Devo63 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I've conducted a search for this on RWweb but came up with nothing of use so my apologies are offered if this had been covered in the past. I have an unbuilt K's kit for a 59'6" auto coach (from about 1960 judging by the 30/- price) which I was thinking of using as a master for constructing/converting to a steam railmotor. Has anyone else attempted this in the past and able to offer a few pointers or suggestions? For ease of construction (and weight) I was planning to use the parts from the kit to make resin copies which I could then butcher into a suitable representation of the prototype. This will also allow spare parts for the inevitable mistakes. The window arrangement of one end of the coach seems to match drawings I have but the boiler end needs cutting and filling to give the correct appearance. The model will also require two driving window ends. I'm planning to use a simplified power unit (possibly get something from Hollywood Foundry here in Oz) as I don't think my modelling skills and eyesight are good enough to make the valve gear. The most likely arrangement will be just the cylinders with cross heads, connecting & coupling rods. I am not after a perfectly accurate model - more a representation of the character of the original. As long as it can move itself along the track with one trailer car I'll be satisfied. I'm working within a tight budget (living on a pension) so I hope I can make this 'on the cheap'. The etched kits that come up for auction from time to time are a bit steep for my pocket and I'm trying to save for one of the Kernow 70 footers so any advice will be gladly accepted. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Dave This sounds a great Idea and one that I would be very interested in as I have a couple of these coaches. Thinking out of the box a bit, it might be a bit easier chopping up a couple of the Airfix coaches as they may be easier to splice and join together. From the little I know a bit of reverse engineering as lots were converted from steam rail motors If using the plastic coach a Spud unit may work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Apologies for appearing a bit negative, folks, but Hayfield's idea would produce something decidedly freelance. I assume that by referring to the Airfix model we are talking about the A28/A30 hybrid. It would need an awful lot of panelling added before it looked anywhere near the real thing. Cutting it up is made much more difficult than it might be by the integral floor and seating which I'm sure Airfix thought was a good idea at the time. Devo63's idea of using the K's slabs of whitemetal as patterns for resin castings has promise. This is one of many things of which I have no experience but others on here are greatly skilled in the arts of pattern making and casting and with any luck at all will step forward with valuable tips! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I've not seen this K's kit in the flesh but, assuming that it is the one shown some way down in this post, it looks to be a representation of an A31. These were converted from Diag Q rail motors in 1934-5. The rail motors originally dated from 1906-7 so the trailers retained much of their antique appearance. Most importantly for Dave's purpose, the window and door layout from the driving end of the trailer to the panel between the two sets of windows at the other end remained unchanged. Fabricating the rail motor engine part will be fun, though. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devo63 Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 I've not seen this K's kit in the flesh but, assuming that it is the one shown some way down in this post, it looks to be a representation of an A31. These were converted from Diag Q rail motors in 1934-5. The rail motors originally dated from 1906-7 so the trailers retained much of their antique appearance. Most importantly for Dave's purpose, the window and door layout from the driving end of the trailer to the panel between the two sets of windows at the other end remained unchanged. Fabricating the rail motor engine part will be fun, though. Nick Nick, That's the same one as my unbuilt kit. The model is very basic with no floor or interior and it weighs a ton. Hauling one around with the old K's 48xx/14xx must have put a fair bit of strain on the early electric motors. If you had a good one they would run forever but a poor motor would be better as a fishing weight. If I can make the castings as I would like I think it would be a fairly easy cut, shut and fill job to produce a reasonably decent model. I sent a query to Dave Jones about spares for the Kernow railmotor. He advised that 100% of the parts will be available after release so this may provide the necessary 'oomph' for the project if I can buy the complete power unit. If I can afford two of them I may be able to make a model of railmotor No.1 as well. This had match board siding which has no tumble-home to worry about and flat ends. The only problem would be in justifying so many railmotors on my layout (still in planning) although I could paint them up for different periods. I am thinking about getting the RTR model of the restored/rebuilt version which would give me about 100 years window of operation (if you forget about the period from the late 1930's until 2010's!). Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 The GWR did a cut and shut on the railmotors to produce the autocoaches, so the reverse should be possible. (I've got two of these and intended to convert one to a Q railmotor.........). Two would probably need a 42xx to haul them! I can recall seeing a railmotor made from the kit a long time ago (K's stand at the MRC exhibition IIRC). I think it used special castings from K's but they never released them. I thought of using a circular can motor and passing it off as the boiler, but that is as far as it got. The fiddly valve gear put me off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzler Fan Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 ....... but where do you source the motion? Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach bogie Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Not a cheap method of propulsion but lose the body from this Lilliput industrial and you can use this. I saw one built this way a few years back by someone who was not a loco kit builder. Mike Wiltshire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted January 21, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2015 You might strike lucky at a show at which Coopercraft attend, as they have the 4mm range of Blacksmiths kits, which had a couple of steam railmotors. I would however advise against holding your breath though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 You might strike lucky at a show at which Coopercraft attend, as they have the 4mm range of Blacksmiths kits, which had a couple of steam railmotors. ... "They have it" is not quite the same as "having it in stock and on sale", though..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I had a dose of that the other day at Heathrow - Announcement "gate 14 is open", so off I toddle, to gate 14 to discover that it's not open. So I ask what the situation is, and the answer was "ah, yes, we are open for you to come and talk to us, but we are not open for you to board the aircraft". I was puzzled too. So I went back to the lounge and had another glass of wine Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzler Fan Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 ....... but where do you source the motion? Noel I asked because I already tried Coopercraft Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 The side castings for the Keyser Auto coach Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I see you have one of the earlier ones with the metal roof! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devo63 Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 I have the same version with the cast metal roof which is why I'm planning to make copies out of resin. I built one of these back in the early 80's and the weight of the finished model (without interior) came out to be similar to 3 RTR Hornby coaches. I'm planning to chase up the RTV silicon rubber & casting resin from a local casting supply company sometime over the coming fortnight so, if I can get access to a working camera, I might start a build thread for the conversion. Don't hold your breath though as I have about a dozen other projects on the go at the moment! I'm slowly backdating part of my collection to the pre First World War era and have a narrow cab Duke, a Bulldog, a Scott Atlantic and a couple of Star class under construction. For my later period models I'm working on a batch of coaching stock including a 70' all 3rd, a Super Saloon, my H.55 Buffet and a six car articulated suburban set. As a matter of interest, are there any 3D designers/modellers out there who may be thinking of creating a printed body to fit the proposed DJM/Kernow railmotor mechanism? If so I would be very interested if buying one or two. I'm not sufficiently computer savvy enough to take on a project of that kind myself. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach bogie Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Alternative solution here finishing tonight http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391031645395?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Mike Wiltshire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzler Fan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 + The Peter Dawson etch is only for the body, and is available.Unfortunately, he did not do drawings for the Motion. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Worsley Works are threatening to do SRM 93 and Trailer 92 in 4mm, but they may be put off by the Kernow announcements. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Worsley Works are threatening to do SRM 93 and Trailer 92 in 4mm, but they may be put off by the Kernow announcements. They have already produced a body etch (no roof, though) for SRM 93. I have a sample somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmay2002 Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 The Peter Dawson etch is only for the body, and is available. Unfortunately, he did not do drawings for the Motion. Noel I think the Railmotor Motion was pretty much the same as that used on the Vale of Rheidol 2-6-2Ts. RT models do a simplified etch version of that plus the matching cylinders if its any help . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 I think the Railmotor Motion was pretty much the same as that used on the Vale of Rheidol 2-6-2Ts. The cylinder castings were I believe the same, but whether all the motion was dimensionally the same I do not know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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