teeinox Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 I need to take the roof off this elderly gem, mainly to do something about the strange windows! How do I do it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 (edited) The design originated with Airfix. Basically the roof pulls off but it is a tight fit. Probably best to start in the middle,gripping the rainstrips, and work outwards. The roof clips to sections of the glazing. Dapol still sell these in kit form. Edited March 2, 2023 by BernardTPM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
teeinox Posted March 3, 2023 Author Share Posted March 3, 2023 21 hours ago, BernardTPM said: The design originated with Airfix. Basically the roof pulls off but it is a tight fit. Probably best to start in the middle,gripping the rainstrips, and work outwards. The roof clips to sections of the glazing. Dapol still sell these in kit form. Many thanks for the info. I'll have a go! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Flying Pig Posted March 3, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 3, 2023 This video covers assembly of the recent Dapol issue of the non-gangwayed variant, but I don't recall the gangwayed version being different. The clips on the roof can be seen at about 9m 30s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 The Stanier Corridor roof clips to the glazing and the glazing is held outwards into the window apertures in the coach sides by the interior moulding. They were not designed to be taken apart . I put an Open interior in one recently and broke a few clips in the process. I would paint the interior and stick a few figures in if that's your thing while the roof is off as the number of times you can take the roof off and refi it successfully is limited. 11 minutes ago, Flying Pig said: This video covers assembly of the recent Dapol issue of the non-gangwayed variant, but I don't recall the gangwayed version being different. The clips on the roof can be seen at about 9m 30s. The glazing looks floppy compared to my pre built coach. It doesn't look as if it has been pressed into the sides firmly enough. They are addicted to wobbling as per the video, I suppose weight low down might be a cure but 30 years on mine still wobble. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejstubbs Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 (edited) 23 hours ago, BernardTPM said: Dapol still sell these in kit form. I was looking for some a few weeks back and they seemed to have disappeared from the Dapol web site. I couldn't find anyone with stock online either. I get the impression that they've finally been discontinued. If anyone does know where I might be able to source a non-corridor brake third (LMS, not BR) I would be very grateful! Edited March 3, 2023 by ejstubbs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 I would advise looking for a good second hand Airfix or Mainline non-corr. brake as the Dapol version has the brake composite roof and, often but not always, a moulding fault on the underframe that means the face of the battery box is moulded on the wrong side of the underframe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 20 hours ago, ejstubbs said: I was looking for some a few weeks back and they seemed to have disappeared from the Dapol web site. I couldn't find anyone with stock online either. I get the impression that they've finally been discontinued. If anyone does know where I might be able to source a non-corridor brake third (LMS, not BR) I would be very grateful! The Dapol site does not currently include a product catalogue I bought some at a show several years ago when they were becoming more difficult to find; the retailer said they thought that Dapol had probably decided just to produce them ready assembled, as that was about double the price, and presumably more profitable for them even after paying a labour cost in assembly. I rather suspect this was correct. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) They're in every bargain bin at every exhibition with a second hand trader, usually for less than a tenner. This is the Airfix release of the same coach, the clips on the roof line up with the lugs at the top of the window moulding: This roof came off by sliding a thumb nail under but a screwdriver might be more sensible. The clips holding the floor to the other edge of the window moulding then need winkling out and you do need a screwdriver for that ! The window and interior mouldings should just fall apart after that. The wobble can be controlled by adding a couple of pads of styrene above the two little posts on the top of the bogie at one end only so that the posts bear on the pads. Leave the other end free to give crude three point compensation. Edited March 4, 2023 by Wheatley 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejstubbs Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 (edited) On 04/03/2023 at 19:17, Wheatley said: This roof came off by sliding a thumb nail under but a screwdriver might be more sensible. I use a guitar pick - the larger type like this: not the seemingly more popular, skinnier type. The larger type gives you more space to grip, and it's still got a fine enough tip to furtle between the roof edge and top of the carriage side without being hard enough to damage the plastic like a screwdriver or knife might. With a bit of gentle levering the retaining clips should pop apart without breaking. On 04/03/2023 at 18:56, Michael Hodgson said: The Dapol site does not currently include a product catalogue There seemed to be a lot of other products shown on, and purchasable through, their site when I looked recently, even the more obscure stuff eg here, here and here. Of the product pages I checked, only the carriages one was empty. On 03/03/2023 at 19:43, DCB said: The glazing looks floppy compared to my pre built coach. It doesn't look as if it has been pressed into the sides firmly enough. Assembly of these coaches - both the kits, and when re-assembling the RTR ones - does require a bit of 'udging' of the components to fit properly. The glazing in particular needs to be set properly into the window openings for its whole length, otherwise (a) it looks wrong, and (b) some roof clips can easily end up out of position - too far in for the corresponding roof clips to engage (this can be particularly a problem on the brake vehicles, which have no seats to support the glazing for half their length). It can be something of a painstaking process, requiring patience and use of nothing more than fingertips to 'persuade' the glazing into place. Before starting it's definitely worth checking that there is no moulding flash or other unnecessary projections on both the glazing parts, and the coach interior, since they are quite a snug fit and anything sticking out where it shouldn't will lead to frustration and potentially damage if forced. Once the glazing is properly in place, the roof also needs gentle persuasion to fit properly. It's worth having a note/photo of where the tabs on the glazing are, so that you can apply judicious pressure in the right places.. I find that, even when the roof clips are engaged, it's worth gently squeezing the carriage sides inwards at each clip position, with the opposing finger(s) on the opposite edge of the roof, to get the glazing tabs fully seated in the roof clips. If this step isn't completed you can end up with no roof overhang in places, which looks pretty naff. On 04/03/2023 at 11:19, BernardTPM said: the Dapol version has the brake composite roof and, often but not always, a moulding fault on the underframe that means the face of the battery box is moulded on the wrong side of the underframe. I'm pretty sure they fixed that after a while. The first one I bought, seven years ago, was a "last one in the shop" job at a knockdown price and it did have the wrong roof, and the underframe fault. Not a problem at the time since I was only buying it for parts. I did manage to track down a brake third kit for sale online the other week and it had the correct roof and underframe when it arrived. Edited March 13, 2023 by ejstubbs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
teeinox Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 Thank you for all your advice on how to disassemble the coach: the pictures were particularly helpful. As it turned out, a determined lifting of one corner of the roof with a fingernail, and it sprang off! And here is the result: For 1976 it was a really amazing piece of construction design by Airfix. There is no glue involved and it is all robust. It locks together like a Rubiks cube, the glazing being the component that holds it all together. Which is a bit of a problem, because I want to replace the glazing. But we shall see, there is a solution to everything. I may post how I get on. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
teeinox Posted March 15, 2023 Author Share Posted March 15, 2023 A simple question. Has anyone replaced the glazing on this type of coach, and if so, what did they do and how did it go? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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