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MTK Class 404 4-GRI


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6 hours ago, Darius43 said:

Just checked the other MTK 4-COR (actually a 4-BUF) kit that I have and the Buffet coach body is 3mm longer than the others in that one.

 

I have looked a bit more into the logistics of cutting and shutting the brass body of the Buffet/Griddle car and the resultant weakening of the body.  Getting two clean and parallel cuts and a decent strength connection of the subsequent “halves” is too great a risk to take.  
 

The coach will be longer than the others and only I and anyone else reading this thread will be the wiser…

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

That's the conclusion I'd have come to - plastic, yes......fairly thick brass, no. 

 

Out of interest, does the kit come with 4 aluminium floor sections of equal length?! Not a problem when you're building your own underframes anyway (which you make look so easy, by the way!)

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5 minutes ago, Halvarras said:

 

Out of interest, does the kit come with 4 aluminium floor sections of equal length?! Not a problem when you're building your own underframes anyway (which you make look so easy, by the way!)


Yes it did - the ones with the folded up edges.  I find making my own from plasticard easier and more user-friendly.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

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8 minutes ago, Darius43 said:


Yes it did - the ones with the folded up edges.  I find making my own from plasticard easier and more user-friendly.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

Also I notice that the Plastruct angle section forms the bottom of the solebar channel which the lower edge of the body then sits on, allowing a secure fit for the underframe end-to-end as well as a neat appearance - something the supplied simple flat U-section aluminium floor can't provide. The important thing is to get the bodyshell perfectly square, i.e. no twist - I know from experience that this is easier said than done with MTK kits! The centre car of my 1975-built Class 119 wasn't great and the Thompson BG I built a few years later had a noticeable gap above one bogie so to try to disguise it I glued in a strip of metal behind the 'solebar' to deepen it a bit. Those had alu bodies, the only brass shell I ever tackled was a Hawksworth SK (had to have one in blue/grey livery!) - that was some years later and the previous efforts' learning curve paid off........

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This is looking fantastic, as with all of your MTK builds. I seem to recall in the past, someone suggesting that, rather than being kits, they were more of an aid to scratchbuilding.

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Hi,

 

I must admit that, like many others, I'm really impressed by the standard of your work with these kits, and their speed of construction.  Are you some sort of sorceror who can manipulate time so that you can build these and still get on with normal life?😄

 

Roja

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1 hour ago, 37Oban said:

Hi,

 

I must admit that, like many others, I'm really impressed by the standard of your work with these kits, and their speed of construction.  Are you some sort of sorceror who can manipulate time so that you can build these and still get on with normal life?😄

 

Roja


More the sorcerer’s apprentice.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

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Driving by Motor Coach (DMBTO) construction commenced.

 

I decided to use the MTK white metal cab ends but removed the softly moulded jumper cables etc. and cleaned up the surface.

 

IMG_1874.jpeg.143a726c1f5307d06f358968c9607537.jpeg

 

I will add jumper sockets etc. using plasticard, brass wire and electrical wires.

 

The MTK white metal driver’s doors were glued in place and secured whilst the glue set.

 

IMG_1875.jpeg.6e41290ba92938e3969b2f2855b433dc.jpeg

 

Once the doors were fixed the cab front was glued in place.

 

IMG_1876.jpeg.2c371188cadef22b9a30de9e0d8700cc.jpeg

 

IMG_1877.jpeg.0be6bc67fcdd51cec536ee73a3ebc7d0.jpeg

 

The rear end brass part was scored and bent to the required profile, soldered in place and the joints filed and sanded flush.

 

IMG_1878.jpeg.c4b7ae35cf21fa4f71b4dcfd53de8ab2.jpeg

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

Edited by Darius43
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1 hour ago, pete_mcfarlane said:

The droplights look a bit odd - the tops are far too curved (I have a vague memory of differences between batches, but none of them looked like that)


Simple fix with a needle file.

 

IMG_1884.jpeg.83bcfce0ddaf7462e52f5c0c34b5619a.jpeg

 

IMG_1885.jpeg.d25f194f5b84c80ac0db9887ed2f9ca7.jpeg

 

IMG_1886.jpeg.b11cea500d64858a1d97760dcc9bc59e.jpeg

 

Cheers

 

Darius

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Question:  were these units ever finished in BR green with a small yellow panel?

 

I can’t find any in-service photos of them in this livery - just a preserved unit (possibly an H&S requirement) and in model form.  
 

Cheers

 

Darius

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All the Blood and Custard site says is:

"In terms of yellow warning panels on Southern Region multiple unit stock, these commenced at Lancing on 9th October 1963 (2 BIL unit no.2128) thence at Eastleigh on 1st November 1963 (4 LAV unit no.2929). Full-yellow ends started appearing from Eastleigh during February 1967 although some units in for varnish or repair still only acquired yellow warning panels. Eastleigh started applying Blue-livery in July 1967 (4 CIG unit no.7035) with Selhurst following on 12th December 1968 (2 HAP unit no.6009)."

 

https://www.bloodandcustard.com/SR-4COR.html

 

Edit: there is then a list of unit numbers and dates on the second table below that statement.

Edited by Flood
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Thanks Flood - I have been referring to that website.  It looks like the units went from all green to green with full yellow ends.

 

I’ll have a look a my Southern EMU books to see if I can find anything.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

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13 minutes ago, Darius43 said:

Thanks Flood - I have been referring to that website.  It looks like the units went from all green to green with full yellow ends.

 

I’ll have a look a my Southern EMU books to see if I can find anything.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Not what I read on Flood's link. 3086 got a panel 23/9/66, and 3088 17.1.67.

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