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Metropolitan Railway - Chesham Set - using 3D printing.


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Hi all thought I would post this here...

 

Towards the beginning of last year 2013, I sold off some modified kit's which represented Metropolitan coaches.. in my view not to well, So I sold these off to pursue new ones in their original condition as per Bluebell Railways set.
Some early 3D CADs were made of a rough idea.. done on Google Sketchup...

 

MetropolitanCoach387_zps4bcd734d.jpg

I had a few attempts at printing and getting the general idea of what I wanted how it would generally look, and be relatively easy to fit together. Reason I decided on 3D printing was I don't have the equipment or know how to build brass kits, and even if I did the London Road models which look great are the wrong type and you only get 3 coaches... when I was after 4.

Prototype 1
 

DSC02271_zps11ffca5c.jpgDSC02278_zps308dc1e3.jpg

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First attempts I was advised to use the more expensive material Frosted / ultra frosted detail... but after 3 disasters and problems, it obviously wasn't the way to go...

 

Prototype 1 and 2
9d574fae-ed85-4f15-9893-e3855cece723_zps
 

 

I then read a topic by another member on the 3D print Cad section of this forum, which was by Ben Racey, who was doing some loco's and coach bodies, after reading and being rather impressed with what he had achieved using a cheaper material called White strong and Flexible.
 Hopefully this would not only improve the coaches and get more consistent results  in terms of printing, but also reduce costs, with the original bill being nearly £100 for 1 coach.
 I also joined up with another 3D modeller who was doing various London underground stock but for N gauge. So on an agreement he would look after most of the 3D modelling side, and I would do various research ect... part of this agreement is also for him to use the models but to be converted down to N-gauge.
Anyway after a number of months... thinking would it be worth continuing or not... I decided it would and decided re-drawing the body to a new design, the Bogies as well have been redesigned and changed.
 

Images below are of the all third coach... which is certainly more promising.
 

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DSC03608_zps4f3ce3c4.jpgDSC03606_zps0bcfea9d.jpg

 


 

Edited by Bluebell Model Railway
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These look good, well done.

 

Now could be very interested in these, as I model Met/GC (steam era) in P4

 

As you want a 4 coach set I assume you are building the 1905 push-pull set (3rd driver, 3rd, 1st  and 3rd).

 

The brake on the Bluebell is a bit of a hybrid, having had the end windows redone to how they were originally, but the sides (beyond the compartments) are not correct

 

As you have already done the hard bit, how about 1st/3rd comp, and 2nd and 3rd brakes (tongue in cheek, and just hoping!)

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Hello thank you for the comments.

 

They are being designed as they are now in preservation / first built, not the push pull version as they are available in Kit form from London Road models.
The set is usually 3 as you probably know, and somewhere down the line it gained a 4th...

On the brake 3rd, from research and drawings ect, after various rebuilds, looking at info the Bluebell have got I can see what they have done, I have various drawings of how it was originally with 5 compartments, and then a second drawing of when it was converted, one compartment lost to luggage ect... anyway I have done it as it is now which maybe wrong but, that's how they are seen today.

 

Indeed they are a WIP, how they are being designed is all 3rd first... then using that as a based, the Brake 3rd and then the 1st / 3rd composites... they all have been drawn plotted, so it's just a matter of time and money.

I have received this very early CAD of the Brake, still much to be done, and adjustments to carry over from the all 3rd.

387_zpsfb5a12b8.jpg

 

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The reason there are four coaches is that there were 2 Chesham 3-set coaches, and the Bluebell aquired a complete set plus one!

 

<btw> My dad was responsible for them in the last 2 years before they were withdrawn from service in 1960. He could never get rid of the smell of rotten fish though!

Edited by RogerE
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The London Road kits were originally designed by Clive Thomas for a projected model of Chesham. After a lot of badgering (from me) he had agreed to do the remaining steam era vehicles, but then a change of circumstances meant all this came to nought, and he departed to deepest Wales.

 

He passed the kits over to John Redrup (London Road) who originally sold the individual coaches, but then started selling them as complete rakes only.

 

Joe Brook-Smith used to produce moulded plasticard "body kits" of all the Ashburys (steam and Chesham modifications), although he produced them to order and never advertised them. I wonder what happened to them after his death?

 

The only other Ashburys I know of were produced by (I forget their name) who had a whole range of coach side/end kits in etched zinc. He produced them in batches, and you could wait years if you ordered them. I ordered the Met Inspection Saloon from him about 25 years ago after seeing some of the other coaches in his range, and, apart from a note saying it would take some time before they would be available, have never heard from him since!

 

<edit> Trevor Charlton produced the etched zinc kits

Edited by RogerE
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Radley models are currently producing a range of bogie stock coaches which will be on sale later this summer. These mainly date from post 1940 and at the moment a 9 comp third, driving trailer, composite trailer and brake/driving motor are on the workbench. I shall be modifying mine to pre 1940 service electrically powered by MW or ashbury motor coach.

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I'm aware of Radley models, did contact them to see if they would be doing anything like this answer was no, which is a bit sad, despite hearing they may of been looking in to it, but again not seen anything for the past 2 years.

I have had both bogies back from various tweaking, believe they will be a little better in terms of strength around the axle opening as this was particularly weak last time, also adjusted sided to side axle movement, so should be better all round, will be tested next month.
Bogienem_zpsabb5377d.jpgbogie_zpse155e0f0.jpg




 

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From what you described above it doesn't sound like the coaches I am currently doing, as they are pre 1900's, and don't have 9 compartments... sound much more like Dreadnaught stock, compared to the ones I am doing at the moment, 6 compartment comp, and 7 compartment all 3rd... but I will review it in the summer.

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There appears to be a mix-up in terminology.

 

What are generally known as Ashbury Stock were officially Bogie Stock, as they were Metropolitan's first non-rigid coaches. Subsequent coaching stock were all fitted with bogies, but were known as Main Line Stock, but unofficially were called Dreadnoughts.

 

If Radley are producing post 1940 stock, and based on the description in Lord of Narnia's post, they are likely to be MV or MW stock, which were derived from the Dreadnoughts. This would make sense based on the Dreadnoughts Radley already produce.

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The stock that Radley models are producing are the 1899-1900 bogie stock but reconverted to steam stock. There is already a range of dreadnought stock available. Radley do produce MV motors and MW driving trailers and I would expect there to be trailers in a year or two.

 

The coaches in the pipeline are the push pull vehicles that ran on the chesham branch although for my layout they will be fully electric.

Edited by Lord of Narnia
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They cannot be nine compartment then.

 

The 3rd class  Dreadnoughts were the first nine compartment coaches on the Met. Later when all coaches became 3rd class the ex-1st class Dreadnoughts, which were 7 compartment, became the coaches of choice for those that knew about them, because of the extra leg room.

 

The Bogie (Ashbury) stock, except for the brakes, were either 6 compartment (1st class and 1st/3rd compo) or 7 compartment (2nd class, 3rd class). The 2nd and 3rd class brakes were originally 5 compartment.

 

For electrification the brakes were converted to either 7 compartment 3rds or to 4 compartment motor coaches.

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I contacted Radley models today... answer no we are not doing them... which seems like an odd answer if he is doing them. Not disputing what your saying there but if they were... then I would sort of say something to keep me interested.

 

Either way, I will abandon it thanks for letting me know before I go to far.

 

Edited by Bluebell Model Railway
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