The Johnster’s Interfrigo

[The Johnster]

Said I wouldn’t post about this unless it threw up further issues and it has.  Assembly was straightforward and a pleasure, though some sprues had a lot of flash.  

 

The wheels supplied with the kit ran perfectly, but despite checking the back to backs seemed to be prone to splitting turnouts (Peco medium radius streamline).  I replaced them with 12mm 3 hole Bachmann wagon wheels, which cured that problem.  But the van now rode about 1mm too low, and as well as the buffer height mismatch, the white bodysides showed up that the bottom and top of the sides were very obviously out of line with the rest of the stock in a train.  

 

Answer is obvious; the model is a compromise for 4mm and either to H0, and incorrect because the buffers align horizontally with my 4mm RTR stock, or wrong for 4mm because of the low ride.  As it is therefore impossible to get right anyway, I decided to release my inner bodgerigar and raise it by the necessary 1mm by fitting 14mm Bachmann coach wheels. 

 

This brings the ride height into line, but the cutouts in the floor to clear the wheel tops now foul on the rims.  Extending the cutouts with a slitting disc, or rat tail file if that’s all you’ve got, provides clearance. 

 

Again, there is little (by which I mean nothing) remarkable or especially creditable in this sort of low-fi bodgery, but it might be of some use 

to someone having a go at an Interfrigo as part of developing skills beyond RTR.  

 

 

Edited August 29, 2019 by The Johnster

[Fat Controller]

A lot of mainland stock uses one-metre diameter wheels, so 14mm is pretty close..