Unfinished 1990s RTR-bash Class 310 (AM10) EMU

[Captain Slough]

I started this somewhat ambitiously as a teenager in about 1995 or 96 - a time at which no RTR EMUs or easy to build kits were available.

I had access to an archive of old railway modelling magazines and an article in a 1967 MRC discussed building an AM10 by shaping new plasticard sides onto a Triang Mk1 and forming the end from an Airfix railbus and plasticard

 

The airfix railbus was still available from Dapol and 2 years after that article, Triang-Hornby had introduced Mk2a carriages which were also available very cheaply by the mid 90s. I had plenty of time but almost no money so anything had to be done on the ultra cheap

 

So this attempt uses 4 Triang Mk2as with cutout suburban window segments dropped in , some made from plasticard, some cut from Hornby suburban GWR coaches that I'd bought with body damage to reuse the chassis.  Motor bogies are Hornby HST.  I never finished it as I realised I just didnt quite have the skill to make a good job of it

 

A new home for this unit where it can be finished and used has now been agreed :-)

Edited March 5, 2023 by Captain Slough

[CWJ]

It's always good to see some good, old-fashioned kit-bashing, and considering the exotic range of ingredients this came out as a very good likeness of a 310. Wish I'd done more modelling during the 'loads of time but no money' phase of my life.

 

Cheers,

 

Will

[40152]

Some proper modelling, as opposed to ‘buy and plonk’. Would have been good to see what the finished item looked like, you did a great job on it. 

[33C]

1 hour ago, Captain Slough said:

I started this somewhat ambitiously as a teenager in about 1995 or 96 - a time at which no RTR EMUs or easy to build kits were available.

I had access to an archive of old railway modelling magazines and an article in a 1967 MRC discussed building an AM10 by shaping new plasticard sides onto a Triang Mk1 and forming the end from an Airfix railbus and plasticard

 

The airfix railbus was still available from Dapol and 2 years after that article, Triang-Hornby had introduced Mk2a carriages which were also available very cheaply by the mid 90s. I had plenty of time but almost no money so anything had to be done on the ultra cheap

 

So this attempt uses 4 Triang Mk2as with cutout suburban window segments dropped in , some made from plasticard, some cut from Hornby suburban GWR coaches that I'd bought with body damage to reuse the chassis.  Motor bogies are Hornby HST.  I never finished it as I realised I just didnt quite have the skill to make a good job of it

 

If anyone thinks they could make something better of it I might be willing to pass it on

I drove these units and have fond memories, especially of the "AAAAAAAAHH" when you released the brake! Needs to be in Network Southeast livery though! What do you want for them?

[Captain Slough]

if you drove them on the Euston routes in NSE livery then you may very well have carried me as a passenger as these, in the 80s, were my first EMU ridership and I always had a fondness for them. I'll message you

[33C]

No, LTSR, they are all sorely missed.

Edited March 5, 2023 by 33C
add letter

[roythebus1]

I remember seeing them when they were first introduced out of euston and going on a special train from Camden Road to New Street, picking up at queens Park! Still got the special ticket somewhere. I always wanted a model of one right from 1967, but the number of windows put me off!   the attractive original blue livery was excellent with the cast silver BR arrows on the cab sides.

 

An earlier article in the MRC, maybe from 1962, utilised the railbus ends with Kitmaster coaches to make the Clacton electrics. Anther conversion I wanted to do but never got around to. Has anyone done a kit for the AM10 or the Clacton units yet?

 

I had a couple of drives of the AM10s when I was secondman at rugby in 1975.

Edited March 28, 2023 by roythebus1

[Enterprisingwestern]

21 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

I remember seeing them when they were first introduced out of euston and going on a special train from Camden Road to New Street, picking up at queens Park! Still got the special ticket somewhere. I always wanted a model of one right from 1967, but the number of windows put me off!   the attractive original blue livery was excellent with the cast silver BR arrows on the cab sides.

 

An earlier article in the MRC, maybe from 1962, utilised the railbus ends with Kitmaster coaches to make the Clacton electrics. Anther conversion I wanted to do but never got around to. Has anyone done a kit for the AM10 or the Clacton units yet?

 

I had a couple of drives of the AM10s when I was secondman at rugby in 1975.

 

I've recently thought that with the plethora of 3d printers out in the wild that there must be a market for the varied cab ends of EMU/DMU's.

I'm sure somebody is doing their own and keeping schtum.

 

Mike.

[Captain Slough]

Once I have finished sorting thru my collection of trains and reducing it down to the small core I want to keep, I may start going through the magazines... I wonder if theres any value for history's sake in copying some of the articles on EMU kitbashing into here for modern modellers to appreciate

[Captain Slough]

22 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

An earlier article in the MRC, maybe from 1962, utilised the railbus ends with Kitmaster coaches to make the Clacton electrics. Anther conversion I wanted to do but never got around to.

 

I have a halfbuilt 2-car 309 Clacton powercar somewhere. I just used a Triang Mk1, cut the sides around to the right window arrangement, cut the end off at each side of the corridor connection and added the flat roof for the pantograph and plastikard sloped-back cab window surrounds

 

Never finished that one as it turned out Triang Mk1s dont have uniform thickness of the sides and as a result it was never entirely flat down the carriage sideswhere I had resegmented it

[roythebus1]

Sounds about right. there was an article in the Model Railway constructor about the conversions. in those days Kitmaster coach kits were plentiful, being virtually given away with Corn Flakes.

 

Meanwhile I must crack on with motorising my partner's EFE 1960 tube stock with Black Beetle motors, then my MTK Cravens parcel car, also with Black Beetle motor. they are still available from australia, but don't buy too may at once otherwise you'll get done for import tax and UK VAT.

 

[33C]

On 29/03/2023 at 15:15, Captain Slough said:

Once I have finished sorting thru my collection of trains and reducing it down to the small core I want to keep, I may start going through the magazines... I wonder if theres any value for history's sake in copying some of the articles on EMU kitbashing into here for modern modellers to appreciate

I bought every, single,  modelling magazine going, from the S.V.R.P.S., 20 years ago, for a good donation to the cause! Arrived in lots of boxes in a van. Wife had a koniption fit...Spent the next month, off and on, cutting out any articles that appealed to me, and filed them into several categories. E.g. steam conversions, garden articles, coaching stock, LMS/LNER/GWR/SR/BR plans etc. What surprised me at the end was that 20 different types of magazine, over 70 years of publication, now fits in 25 folders in one small cupboard in the sideboard! And it's a lot quicker to find stuff than Google sometimes... must have been a good ton of recycling after and the wife calmed down...

[Captain Slough]

i bet I have one that you don't

 

Railway Modeller Volume 1 Editions 1 to 4 - 1947

 

Found them on an antiques market stall....  paid about £2

[33C]

5 minutes ago, Captain Slough said:

i bet I have one that you don't

 

Railway Modeller Volume 1 Editions 1 to 4 - 1947

 

Found them on an antiques market stall....  paid about £2

Can't remember, but I did have a list of all the mags I needed for the task and they were crossed off, either they were too old or I had filed them already! Weirdly, I have a folder of upcoming or current projects, and I think the "Clacton" conversion is in there. 🙂

[ISW]

On 29/03/2023 at 15:15, Captain Slough said:

I wonder if theres any value for history's sake in copying some of the articles on EMU kitbashing into here for modern modellers to appreciate

There's a reasonably comprehensive 'collection' in 'Kit Building for Railway Modellers Vol.1 - Rolling Stock' (Chapter 15) and 'Kit Building for Railway Modellers Vol.2 - Locos & Multiple Units' (Chapter 6), both by George Dent.

 

Ian

[spsmiler]

Hello everyone,

 

Class 312 trains are certainly on my 'wish list', having very fond memories of travelling on them on GEML services out of Liverpool Street - with journey times far shorter than those offered by the Elizabeth line today!

 

I have not even attempted to model them. Cut and Shut (or whatever its correct name is) is not within my skill set. Perhaps it would be if I had a vice and better tools, anyway its not neccessary.

 

3D printed bodies of Class 310 trains can be bought at Shapeways - you must still supply chassis, seats, pantographs, paint, underframe, bogies, wheels,  etc but you do get white plastic bodies.  Its a coarse plastic, almost pockmarked and the  cabs might have what look like a cattle grid from the 3D printing process. But this is (arguably) still better than the alternatives.

 

I have not got around to buying these trains as I'm building others, but eventually , well they are on my wish list. Painted in BR Blue, as its easier. First Great Eastern stripe and NSE toothpaste would be nice but they have curves that are beyond my capability. 

 

See here:

https://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3D-printing/passenger-stock-br/3d_printed_sg-br-class-310.htm

 

nb: Orders below €150 have VAT added whilst above that value they do not add VAT at time of sale but instead the courier adds VAT and import duty*. Oh and their handling fee. Its easier and possibly even cheaper to buy each coach individually.

 

*model trains do not attract import duty but Shapeways use a commodity code for plastic which does attract import duty. I intend to challenge Shapeways about this later this year as I would like to buy three passenger carriages at one time - which should in theory be cheaper than buying them singularly.

 

The person behind this Shapeways Shop mentions on his website that Shapeways (and he) are looking at selling the STL files for home printing. This is a new development that is still to become reality.

 

Simon

Edited October 9, 2023 by spsmiler

[Captain Slough]

Maybe you should get on with the Shapeways AM10 and once 33C has finished reworking my Dapol/Triang/Plastikard/HST version and repainting it into NSE livery, there could be a comparison as to which is the better method....

[33C]

2 hours ago, Captain Slough said:

Maybe you should get on with the Shapeways AM10 and once 33C has finished reworking my Dapol/Triang/Plastikard/HST version and repainting it into NSE livery, there could be a comparison as to which is the better method....

That's taking time. Work and outside projects are severely getting in the way.....

[Darius43]

On 09/10/2023 at 23:34, spsmiler said:

Its a coarse plastic, almost pockmarked and the  cabs might have what look like a cattle grid from the 3D printing process. But this is (arguably) still better than the alternatives.

 

In my experience if the 3D print quality is that poor (with visible layering) then it is almost impossible to "clean up" the print to get an acceptable surface finish for painting.  This, coupled with the expense of purchasing from Shapeways, would, in my opinion, make it a doomed project.

 

Better off waiting for someone like CMAC to make a good quality resin print of an AM10 or hunt down a Southern Pride kit.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Edited November 16, 2023 by Darius43

[spsmiler]

On 16/11/2023 at 07:39, Darius43 said:

 

In my experience if the 3D print quality is that poor (with visible layering) then it is almost impossible to "clean up" the print to get an acceptable surface finish for painting.  This, coupled with the expense of purchasing from Shapeways, would, in my opinion, make it a doomed project.

 

Better off waiting for someone like CMAC to make a good quality resin print of an AM10 or hunt down a Southern Pride kit.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

The person who has the shop that contains many model trains (as well as other items related to railway modelling) has hinted on his own website that there may come a time when .stl files might become available - which will lead to people being able to 3D print these trains for themselves.

[spsmiler]

As an aside, I've just made the purchase from Shapeways that I mentioned earlier in this thread (9th October) - they have a two day cyber Monday offer which offers both discounts and free carriage based on order value.

 

Because of the free carriage and risk of import duty (VAT I expect to pay) I am buying items individually, as three purchases. They also have a new (and cheaper) basic nylon material and I'll say more about this in the thread about 3D printing.

[roythebus1]

On 30/03/2023 at 14:54, roythebus1 said:

Sounds about right. there was an article in the Model Railway constructor about the conversions. in those days Kitmaster coach kits were plentiful, being virtually given away with Corn Flakes.

 

Meanwhile I must crack on with motorising my partner's EFE 1960 tube stock with Black Beetle motors, then my MTK Cravens parcel car, also with Black Beetle motor. they are still available from australia, but don't buy too may at once otherwise you'll get done for import tax and UK VAT.

 

I did eventually get the Black Beetle bogies for the 1962 stock, motor bogie in each end and away it went. A lovely runner, but due to the design of the EFE bogies it's almost impossible to easily fit pin-point axles to make for easier running. It looked nice running on the Folkestone Club's modern layout.