HST Power Car Test Build

[Arun Sharma]

This is a test build of a 7mm scale O gauge resin kit designed and produced as a speculative venture by myself. It is not available as a marketed item at present as parts of it were designed for another kit supplier. So it may one day be available in a slightly different form [from elsewhere]. Whilst composed largely of resin, the bogie frames and all of the small castings are lost wax brass.  Window frames, wheel discs, motor chassis and cantrail/side grilles are etched nickel-silver. The model cannot represent every class 43 power car owing to the differing compressors fitted at build. This car has the Davis Metcalfe compressor originally fitted to 43002-43152. Additionally, there have been so many subsequent variations relating to roof grilles, vents & fans consequent upon reengining and fitting of new cooler groups that I would have had to produce a range of different roofs.

Similarly, different TOCs had their own variations relating to headlamp fittings and the horn vent on the nose cone. Relatively early in their lives the cars had their number one fuel tank removed from the offside as well as having the guard's compartment windows modified so those would cause more variation.

Another limitation would be the decals available in 7mm scale - Those most readily available are the InterCity Executive ones from Fox so that has pretty much dictated what scheme this model has been painted in.

On balance therefore it has been painted into the non-swallow version of the IC Exec livery though I do rather like the swallow version of the livery. The sharp eyed will note that the white waist line should be 1.5mm higher up but that's too late to change now!

 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Arun Sharma
addnl info

[Michael Hodgson]

congrats - great paint job.

[uk_pm]

Very nice kit of a truly iconic train.  Nice livery too.  The HMRS transfer sheet 15 includes all the transfers necessary for the original Blue/grey HST power car livery.

 

So do we just have to sit back and wait for this kit to be released by someone else, or do we lobby you to release it?

 

Great work, in any event.

Edited April 3, 2021 by uk_pm

[Arun Sharma]

24 minutes ago, uk_pm said:

Very nice kit of a truly iconic train.  Nice livery too.  The HMRS transfer sheet 15 includes all the transfers necessary for the original Blue/grey HST power car livery.

 

So do we just have to sit back and wait for this kit to be released by someone else, or do we lobby you to release it?

 

Great work, in any event.

The former rather than the latter I think.

[Tony Teague]

Very nice Arun!

[uk_pm]

17 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:

The former rather than the latter I think.

OK, then I shall confine myself to congratulating you on your modelling skill.  What about the Mk III coaches?  Are they also to receive the benefit of your creative skills?  Hope so.

[Arun Sharma]

45 minutes ago, uk_pm said:

OK, then I shall confine myself to congratulating you on your modelling skill.  What about the Mk III coaches?  Are they also to receive the benefit of your creative skills?  Hope so.

As far as I know, there are two sources of 7mm Mk3 coaches - The injection moulded ones would require considerable work as their moulds were seemingly designed without the tumblehome that these coaches have. The other ones which are brass etches look pretty good and might suit this power car though I haven't compared them dimensionally.

It would be pretty straightforward to design a Mk3 coach by taking the cross-section of the 3D CAD from which the rear part of the power car was constructed and extending that to a suitable length and then adding a corridor connection at both ends. Arguably it would be even easier designing the modern sliding door variant as that avoids having to produce the chamfered cutaway on the manually opened passenger doors. I think if I can find suitable imagery of the BT10 bogie, I might consider this as an experiment.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Arun Sharma