Class 203 / 6B DEMU in N gauge

[KeithHC]

11 hours ago, dasatcopthorne said:

Andy. Here is a series I took at Mountfield.

 

They need several posts though. I thought I may as well upload what I have.

 

Dave.

A fantastic set of shots please please keep them coming. Have you any of the other DEMU types by chance. I am working very slowly on several types in CAD for 4mm. Namely Hampshire’s and the Berkshire version the Tadpole and then by default the 6S also the Oxteds.

 

Keith

 

Sorry Andy to hack your thread but following your build with interest.

[dasatcopthorne]

34 minutes ago, KeithHC said:

A fantastic set of shots please please keep them coming. Have you any of the other DEMU types by chance. I am working very slowly on several types in CAD for 4mm. Namely Hampshire’s and the Berkshire version the Tadpole and then by default the 6S also the Oxteds.

 

Keith

 

Sorry Andy to hack your thread but following your build with interest.

 

Keith.

 

I posted a set of Tadpole pics in this forum some time ago for Darius. Search for DEMU and it should come up.

 

Dave.

[acg5324]

While we’ve been away for a week, Steve at Railtec has produced and posted these to me….this is the custom 32 different coach numbers. Includes the coach and unit numbers plus a load of others for me to renumber some Mk2s and parcels stock…..and the class 101.

[acg5324]

The vast majority of underframe equipment has now been added to the non powered DMBS. I’ll tackle the powered one next, so that I can complete the bodies together for continuity. Next up will be the TSOL’s.

[acg5324]

Well I took the plunge yesterday and dismantled the motor block from the 4CEP. After taping up any gaps to the motor and gears etc all the side protrusions were filled off. The motor block now fits the inside of the coach…..just. The motorblock is just tacked with double sided tape to the chassis. When the time is right I will probably have to glue it permanently.

 

Via the Blood and Custard Facebook group I’ve been sent this useful drawing.

Edited June 17, 2023 by acg5324

[KeithHC]

Looking good Andy. Waiting to see the full unit well done.

 

Keith

[acg5324]

I’ve noticed that the drawing does contain some errors. The exhaust outlet is shown on the centre line, photos show it just offset…..and the plan has it also further back than it should be. The plan also shows a part on the roof sheeted over….this is the engine cooling fan!

A bit of progress today on both DMBS bodies. Engine room lift rings and exhaust added. The lift rings are from BLMA with the exhaust made from Evergreen U section. 
The 6B units don’t have roof conduit for lighting but do seem to have a short section that starts over the cab and ends just behind the fans. This will be next thing to add, from NS wire, along with door handrails.

Edited June 18, 2023 by acg5324

[acg5324]

Lots and lots of holes drilled in the motor coaches today for the hand rails. As a consequence and the brittle nature of the body shells I managed to snap off a buffer and a slightly incorrectly positioned drill hole also broke a window bar……not a good start.

All of the buffers have been replaced with much chunkier brass ones as I thought this might be a weak point. The window bar is in the process of being glued back in.

Both DMBS’s have also had a quick squirt of Tamiya Fine Primer…..it doesn’t look so ghost like now.

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by acg5324

[acg5324]

As there was b**gger all on the TV tonight I got a bit more work done on the non powered DMBS. A simplified version of the roof conduits and I’ve beefed up the undernourished corridor connect by gluing a Farish Mk1 gangway to it. Looks a lot better.

[acg5324]

It’s beginning to get a face!

[acg5324]

I was hoping that the two surrogate Mk1 coaches would be able to keep their kinetic couplers. This is looking unlikely as I’ve had to cut away so much plastic. The 4CEP coaches don’t have kinetic couplers so this hasn’t been an issue before. I might have to bogie mount the couplers or beef up the underframe and fit NEM pockets.

[BernardTPM]

Are they really needed if there are no buffers on the intermediate coaches?

[acg5324]

9 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

Are they really needed if there are no buffers on the intermediate coaches?

No they aren’t Bernard but it would have been one thing less to have to modify. I think I’m going to have to make a bogie mount as I’m not sure that body mounting an NEM box will give enough movement in the curves. Some experimentation I think.

[acg5324]

A satisfactory day at the Yorkshire NGS meeting today. Got quite a lot done to the 6B. Underframe details added to the buffet vehicle along with water fillers and roof vents. The TF also got its water filler pipework and both got a squirt of undercoat. A TS was mounted onto a underframe so I was able to pose 5 cars together…..it’s the unpainted coach.

The bottom photo has the Buffet car prior to undercoating.

Edited June 24, 2023 by acg5324

[acg5324]

It’s been a bit of two steps forward and one step back this week with the DEMU. After the NGS meet last week I unpacked the set to find the Buffet car had developed quite a big bow in its side. I put a small clamp on it for an hour or so with it mounted on its chassis. This helped a bit, so last night I did the same, but forgot to take the clamp off. This morning I took the clamp off to find the body partly snapped through along part of its length. Bu**er! Some superglue, backing plates and the clamps again seem to have rectified the issue. To paraphrase Basil Fawlty……I mentioned the clamps once but I think I got away with it!!

 

I also spotted that one of the horns had vanished. These were from the Dapol class 73 and made of engineering plastic. I’ve had to revert to using PECO track pin heads…..and this second attempt to use these has been more successful.

 

Some progress…..The second DMBS car has now gained its cab handrails and 27 way jumpers plus roof conduit. The broken window bar has also been repaired.

The TFK has had its underframe finished and dampers added to the bogies. 
 

The two TSO’s have gained there corridor connections and I’m in the process of folding up some NS wire for the water tank fillers.

I can’t find any photos of the TSO’s showing underframe details, so not sure if there should be any boxes or not.

 

Pictures now added, it’s the buffet that has had its bogie dampers added not the TFK.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by acg5324

[acg5324]

…….and then there were six. Both TSO’s now have a chassis and bogies (B1’s which are incorrect) due to them being recovered from GF Mark 1s. They sit a bit low as the CEP coaches have a thin weight in them which the loco hauled Mk1’s don’t have. All the water fillers have been added now. 

[acg5324]

The first DMBS had entered the paint last week. It was unwrapped today after having the weekend to dry throughly. I am pleased with progress so far. I won’t show the other side as I inadvertently cocked up the width of masking to cover the grey. It’s too narrow so I’ll have to respray it. The rest of the body will be hand painted, coach sides at each ends, solebars, buffer beams, jumpers etc.

Edited July 11, 2023 by acg5324

[KeithHC]

Looking very good Andy keep it coming. It’s nice to compare my 3D with your photos.

 

Keith

 

 

[acg5324]

Something under wraps……until the weather improves.

[acg5324]

Well….in between showers there has been some warm dry spells……..so some paint shop progress has been made. The TFK and the powered DMBS bodies are still being painted.

Edited July 21, 2023 by acg5324

[acg5324]

I got a lot of white lining attached to the coaches today. However the Tamiya spray varnish has affected the yellow stripe on the TFK. So much so that I’ll probably have to try and remove it and start again. I’ve not had this happen before. The white lining does not appear to be affected. A trawl through the Interweb this evening seems to point the reason for the reaction between the decal and varnish at the Micro Sol. I’ll post some pictures in the morning.

[acg5324]

The other side is equally affected.

Edited July 23, 2023 by acg5324

[acg5324]

The decals came off without too much fuss or damage. The red stripe on one side of the Buffet car was also affected, this reattached whole with some gloss varnish painted on. 
The TFK also gained some gloss varnish painted on to the cantrails. 
 

After reading the instructions with the Railtec decals it actually says avoid Microsol…..add a bit of PVA to the water used for soaking the backing paper. New stripes have been added using this method. I’ll let them dry overnight before doing anything else.

[acg5324]

My supplies from Railtec arrived yesterday, so I carried on adding decals. Most of the lining is complete and a start has been made on other embellishments like 1,s on the numerous doors of the TFK.

The second DMBS is largely finished in the paint shop with just the grills to pick out.

Edited July 26, 2023 by acg5324

[acg5324]

The full six cars together. All bar the power car are lined and numbered., as per unit 1036. The Buffet car has developed a strange lean, which appears to be chassis related and needs some investigation. Just the weathering to do now once the power car is finished off. Then it’s down to getting the mechanism to work!