Revenge of the son of GWR articulated suburban stock

[rovex]

Inspired once again by Hornbys lack of any new GWR suburban stock, I've decided to resurrect on old thread. A while ago I started building some GWR 6 coach articulated suburban stock. The original plan was to use Airfix B set coaches very much chopped and shunted. All six bodies were built before I moved house and they went into a box with everything else railway related.

 

I was never very happy with the coach bodies as built, getting the sides right had involved too many cuts and was going to involve an awful lot of sanding and filling to try and hide the joins. Also each coach was working out at different lengths and only one of them was the correct scale length.

 

So I have abandoned the original attempt and "Son of" was born. This time I've started with the Hornby 57ft coaches. I bought a box of unused body shells a couple of years ago and these would be my starting point. The sides are seperated from the roofs by cutting along just under the gutter on each roof. The corridor sides have been discarded as only the compartment sides will be needed.

 

The six car stock was made up of two three car sets. Each three car set comprised a brake third, an all third and a composite. So far I have put together the sides for both all thirds (only one join) and the two composites (only two joins). One all third has been reattached to the roof (all one piece this time so no joins to hide but lots of detail to cut and sand off).

 

Unlike the last attempt both sets of sides are the same lenght and only about 2mm too long.

 

Hopefully filling and sanding will hide the joins. - photos will follow soon.

 

Now a plea for help I currently have two problems.

 

1 bogies the inside bogies were GWR heavy pattern 8ft 6 inch bogies - the only source I currently know for these is Pheonix coaches (and we all know how good they are at responding to customers - see "eyes passim" as it were). Does anyone know of a supplier for these?

 

2 coach ends - I have the photos and drawings from Russell's books, but little else. I know the brake ends had steps andgrab rails, but have no idea what else was on the coach ends. I'm assuming one end on each coach would have been plain except for perhaps the usual connectors, while one end would have had the pipework for the emergency stop system. I can't think there was much else as the gaps between the articulated coaches was small. Anyone have any idea/photos/drawing suggesting what else might have been on the ends

[rovex]

photos as promised

 

this is an overview showing the kit of parts (anyone got any ideas what to do with a lot of redundant corridor sides

 

 

here a third coach (roof to be trimmed) and the corridor third sides.

 

 

and here the composite sides, hopefully showing the cuts

 

[rovex]

Last two photos of the day, surgery on the all third and composite coaches now complete, filling and sanding to start.

 

 

I have ordered some brake coaches from Ebay, so once they arrive I can start on the two brake coaches.

 

Then the undrframes and bogies.

 

 

[gwrrob]

 

. bogies the inside bogies were GWR heavy pattern 8ft 6 inch bogies - the only source I currently know for these is Pheonix coaches (and we all know how good they are at responding to customers - see "eyes passim" as it were). Does anyone know of a supplier for these?

 

 

 

 

247 Developments product number C476. £6.50 a pair.

 

http://www.247developments.co.uk/coach_detailing.html#uf%20access

 

 

 

[rovex]

 

. bogies the inside bogies were GWR heavy pattern 8ft 6 inch bogies - the only source I currently know for these is Pheonix coaches (and we all know how good they are at responding to customers - see "eyes passim" as it were). Does anyone know of a supplier for these?

 

 

 

 

247 Developments product number C476. £6.50 a pair.

 

http://www.247developments.co.uk/coach_detailing.html#uf%20access

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks GWRrob. I shall be making contact in the New Year.