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4 SUB Unit 4377, Bulleid 2 HAP upgrade - plus all matters third rail.


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Hi Colin,

 

My trailer makes some progress - not wishing to clutter your thread I sent you a PM which you might have missed - but here is the relevant pic:-

 

attachicon.giftrailer sides1.jpg

 

Door bumps still need repositioning... The side / roof joint did not come out too bad and is better now I have filled and rubbed it.  

 

Still agonising whether to finish it or do a "proper one" incorporating your roof!

 

Best wishes,

 

Howard.

Hi Howard,

 

I have seen the picture in our PMs, but it certainly is worth posting it for all to see your Augmentation trailer - the progenitor of my 4 SUB!. It is hard to gauge as the coach is all white, but the roof-to-side join looks good. The body side also has a nice curve. How much laminating did you do on your sides?

 

Also, have you got any further with your door hinge idea - and for that matter, the commode handle design?

 

All the best,

 

Colin

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Hello Colin,

 

Well, thanks for prompting me to post!

 

As it happens,  I have done a bit on both the commode handles and the hinges.  I am hoping to get something off to the etchers early next week.  

 

Best wishes,

 

Howard.

 

To everyone else reading but not Colin:- I am also doing some correct width end-steps.

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Another update on Subington:

 

More parts have arrived from the professional model making team behind this project, in particular, the very talented master model maker Gloss Braintree. (I only do the painting - ha, ha!)

 

 

The driver's door grab handles were not, as I had assumed for an SR ordered SUB, of the 'knobs and tube' variety. Rather, they were flat in section and bolted (?) to round supports. After a few false starts trying to drill thin brass strip, its seemed that pre-drilling brass sheet and scoring it heavily then bending it until it broke away was the only option.

 

The first photo shows basically how it was done, with the two strips nearest to the edge having been drilled with a no.79 drill which gives enough clearance for 0.31mm brass wire to pass through -just! The pliers were then used to gently bend the strip back and forth until it broke away from the sheet.

 

post-8139-0-41509500-1384533453_thumb.jpg

 

The wire was soldered in from behind and pushed through to be just proud of the surface if the strip, leaving a representation of the bolt head on the front face of the handle. (Repeat eight times - gulp!)

 

It ended up being not half as horrible to do as I had expected and at least the grab handles are similar in size and shape to the prototype.

 

post-8139-0-96868700-1384533479_thumb.jpg

 

The handles are shown just pushed into position for a trial-fit. They will be removed before they drop to the floor, never to be seen again. (Still not smoothed down that strip of 5 thou. 'plating' to the left.)

 

Colin

post-8139-0-59161100-1384533493_thumb.jpg

Edited by Colin parks
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Hello Colin,

 

Well, thanks for prompting me to post!

 

As it happens,  I have done a bit on both the commode handles and the hinges.  I am hoping to get something off to the etchers early next week.  

 

Best wishes,

 

Howard.

 

To everyone else reading but not Colin:- I am also doing some correct width end-steps.

Hi Howard,

 

I wish I hadn't read that last bit! I could still change mine for some a little wider....

 

Colin

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Another update on Subington:

 

More parts have arrived from the professional model making team behind this project, in particular, the very talented master model maker Gloss Braintree. (I only do the painting - ha, ha!)

 

 

The driver's door grab handles were not, as I had assumed for an SR ordered SUB, of the 'knobs and tube' variety. Rather, they were flat in section and bolted (?) to round supports. After a few false starts trying to drill thin brass strip, its seemed that pre-drilling brass sheet and scoring it heavily then bending it until it broke away was the only option.

 

The first photo shows basically how it was done, with the two strips nearest to the edge having been drilled with a no.79 drill which gives enough clearance for 0.31mm brass wire to pass through -just! The pliers were then used to gently bend the strip back and forth until it broke away from the sheet.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_7193.JPG

 

The wire was soldered in from behind and pushed throughto be just proud of the surface if the strip, leaving a representation of the bolt head on the front face of the handle. (Repeat eight times - gulp!)

 

It ended up being not half as horrible to do as I had expected and at lest the grab handles are similar in size and shape to the prototype.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_7195.JPG

 

The handles are shown just pushed into position for a trial-fit. They will be removed before they drop to the floor, never to be seen again. (Still not smoothed down that strip of 5 thou. 'plating' to the left.)

 

Colin

 

By any standards, Colin, be'em metal or plastic scratch-builds,... that is neat craftsmanship....Damn Neat...

To quote Boris, on another thread,.......Awesome 

 

Many thanks.

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 The body side also has a nice curve. How much laminating did you do on your sides?

 

 

Pretty much followed your recipe as regards laminations - seems to have worked quite well.  No point in re-inventing wheels!

 

Best wishes,

Edited by HAB
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There has been very little time for modelling since last week, but the TSO has been knocked together.

 

post-8139-0-67488300-1385081392_thumb.jpg

 

The roof to side joints have been smoothed, but not yet had any filling. Also, the roof ends are not trimmed back yet and the chassis is bowed downwards at each end (the clips on each end will rectify this). Nevertheless, it is beginning to look more like a coach!

 

Colin

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There has been very little time for modelling since last week, but the TSO has been knocked together.

Colin, you have shocked me, I could never associate you with the term "knocked together". Carefully and accurately assembled, yes but never knocked together!

What is the world coming to?

Seriously, you have a great deal more patience than I could ever wish for. Carry on knocking, please.

John. 

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There has been very little time for modelling since last week, but the TSO has been knocked together.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_7202.JPG

 

The roof to side joints have been smoothed, but not yet had any filling. Also, the roof ends are not trimmed back yet and the chassis is bowed downwards at each end (the clips on each end will rectify this). Nevertheless, it is beginning to look more like a coach!

 

Colin

Hi Colin

 

Like John, I too was shocked by you saying Knocked Together....I wish I could model like you.

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Oops! With many thanks to John, SS and Clive for their kind observations.

 

What was really meant by the phrase 'knocked together' was that after months of working on the various parts of the body (with the roof being made along with those of the 4 COR back in February), the assembly of the sides to roof took only a few minutes.

 

However, a further hour has been spent on refining the joints. This first photo just about shows how each part of the roof to side joint (excluding the door tops) was smeared with super glue as a fine surface filler.

 

post-8139-0-97849300-1385146054_thumb.jpg

 

After some hours, the superglue was carefully filed and sanded (no 'knocking together' advisable at this stage!) It is hard to photograph the resultant body work finish. The greyish line is the colour of the superglue. Not only is it an excellent filler, but it bonds very strongly with styrene, so the roof joints are now quite robust.

 

post-8139-0-49052600-1385146031_thumb.jpg

 

post-8139-0-81903500-1385146067_thumb.jpg

 

In evidence in the last shot is one of the now sanded-down mending plates. They do add a bit of character for little effort (which I can't say for much else of this build). The over-size gaps above the doors can now have their delicate water strips added.

 

Colin

Edited by Colin parks
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A couple more photos of the TSO, this time with ends.

 

The plan to have the end capping 'L' angle attached to the ends did not work as it was impossible to get all the variables of assembling sides. roof and ends and get the ends just right. The only thing to do was to file the ends flush with the sides and roof. The strip is now added, having been re-made from 5 thou. strip (good old Ian Fisher!).

 

post-8139-0-38799700-1385158673_thumb.jpg

 

post-8139-0-80735100-1385158702_thumb.jpg

 

The ends overhang the headstocks by 0.25mm or ten thou. in old money. This design feature of the SUBs nearly caught me out, as I had originally assumed that they were flush. Photos show otherwise, with the trailer bodies being some 1.5 ins. (over the end panels, not the corrugations) longer than the chassis.

 

Colin

Edited by Colin parks
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It was the 3 link coupling that shocked me when l saw an EPB unit in the flesh all those years ago!

 

Andy g

 

Hi Andy,

 

Just in case anyone "not in the know" misunderstands you, it was not really a 3-link coupling because, although it did have 3 links, it was semi-permanent in that both of the end links went into solid forged eyes with threaded tail rods - in other words, splitting a set required the split pins taking out then the use of two very hefty spanners. By contrast, a true three-link only needs a shunter with a pole running alongside!  Once the coupling was fitted, the centre buffer was under a fair degree of pre-compression. This ensured that there was a minimum of surging when units went from being under power to braking - which was always a bit of an issue with buckeye fitted units - CEPs CIGs - even though they fitted with Pullman gangways or centre buffing plates.  As a consequence of this, all the Mk 2 EMUs (class 313, 508 etc) were fitted with Freightliner bar couplings - ie designed for wagons - thus bringing us full circle!

 

Edit - worth mentioning that the reason for a centre buffer is that if you fit a buffer on each corner, you can't pre-compress them otherwise the thing won't go round bends - as most modellers not using toy-train type couplers will have experienced!

 

Best wishes,

Edited by HAB
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I think Howard has dealt comprehensively with couplings on the prototype in the above post.

 

The model is also designed to have some pre-compression of the buffers: The pictured buffer is over-length when not coupled (on the TSO there is a buffer at each end, one on the TC and none on the two MBS). The wire that links the bogies draws the vehicles to near-scale distance apart. This improves the running of the whole unit no end as there is no slop between the coaches.

 

All the EMUs I have built have functional centre buffers and the 4 SUB even has sprung side buffers, although I doubt I'll be coupling the unit to anything else in reality.

 

Colin

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With the TC (psuedo-composite) on its chassis. Coupled with the TSO, it's beginning to look like an EMU:

 

post-8139-0-24095000-1385336717_thumb.jpg

 

The gap between the two vehicles needs to be reduced to 8mm - the minimum clearance for the point work on the present layout. This shot also shows the buffer in contact with the adjacent buffing plate. (The end capping strips on the bodies are yet to be sanded down.) A lot of checking and referral to photos was done to get the orientation of the TC the right way around. The two third/second class compartments go towards the middle of the unit. There are subtle differences in the roof conduit on these two trailer coaches when compared to the motor coaches.: The roofs handed too, with a pair of conduits running to the nearside of the ventilators when viewed from this side.

 

post-8139-0-39934300-1385336806_thumb.jpg

 

A view of the inner face of a motor coach side, now complete with lugs to locate the partitions which will slot into place with no glue involved to hold them. The pseudo-composite in the background is fitted with lugs too.

 

post-8139-0-75845400-1385337076_thumb.jpg

 

 

Colin

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Now that's more like it!

 

 

 

post-8139-0-37385500-1385502378_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

The motor coaches are up on their chassis and I am relieved to see that the vehicles line up nicely.

 

There was a small setback today when my wife thought she would move the entire unit by gripping the motor coaches at each end and carrying them to goodness knows where. Well the construction methods proved durable as the two trailer coaches hit the floor from a height of about three feet. The resultant damage was one dislodged centre buffer, a cracked headstock a broken bogies step and an inner end that parted slightly from the sides.

 

Note to self: must clear the desk after every modelling session.

 

Colin

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