exet1095 Posted August 28, 2023 Share Posted August 28, 2023 After hijacking Darius’ s Comet LMS kitchen car thread conversion with pictures of my Comet dining triplet and CK conversions, I said that if I did any more LMS stock I’d start my own thread. Well, here it is… First up, an LMS D1916 BTO. A few mistakes; despite careful measuring, I still ignored it, and put the trussing 5mm off-centre. This will require a little bogie surgery as it will not unsolder! (A 25W iron really is at its limit on big, thick etches like these.) The battery box is probably on the wrong side too - but never mind. Bachmann bogies just plonked; I will swap out the wheels for plastic ones in this case as I have some sharp curves that will otherwise cause shorting on the solebars. The roof is a Dapol CK one, cut down. MJT ventilators will be installed when the roof is ready to go on. I will use a cut-down Replica TSO interior and Comet duckets and door handles. The missing V-hangar came off with the Viakal scrub, so will be glued on when I find a dynamo and some vacuum cylinders. Looking at my most recent coaches, in crimson and cream, the red colour does not look as good as that on coaches I made 15 years ago. I cannot remember the Halfords colour; just that it is no longer available… I have gone for VW Tornado Red, but if anyone has a better (Halfords) suggestion (not the Ffestiniog livery of the Hornby Hawksworths behind!) then I should be grateful. Enjoy what’s left of the bank holiday, Paul 12 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted August 28, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 28, 2023 Don't do yourself down, you're actually doing some modelling, and pretty tricky hot spannering at that, you'll learn with experience. I doubt if there are many of us on here who haven't put a component in the wrong place on a kit, I generally weather my mistakes into oblivion! Bear in mind some people can't renumber a loco. Mike. 5 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted August 28, 2023 Share Posted August 28, 2023 I find that if I don't point out the mistakes to others, others are none the wiser. Furthermore, it never fails to amaze me what modelling sins a fairly decent paint job will hide! 4 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted August 28, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 28, 2023 It certainly passes the layout viewing distance test. I'd be happy enough with that once the roof is sorted etc. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwinian Posted August 29, 2023 Share Posted August 29, 2023 Since metal wheels are often narrower in "tread" width than plastic, Unless you expect regular rubbing of wheel on solebar an insulating piece of sellotape, painted over might be an option. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted August 29, 2023 Author Share Posted August 29, 2023 29 minutes ago, Darwinian said: Since metal wheels are often narrower in "tread" width than plastic, Unless you expect regular rubbing of wheel on solebar an insulating piece of sellotape, painted over might be an option. Thank you. I have had experience with shorting when propelling into my Setrack sidings with other brass coaches, especially Mallard Toplights, so I am planning to use plastic wheels from Bachmann GWR 9’ bogies which I have in stock. They will be used with metal wheels on coaches with plastic bodies. The amount of running each coach will do compared to the time it will be sat static in a siding means I am not too worried by the build-up of crud. Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted August 31, 2023 Share Posted August 31, 2023 Looks good. The overlap of the roof re the sides makes all the difference compared to the stick brass sides on a RTR coach. I was just wondering with the chassis clearance issues if an RTR chassis and roof with a brass body hybrid might be a better result as it would allow metal wheels. I like the noise of metal wheels on rail joints.... The paint colour is a big issue, Ready to spray rattle cans are disappearing but you can get big rattle cans of just about any colour from any age as long as you can identify it. Hornby Hawkesworth Ffestiniog Red ( and cream) are two colours I need as well as Airfix BR Carmine and cream to match my existing stock. Only problem for me is my lack of skill so I'm wondering about using the Comet sides as a template and to fill a gap in my fleet reconfiguring the windows on a full brake to make a Kitchen car, still leaves the paint issue to resolve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted August 31, 2023 Author Share Posted August 31, 2023 6 hours ago, DCB said: Looks good. The overlap of the roof re the sides makes all the difference compared to the stick brass sides on a RTR coach. I was just wondering with the chassis clearance issues if an RTR chassis and roof with a brass body hybrid might be a better result as it would allow metal wheels. I like the noise of metal wheels on rail joints.... The paint colour is a big issue, Ready to spray rattle cans are disappearing but you can get big rattle cans of just about any colour from any age as long as you can identify it. Hornby Hawkesworth Ffestiniog Red ( and cream) are two colours I need as well as Airfix BR Carmine and cream to match my existing stock. Only problem for me is my lack of skill so I'm wondering about using the Comet sides as a template and to fill a gap in my fleet reconfiguring the windows on a full brake to make a Kitchen car, still leaves the paint issue to resolve. I have used a lot of RTR chassis with brass bodies (from a number of sources). The LMS dining triplet in Darius’s thread for instance. The 65’ RFO is on two Hornby generic chassis cut and shut together. The 57’ RTO is on a Mainline LMS coach chassis. I have lots of GWR coaches on Hornby chassis too. Easy to remove detail and add new parts. For your kitchen car, I would recommend having a go using an old Mainline 50’ BG and the Comet sides, as per Darius’s thread. If you want more of a roof overhang, you could always widen the cantrail with microstrip. Paint colours… Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted August 31, 2023 Share Posted August 31, 2023 (edited) @ exet1095 I started by buying a fully assembled Kitchen car with Comet sides stuck to an RTR shell. It was OK but the excess width annoyed me, I cut away the upper body sides so the sides fitted under the roof nicely and the inward slope annoyed me. That's as far as I got so far.. EDIT I bough another, the excess width still annoys me, and its the wrong colour. Oh well.. Edited September 18, 2023 by DCB 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted August 31, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 31, 2023 Somewhere I have the late Geoff Brewin's (of Comet Models) notes on which Comet Sides and parts can go on the rather crude and basic Dapol LMS Coach Kit carcases. I think those Dapol Coaches or Kits are about £16 and the Comet sides from Wizard the same? Then you need parts (ends, Under Frame gubbins, and certainly better wheels) and that is approaching the cost of a complete Comet Kit in my reckoning. However for those that hate Soldering...! Happy to dig them out if anyone's interested. This effort looks pretty good to me. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted August 31, 2023 Share Posted August 31, 2023 3 hours ago, DCB said: @ exet1095 I started by buying a fully assembled Kitchen car with Comet sides stuck to an RTR shell. It was OK but the excess width annoyed me, I cut away the upper body sides so the sides fitted under the roof nicely and the inward slope annoyed me. That's as far as I got so far.. Take the sides out completely; glue some plastic strip to the floor edges; install the brass sides, gluing them to the ends and the plastic strip attached to the floor. Even better - before attaching the brass sides - glue some more plastic strip / solder some brass angle to the top of the sides to prevent them bowing in / out. Simples!! CJI. 1 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iak Posted August 31, 2023 Share Posted August 31, 2023 Embrace your "mistakes" as friends and teachers. It is through this you will improve incrementally as a modeller. We all begin; it is then how you wish to progress... 3 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted August 31, 2023 Author Share Posted August 31, 2023 6 hours ago, Mallard60022 said: Comet Dapol has stopped producing the kits for the time being. However, £6-10 will get you an older Airfix/GMR:Mainline version at most shows. Likewise, the Mainline 57’ coaches. If you’re lucky, someone has already installed metal wheels. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted August 31, 2023 Author Share Posted August 31, 2023 First ducket fitted and the main part of the interior cut, shut and roughly plonked into place to check the fit. A vestibule bulkhead also needs to be cut to shape and the whole unit will be mounted on a plastic card floor to bring the tabletops up to the base of the windows and to stop it sliding around should double-sided tape fail. 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted September 2, 2023 Author Share Posted September 2, 2023 (edited) Next one… Comet D1913 BTO. This one only has five seating bays, unlike the D1916 above. Extra supports soldered in before I dig out an MJT roof extrusion and get that ready to go. The other side.And another… A second D1904 TO, again with extra supports as the sides are very thin brass. Both these coaches will sit on Mainline 57’ LMS underframes. As the bufferbeams and buffers are fitted to the bodies of those coaches, I will have to add them to the chassis. Edited September 2, 2023 by exet1095 Typos! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted September 2, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 2, 2023 good to seeing you having a go. I found your comment on my old carriage thread from about three years ago. Although all of the pictures had fallen off I found the vestibule stock was still in my attachments so I restored them tonight 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted September 3, 2023 Author Share Posted September 3, 2023 The D1904 and D1913 both sitting on underframes (work still to be done fettling them) with roof sections cut to length. I found a couple of Comet ones in my kit drawer, so I will save the MJT ones for GWR coaches. Marking and drilling for ventilators still to be done, and then thin slices of Avery labels used to show the panel joints.The D1916 in the background, just balanced on some Mainline bogies, which is why it is too high, with its roof yet to be fitted. As the other two will have removable underframes, their roofs will be stuck with Evostick. This is a different construction method, so the roof will only be lightly stuck on with a few blobs of canopy glue. Thanks for looking, and as above, current Halfords rattle can suggestions for BR crimson (rather than VW Tornado Red) would be appreciated. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted September 3, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 3, 2023 3 hours ago, exet1095 said: and then thin slices of Avery labels used to show the panel joints. Comet do a tape which will simplify things. Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted September 3, 2023 Author Share Posted September 3, 2023 10 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Comet do a tape which will simplify things. Mike. Thanks, Mike. Cutting thin slivers of paper is within my modelling comfort zone, and is something that I will be allowed to do downstairs! Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted September 17, 2023 Author Share Posted September 17, 2023 Not an LMS vestibule coach, but a Sunday afternoon project. I acquired an original Replica Railways FO bodyshell, with moulded window frames: I had Replica flush glazing in stock, and a couple of old gangways. Add this to a Mainline SK underframe, taken from a coach I bought back in 1979, repainted badly, and then wrecked trying to flush-glaze in about 1988. A layout coach, finished today. When you are as time-poor as I am, a real result! (I will paint the old brown underframe and bogies black at some stage…) 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 The first bit of free time since September… The dining triplet coaches looked odd with very bright Replica Railways interiors so I painted them today, as well as cut interiors to shape for the next four coaches. It takes longer than one expects…Handles and grab rails still need to be added. And some tidying of the paint too… The wood colour was some old Humbrol 70 brown from the 1980s. Tamiya grey acrylic for the floor and seat and table sides. First class seats in a grey-blue (Humbrol 104) and third in Phoenix dull BR Maroon. First class tables covered with Avery labels and Tippex pen for the antimacassars. It is not quality modelling, but great fun. Paul 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 Using bits from old Mainline coaches leaves a lot of spare parts. This is a D1695 TK made from a composite with a chunk of break third side added in and the blank panel on the corridor side opened up. It is not perfect; the joins are not great and the positioning of the lavatory windows is out as neither donor coach has them in the same place as each other, or the TK, but again, it is fun. Wish I had carved the ventilators off and drilled new holes before cutting the body! Paul 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted January 1 Author Share Posted January 1 This part of Oxfordshire is almost as damp today as the corner of Lincolnshire described in chapter 2 of ‘Bleak House’, so a family walk was deemed unviable. This being so, I sloped off to the railway room to crack on with my LMS vestibule threesome… Roofs marked and drilled, and ventilators fitted (a mix of Dapol, 247 and Comet). Garden wire grab handles at the ends and vents fitted above the doors. Roof tape added (there’s a tricky job…) and then the two Comet roofs were glued with Evostick. Corridor connections from Hornby (for the brake ends) and some Roxey ones from a rummage box at a show some time ago to finish off the shells. Now to let it all go off, then clean it up and get the etch primer on later in the week. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted January 3 Author Share Posted January 3 Despite the worst rain that I can remember, I did go for a solid 14.5 mile tab with an old friend yesterday. This morning, during breaks in the ironing, I primed the trio with Halford’s etch primer. When that has gone off, I will give it a couple of coats of white primer before adding the cream and crimson layers. That will probably be next week now. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 It took until yesterday to find the time to finish the priming and paint the cream. Cream now masked off in advance of the crimson coat. It will be Halfords Tornado Red unless someone can advise a better colour before the morning. It has got too dark and cold to spray in the shed now. Hoping the Tamiya masking tape will be ok overnight… Paul 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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