More Swindon And Derby DMUs

[Clive Mortimore]

Here's the same again, but this time in green, Class 116 to the left, Class 125 to the right. I mixed up two different shades of green, medium for the 116 which will be lined, and a much darker shade for the Lea Valley unit, which many seemed to carry in photos. Perhaps Stratford were using the same shade as for electric units?

 

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Progress on the Class 120, BR grey side panels added, roof grey added to nearest vehicle (the other two have been done since this photo). Next job is to draw on the white lining, yellow stripe for the DMBC and add transfers, followed by varnish.  BK

 

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Hi Brian

 

As far as I can tell the ER AC units were a lighter green. The 125s do look like they are in a darker than normal unit green.

[Brian Kirby]

These pics might be of interest, especially for anyone trying to build one of these DC Kits Class 120 kits. Assembling the bodies is straightforward enough, however there are some serious mistakes in the arrangement of the sides of both the Swindon 120 and Gloucester 119 kits. We should be grateful that Charlie Petty invested the money to produce these, but oh dear, the main windows are too deep, the spacing is not quite right at the buffet end of the centre car, and the door windows are just all over the place! I believe some side sections are common to the DC Class 114 kit, for which the window size is more accurate, although all these classes are similar in certain respects. This first pic shows my part-painted Class 120, where I have made the main windows more shallow and corrected the doors, compared with another unmodified kit. I left the end of the buffet car as it came, you'd only spot the spacing fault by comparing with prototype photos, one cure could have been to shorten the body by about 2mm?

 

 

Another oddity is with the three floors included, all three come with the cavity to accept a Tenshedo tram motor bogie, unless this is a packing mistake? 

 

 

Fortunately, I have spare trailer floors from older kits, which I have substituted here below, but these will require beefing up, to represent the deeper Swindon solebars. I don't like the tram bogie approach, or those Replica twin-drive jobs, where all the passengers end up with their legs chopped off. I much prefer the good old Hornby Ringfield motor bogies (of all ages), they are tough and reliable, especially if you get rid of the rubber tyres and add extra pick-ups. Here you can see i've started opening up the DMBC floor to except the Hornby power bogie. The replacement trailer floors are of dual-purpose optional length, so you can cut it back to 57ft length if required (not here), hence the other bogie pivot is added separately.

 

 

The next problem is the bogies supplied in the kit, they are decent enough, but are designed for HO 24.5mm axles, so I have rebuilt a pair to accept British standard 26mm axles (here using Bachmann 36-034 and brass bearings). I could have subsituted Hornby DMU bogies, like on my Class 126 vehicles, but they need a lot of modification, not forgetting the Swindon-style spring plank, so it seemed a shame to not use those supplied. To sum up this Class 120 kit, i'd say nice cab and roof, shame about the rest of it!

                                                                      Cheers, Brian. 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

IMHO, you can't beat these for bug units;

 

http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/

 

Mike.

[leopardml2341]

IMHO, you can't beat these for bug units;

 

http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/

 

Mike.

Mike, That link goes to a GWR 94xx, but I get your sentiment

 

Not sure how you get a link direct to the LoRider page, assuming that's what you intended?

Edited April 25, 2017 by leopardml2341

[MJI]

Mike, That link goes to a GWR 94xx, but I get your sentiment

 

Not sure how you get a link direct to the LoRider page, assuming that's what you intended?

 

I got sneaky, I looked at the button before

 

http://173.254.28.51/~highlev3/chris/Pages/loriderpage.html

[Enterprisingwestern]

Mike, That link goes to a GWR 94xx, but I get your sentiment

 

Not sure how you get a link direct to the LoRider page, assuming that's what you intended?

 

 

I got sneaky, I looked at the button before

 

http://173.254.28.51/~highlev3/chris/Pages/loriderpage.html

 

Yes, that's the one I thought I linked to.

Probably PICNIC again!

 

Mike.

[leopardml2341]

Yes, that's the one I thought I linked to.

Probably PICNIC again!

 

Mike.

If it is it's picnic time here too!

 

Maybe because I'm using a tablet it's why I can't see the source code for the page?

[Brian Kirby]

Talk about putting "the cart before the horse", I raced ahead and painted the bodies, but I hadn't yet finished the three chassis. On the floor mouldings, the steps are modelled as a continuous length from end to end (see above), the idea being to remove the sections you don't need. Care has to be taken not to cut too much off, but this way they don't have to be stuck on separately, and of course, can't fall off, but be warned, there's a lot of cutting and/or filing. The bogie frames have quite large pivot apertures, which I matched to 6BA screw diameter, so I drilled and tapped the floors for 6BA thread. Where possible, I like to mount pivot screws pointing down, using the nuts to hold the bogies on, one advantage is that if the nuts shake off whilst running, the bolts/screws will remain in place, and keep the bogies on, with no derailment. You just lose your nuts (if you'll pardon the expression). Buffer beams have also now been glued on.   BK

 

[Brian Kirby]

I've been busy lining out, numbering and varnishing my DMUs, here are the three Derby Class 116 units, lots of livery variations in this class, various shades of green, some lined, some not. They all started life on the Western Region, but after service reductions in the 1960s and 70s, many were sent to other regions. My unlined green one here is a first batch build with four marker lights, numbered as one of ten originally sent to the South Wales Eastern and Western Valleys, working out of Newport, with no first-class accommodation, and painted in the second version of green. For variety, I gave it different colour ends, the yellow panel would be for post-1963. 

    My second-batch lined green example here is the more common version with a trailer composite (i've already made one of these in the unlined original shade of m.u.green), some kept their white domes, some didn't.

    My blue example has escaped to North-East London and works on the GN in the 1970s, still ungangwayed, WR units were gangwayed by the blue livery period (we'll do one or two of those next).

 

 

Next come my two Lea Valley sets, again as running on the GN in the late 60s to mid-70s. The Class 125s seem to have been fairly unloved, many were in a tatty condition in the 70s, i've given the blue one a flat weathered finish, in contrast to the blue 116 above, which will live on to old age (and finally get gangways). Destination blinds read King's Cross, Hitchin, Broad Street and Welwyn Garden City.

 

 

Lastly the Class 120, I resisted the temptation to letter the centre car as 'Buffet', only about half-a-dozen sets kept these in the 1970s, to be un-branded is more typical. I wanted Bristol and Cardiff destinations, but had run out of the latter, so substituted 'Gloucester' instead (for now!). It's time for windows next.  BK

 

[Brian Kirby]

Hi Everyone,

   With body painting completed, i've been busy fitting out my various Class 116 Derby 3-car units. You cpuld argue that this is modified ready-to-run (from Lima 117s), but I reckon the rebuilding work, especially on the centre cars, qualifies as scratchbuilding, and besides I don't really want two parallel threads. All 116s started life on the Western Region, and partly to do with regional boundary changes, and partly due to WR service reductions, many were later re-allocated to Eastern, Midland and Scottish depots, these retained their non-corridor status until the late 1970s/early 80s, whereas those that remained on WR, had been fitted with gangways by the early 1970s. Here are some rail blue cars, as running on the Great Northern out of King's Cross, and from Cricklewood on the LMR.

                                                                                Cheers, Brian.

 

[Brian Kirby]

Here are some more side-on pics.  BK

 

[terry.ecmr]

Love these DMU's. Brilliant work.

[Legend]

Yes just been catching up on this thread. Great stuff , I particularly like the 126 units as I have fond memories riding in the corridor compartments from Paisley to Glasgow for all of 10 minutes , pretending I was in a long distance train. Love these units. Lots of character. Sorry if I missed it Brian, but what do you need all these units for, should be a fantastic layout with all these on?

[MJI]

I like to see DMU conversions, but I have found EE Laserglaze is much nicer than the vac form stuff

[leopardml2341]

I like to see DMU conversions, but I have found EE Laserglaze is much nicer than the vac form stuff

Agreed, but considerably more expensive

[Brian Kirby]

Thanks Chaps,

      Here's a second batch (1958) 116 in weathered original green, which was basically the same shade used on EMUs in the 1950s, it deteriorated to a powdery pastel green. Not all early units were repainted until the late 60s, this unit has whiskers one end, yellow panel at the other, to reflect two periods. The green inside ends might be a mistake(?), on darker green units the side colour wrapped around the corners, as far as the vertical handrail, with black beyond. When they started lining out some units in the later shades, the colour and lining stopped on the corners, with all-black ends. It's difficult to find clear pics showing between cars, within a unit. All unpowered cars have been lowered on their bogies, but I still have to lower the DMBS vehicles, and re-engineer the motor bogies.   BK

 

[Leander]

Agreed, but considerably more expensive

You can take the man out of Yorkshire...

[leopardml2341]

You can take the man out of Yorkshire...

 

Ha bl@@dy Ha!

 

Not all on here have as much disposable income as others

[John Tomlinson]

Ha bl@@dy Ha!

 

Not all on here have as much disposable income as others

 

Looking at the pictures in #184 above, there's a cool £500-£600 in terms of anticipated Bachmann RTR prices.

 

In any case, irrespective of money, I'd favour Brian's bespoke handcrafted models any day!

 

John.

[leopardml2341]

Post deleted, must learn to read!

Edited July 22, 2017 by leopardml2341

[Miss Prism]

Nice colour, Brian.

[MJI]

Agreed, but considerably more expensive

 

£24 for my first 116, but then it still is less than £100 for the whole set including 4 Lima DMU cars, the resin DMS panels, paint, transfers, roof vents, handrails and I made it!

Edited July 22, 2017 by MJI

[Brian Kirby]

Thanks again chaps,

     Here's another Class 116, this time in their second livery, with a darker green (Mid-Brunswick Green, which was near enough loco green, like used on early Derby Lightweights). This is a 1957 first-batch unit, that must have been repainted, since it was probably in the lighter shade when built? The centre car is not the usual composite, but one of ten units with an all-second trailer, although the bodyshells are the same for both. These were used initially on the Eastern and Western Valleys in South Wales, from Newport to Pontypool and Blaenavon, and Newport to Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr respectively. These services were discontinued in 1962, and the units were re-allocated to the Cardiff Valleys fleet.

     Close-up digital photos are so merciless, i've just spotted two mistakes on the side shown here of W50129, how did they get overlooked(?), all my others seem correct in this respect, can you spot the cock-up?

 

 

This pic shows my interpretation of first and second liveries, i'll show a lined-out 116 later. There's another mistake here on W50901, in my defence I was originally going to paint this blue, then changed my mind and forgot about a certain detail, but what was it? (Correct on the one behind). These little errors will be corrected at their next works overhaul (gnashes teeth). Incidentally, I studiously picked out the tops of every door droplight with a silver line, to represent the metal window locks, but in photos it looks like a reflection, looks better in the flesh.

                  Cheers, Brian.

 

[chrisf]

Thanks again chaps,

     Here's another Class 116, this time in their second livery, with a darker green (Mid-Brunswick Green, which was near enough loco green, like used on early Derby Lightweights). This is a 1957 first-batch unit, that must have been repainted, since it was probably in the lighter shade when built? The centre car is not the usual composite, but one of ten units with an all-second trailer, although the bodyshells are the same for both. These were used initially on the Eastern and Western Valleys in South Wales, from Newport to Pontypool and Blaenavon, and Newport to Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr respectively. These services were discontinued in 1962, and the units were re-allocated to the Cardiff Valleys fleet.

    

 

Not straight away, Brian.  The WR allocations list for June 1962, to be found on railcar.co.uk, shows seven of the sets at Laira.  One pair of power cars, 50085+5012, went to Tyseley for a while, leaving two pairs of power cars and three trailers at Cathays.  Some reformation had taken place since introduction with the result that three sets had had their first batch power cars replaced with third batch ones displaced from Bristol.  50083+50125 lost 59033 for composite trailer 59343 quite early on [not sure when] and that formation was involved in the accident at Pontrhydyfen when a pannier tank on a freight ran away and hit 50125 head on, causing terminal damage to it and killing the driver.

 

Chris

[Brian Kirby]

Many thanks for the info above Chris, my only reference was the Modelmaster DMU book, which only covers every few years. I was wondering how the all-second trailers would fit in and be used later at Cathays? Now of course all South Wales trailers ended up as all-seconds with gangways eventually, that all seemed to happen sometime between 1967-72, and probably coincided with a repaint to blue, do you have definite dates for de-classification and/or gangway-fitting, and the introduction of pay-train working in The Valleys?

     BTW, did anyone spot the extra bogie steps on my blue DMS, TC and TS above? These were added to non-corridor DMUs (Class 115/116/125/127) after a spat of fires in service, it was soon realized that passengers had difficulty exiting in an emergency, with no gangways or lower steps. I don't think this applied to driving-brake vehicles, since passengers could already vacate to the track via the driver's cab or guard's compartment. Alterations were also made to the interiors, with extra doors and/or openings added through each car. If you think 116 liveries are complicated, the interior changes involve even more head-scratching? The Golding/Cheona DMU book does help here to a certain extent.

                                           Cheers, Brian.