a length of brass rod is soldered into the corner of the lower angle, running the whole length.

 

The exterior, showing the splice positions, and the recesses along the lower bodyside where the panelling overlays will fit

 

The panelling overlays in place, I will have to make new ones for the longer panels of the centre compartment.  Having had problems soldering these on the original coach (built several years ago) I have used Araldite this time.  The panels are slightly undersize, leaving a gap around them that needs filling, and the Araldite oozes out to do this.  Once hardened the excess can be cut/filed away.  The left hand panels await cleaning up, the right hand end is done.

 

One of the criticisms aimed at etched coaches in 7mm scale is the lack of depth in the sides.  The overlays add extra depth and create the third level of panelling, fourth if you count the droplights.  Ventilators over the doors are still to be added.

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Here's a side with all the kit overlays attached, plus droplights and ventilators.  I've used Perfect Plastic Putty to fill the gaps around the overlays, and it looks ok so far.

 

For the new longer compartment sides I'm making my own overlays to match.  10thou brass, with some thin etched strip (4mm scale boiler-bands I think) soldered on.  Photo shows the method, one finished overlay, and an etched one from the kit as comparison.

 

And some ends for the two vehicles.  The plain coach end is just a brake end with the duckets cut off.

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[Jack P]

Looks excellent as usual Dave! It's certainly pleasing to see fat little engines and rolling stock on these skinny little tracks.

[DLT]

Soldering up the overlays was a bit of a fiddle, but they're done and added to the coach sides.  So next task was assembly of the body.  Going carefully and constantly checking for straight-ness and right-angle-ness, it was slowly done one corner at a time.  Adding the compartment partitions gave added strength (still two more to add).

Once screw-holes in the floor had been opened out and a nut soldered in at each corner, it was time for a trial on the rails.

 

This rather cruel enlargement shows all the dirt, the joins between the sections, and that a smear more of filler may be needed along the top of the new overlays.

 

And finally the end with the steps, for no reason other than I like it!

 

I will probably now move on to the brake van, and get that up to a similar stage before carrying on with the coach.

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Thanks for all the "likes" gents.

 

Moving on to the van.  I'm first modifying the flat etches by cutting and filing away the unwanted door and window frame detail.  Then its a case of making up new panelling inserts and overlays, as I did with the coach.  The photos should explain.

 

 

Cheers for now,

Dave.

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Lower-panel overlays for the van were done in the same way as the coach, matching the etched versions.  The inlay for the upper body-side (where the windows were) was just a strip of brass with vertical strips added at regular spacing.  You may ask why I didn't use the existing window-pillars on the etch, but the reason is that the spacing was inconsistent.

 

And the overlays in place:

 

Cheers, for now,

Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

After quite a bit of fiddling to get everything square/parallel/and at right angles to each other, the van (or the four bits we have so far) is in one piece.

 

 

With the addition of the centre partition, its surprisingly strong.  I used low-melt (188 degree) solder to assemble the sides and ends, so as not to disturb any of the previous soldering.

Next job is get the duckets finished and then look at the chassis.

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

I was going to finish the duckets next, but decided to start on the chassis as it would be easier to solder the fixing nuts in position.  I planned to use one end of the kit underframe, but instead cut a section out of the middle, thus saving the bogie mountings for possible future use.

 

Also in the photo are the headstocks, or bufferbeams.  These are meant to be folded double and soldered, but this is very awkward, so instead I have cut them apart before soldering.

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

The underframe (or what there is of it so far) assembled, with holes drilled for the fixing screws.

 

I enlarged the holes in the body in order to get some adjustment in the positioning of the nuts.  So once the underframe and body were correctly positioned, I soldered the nuts in place.

 

More untidy soldering, but where it won't be seen...

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Finishing the duckets required a bit more fiddle than I expected; some of the dimensions were a bit out so there was some packing and filing back needed to achieve a symmetrical look.  The lamp housing are homemade; having built some myself for the original coach, I made matching ones for the van.

 

 

 

Starting on the running gear now.

Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Running gear is my usual recipe for rigid four-wheeled vehicles, everything mounted on a PCB plate, screwed to the underside of the floor.

 

 

When I built my first PBV, (many moons ago) I paid great attention to detailing the running gear, even to the extent of making my own leaf-springs from curled strips of plasticard.  And of course once it was on the layout you could hardly see any of it, especially with the footboards in the way.  So this time I'm only going to provide fairly basic detailing, just enough to look as though its all there.   Looks very bare underneath at the mo, but at least its on it's wheels.

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Here is my original PBV, built many years ago.  I scratchbuilt the axlebox assemblies, and reasonably well detailed brakegear.  Once on the layout, about 90% of this was invisible.

 

So this time I'm going for a much simpler approach.  These axlebox assemblies were off my original Cleminson coach chassis (Long retired and dismantled)  They are whitemetal casting that came from CCW, for those of you with VERY long memories.  They will provide a suitable representation of running gear detail that should look ok on the layout.  (Even if you look at photos of the 16mm scale Accucraft E-Van, you only get an impression of whats underneath:  https://www.accucraft.uk.com/products/isle-of-man-e-van/  )  I have added a representation of W-Irons to the castings, using bits of left-over etch.

 

Fixed to the chassis assembly

 

And how it looks on the layout

 

I know this may seem like "spoiling the job" or taking huge shortcuts, but I feel that life is too short for modelling lots of detail that you can't see.  So I will complete it like this and see how it looks.  If it doesn't look right, I can always add more detail.

Cheers, Dave.

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[Dava]

A very nice E class van. I agree there is little point hand-making detail which won't normally be seen. I wouldn't mind getting hold of some cast axlebox/spring units suitable for smaller 3ft gauge prototypes such as these [whatever gauge they're modelled in], though.

 

Dava

[DLT]

Today's update on the coaches concerns the underside.  Bogie mountings are as the kit is designed, but I added the pivot tubes rather that just a screw in a hole.  Truss-rods and queen-posts are not included in the 7mm version of the kit, but are just two bits of .9mm brass wire, and four bits of etch edge strip.   Isle of Man coaches had two footboards each side, as much of the island had no raised platforms.  However my coaches sit slightly lower, and I have platforms of a sort, so only one board is needed.  Hangers are "L"-shaped pieces of .7mm brass wire, soldered (from above) into holes in the underframe, and it takes a bit of trial and error to get everything lined up.  I guess if they were all cut to the right length, you wouldn't need the holes, and just solder them to the inside of the side-frames.

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[dajt]

I know this may seem like "spoiling the job" or taking huge shortcuts, but I feel that life is too short for modelling lots of detail that you can't see.  So I will complete it like this and see how it looks.  If it doesn't look right, I can always add more detail.

Cheers, Dave.

 

No-one's going to accuse you of doing either of those things!

 

If you're feeling guilty tell yourself you're taking on the prototypical narrow gauge ethos.

[DLT]

The roof in the kit needed a little tweaking to get the curvature correct and evenI  I filed up some profile pieces from left-over etches to provide bracing and soldered them to the underside.  The ones at each end are arranged so that they are a push fit into the body, providing positive location.  Once everything is finished I will lightly glue the roof one with a small bob of Evo-Stick at each corner. that way I can removed them easily if needed.

 

Rather than cut the roof from the second kit in half for the van I decided to save it, and instead used a curved piece of aluminium I had in the spares box.  I think it was intended to be an 0-Gauge van roof.  Fitted in much the same way, the bracing on this was Araldited in place.

With everything screwed together, the train had a trial run at the club.  I guess its interiors and painting next.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Looking a little garish in Halfords white and red primer...

 

And standing next to the coach it will accompany, hopefully showing what it will eventually look like.

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Looking a bit disgusting at the moment; cream panels painted, and then Humbrol Maskol run into them for protection while I painted the maroon.  Should look better when I peel the Maskol off!

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

The Maskol method of painting the panelling wasn't a great success, the red managed to creep under the Maskol edges.  Maybe it shrunk, or I didn't use enough.  Anyway, I've gone back to my earlier method of handpainting it all.  The red is Railmatch 306 BR Maroon; the white is Humbrol gloss Ivory, from a tin bought in 1971.

 

 

While all this was going on, I turned to the roof.  I've used the same technique as worked well on the tramway coaches a while ago.  The brass roof was "painted" both sides with PVA and allowed to dry.  Strips of tissue were cut and wetted (so that they expanded BEFORE going on the roof) and then applied in the manner of canvas sheets.    When dry the strip ends were folded under, wetted again and stuck to the underside.

 

Later the framework, rainstrips etc were added using styrene strip.

 

The lamp housing is the one supplied by Roxey in the kit.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

With something of a sense of relief, the coach and van are just about complete enough for the club competition.  Or at least, one side is complete!  

 

 

The other side, in allover red-brown, will have to wait a few days; but should all be done in time for the Taunton Exhibition at the end of the month.

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 9, 2022 by DLT