Building two Comet Triplets

[Mallard60022]

I actually glued the roof on yesterday and left it to 'set' overnight

 

 

I shall have to paint the droplight top as the white card is visible.

I also have to check if the roof ends should be black. The Comet roof (plastic and probably the old Kirk moulding?) looks very thick at the ends. I might well use a 51L one in future if I build a Gresley main line coach; those are grey and not white plastic. However I found that one I had/have was a couple of mm short when offered up to a Comet kit. 

 

What I have learned from this little job is that the Halfords paint is easily marked. I will be using an etch primer*, primer, top coat and some sort of varnish (*if suitable) in future. Seems like a big faff to me.

The First and Third are in the paint shops, but have not had the above 'revised' paint treatment, so fingers crossed (not during spraying............ )

Phil

[ozzyo]

If you use an etch primer you don't need to use another primer.

 

OzzyO.

[Mallard60022]

Thanks Ozzy. Didn't realize that. Saves me messing up more stuff. Very much appreciated.

Only further news is that yesterday I popped the 4 door grabs on the First and Third (soldered...MJT etches...nice but don't need 0.45 holes.....) and then primed and top coated the sides. Remember that these coaches only had opening doors at the 'outer ends'.

I'm also not that happy with the roof colour and finish for these two. However, they will be weathered or repainted by G.

A complete c**k up when painting my other project coach (Gresley Cafeteria conversion) has put me off any more painting for the time being. Pah!

Phil

[Mallard60022]

This afternoon I decided I'd done enough on these, apart from the glazing for the 1st and 3rd and gluing on the roof sections.

I shall persuade G to build the interiors as he is very good at that sort of thing and knows what they should look like.

He can also weather the roof on each coach and deal with the gangways etc. Not sure what he wants for couplings. He/we need to look at which train this set runs in and what couplings will work best.

Having put them together on the track I think they look the part, however SWMBO pointed out that the outer coaches look  lower at the outer ends; she is correct.

So, I need to look at the height issue, either where the artic bogies or the outer bogies are fitted. I'll offer up the outer ends to a RTR coach to get a 'level'.

Depending on this I will then be working out how to keep the three nicely level by lowering at the artics 'coupling' or raising the outer bogies with shims of plasticard on the underframe floors.  I've already decided to have a go at the artic 'coupling' areas as IMO the Kitchen car rides too high.

Apologies for the light quality as the workshop (conservatory) is gloomy.

 

 

Any advice gratefully received.

 

Quackers.

[davidw]

Looks brilliant to me Phil. I'm looking forward to building mine.

[Mallard60022]

Thanks mate; made my day that! You will be pleased to hear I've cured the ride height issue. It was my original idea of using a nut on the topside of the bogie frame (bolt through from underneath) that was not 'design clever' after all. The nut was too thick, so I glued the bolt in place on the bogie and used a thin washer on the top bogie surface instead of a nut! The coupling links now sit on top of that (photo if required)

Really pleased to hear you are doing one of these. I'm sad I can't find an excuse to run a set through Seaton Junctionish.

I'll be happy to let you borrow the Isinglass Drawings if you like? Also happy to advise on any points if required. However I found this to be a very straightforward build with no unexpected 'challenges'. Most of Comet's coaches are, as this one, really good builds, with only one or two throwing up slightly difficult 'fitting' of parts. Nothing that can not be fettled into place though.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I still have to hand paint the ends (Humbrol 33 Matt Black). I also do hope that G can sort out the lining, KC decals and numbering. 

There is the little issue also of the alarm gear fitting. Not sure about that yet.

Phil

[ozzyo]

Hello Phil,

 

you may find this link of some use.  http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Arc-Rite-Welding-Ltd/Primers-/_i.html?LH_SellerWithStore=1&LH_TitleDesc=1&_fsub=5417355014&_sasi=1&_sid=1192170174&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

 

OzzyO.

[Mallard60022]

Ummmmm, quite a few colours there Ozzy. Have you used these?

Phil

[Mallard60022]

Ref the pic in post #151. See the bolts on the bogies? Well when I fitted the gangways on the coach ends the bolts 'fouled' the bottom of gangway fittings and that is why the First and Third were not level. Out with the mighty bolt cutters and snippyity snip cured the problem. 

Thus the original nut fitting would probably have been OK but that's too late now and on Thursday I shall see what it looks like on PN.

I painted the ends today as well. I do like my chisel end brush: ProArte3/8"ProlengthPlus 008. Beautiful bit of kit with a lovely 'sharp', paint retaining edge. 

I'll see if Gilbert will take a pic of the set on Thursday.

P

[Mallard60022]

Gilbert has the Triplet and they look OK on his layout. One or two tweaks to the artic bogies still required. I think a gauge needs to be applied to the wheel sets. Also tyhe close coupling needs opening up a tad as the KC to coach coupling distance is very short.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to say that I have received some beautiful 2MMFS hand-rail knobs + wire to fabricate Alarm Gear for the First/Third.

Courtesy of N Brass Locomotives of Rowley Regis. Excellent little firm with superb service; well worth a look OO chaps and chapesses as they have some neat OO stuff too! ( I bought a Plate Layers' Trolley, wood; lovely little kit.)

P

[davidw]

I'd like to see how you get on with the alarm gear.

[Mallard60022]

Me too!

P

[Graeme Leary]

I have just come across this (oldish) series of postings and as I am about to embark on buying a Comet 'sides only' kit  for the LNER it is of much interest.

A couple of queries somebody may be able to help with.  Does anybody know if the 'sides only' kit is made to be fitted to a RTR (in my case a couple of spare Hornby teak coaches) underframe and wheels off a RTR coach and then the RTR roofs fitted on to the kit sides?  (Obviously as a different length for the 3 'units' than the Hornby Gresley RTR coaches they would need to be cut down to scale,  and I am referring to Jenkinsen and Campling's 'Historic Carriage Drawings in 4mm Scale' as being the exact finished size needed.   I have already, as an experiment cut down a RTR composite coach to the length of the Kitchen car - as in Historic Carriage Drawings book - and (other than a totally different profile of the windows - on one side - and the compartment doors on the other) the finished result and my experimentation with articulation looks quite good.   However not good enough to run, hence the decision to buy the 'sides only' kit  providing I've interpreted correctly the other points raised).

Graeme

New Zealand 

[gr.king]

I don't imagine for one minute that the Comet sides are "designed" to fit the remnants of a Hornby coach so I wouldn't expect it to be a job that simply "falls together", but how hard can it be to make them fit?

[jwealleans]

Personally I'd have thought it was easier just to make the rest of it yourself, but that's just me. If you use the bogies from an RTR carriage they'll be wrong (should be heavy duty), much of the underframe gear won't be right - time better spent making your own floor and roof and using the better components from MJT or Comet.