Building E68000 Tyneside BR Parcels car.

[dasatcopthorne]

Hi Guy and Gals.

 

One or two of you may have seen me make reference to seeking info on and intending to build the above Parcels Car.

 

FYI it was a BR Eastleigh bulit BR Standard design completed in 1955/6. First tested on the SR, it went north to the South Tyneside lines in 1956. After de-electrification in 1963(I think) it went to Merseyside for a while before being scapped.

 

Getting measurements has proven very difficult as it is very similar to a BG but stretched out. However, where it was stretched has been impossible to discover. I have the GA drawing with a few measurements but it only goes part of the way. Underframe equipment is only partly similar to the Tyneside EPBs so they're not much help. Finally, no clear pictures of the roof conduits have come to light during extensive research. (Maybe someone will read this and realise they have the very info I need sitting somewhere in their collection. I'd be only too please to be told where I have gone wrong.)

 

Below is a photo of the car during testing on the SR. I only bought this shot yesterday but no photographer is given, otherwise I would be pleased to give them credit for it.

 

Our Club is exhibiting Harton Gill at the NEC next weekend and I foolishly offered to make something for the 24 inches of 3rd rail present on the layout. I'm fairly confident it will be in residence.

 

Thinking that it may well be a unique model (I've never heard of anyone else making one) I've made two. One in P4 for the layout and another in '00' which I will sell to finance the project.

 

I have photographed the project as it progressed and will endeavour to upload some of these shots later this evening. For now, whatch this space.

 

Dave Smith

[dasatcopthorne]

Having gathered together all the useful photos of E68000 I could find, a 'test end' was cut out of an old Triang Mk1 body to see how it might look.

 

Now, my usual method for building EMUs is to put new curved Perspex sides into a Triang/Hornby Mk1 body. However, I'm currently unable to curve the Perspex so I resorted to two Southern Pride body kits I have had hanging around for a few years. These were knocked up quickly to see what they might look like and to see if there were any potential problems to overcome.

[newcastle_central]

Dave,

 

I'll be very keen to see how this turns out. As an exiled NE native, the tyneside electrics have always fascinated me and I've always enjoyed Harton Gill so win-win. Best of luck and I hope someone comes up trumps with the info.

 

Jonathan

[Mallard60022]

Dave,

 

I'll be very keen to see how this turns out. As an exiled NE native, the tyneside electrics have always fascinated me and I've always enjoyed Harton Gill so win-win. Best of luck and I hope someone comes up trumps with the info.

 

Jonathan

 

As the present owner of Trafalgar Yard (EM) I'd also be really interested (as mentioned elsewhere).

I'm in the NRM Archive this coming Wednesday. I'll see if I can find anything useful.

36E

[dasatcopthorne]

Many thanks for the offer Mallard.

 

Dave

[dasatcopthorne]

Once the test piece proved the project viable, I sat down at the computer and drew out the four sides in Autocad. This is where some conjecture was needed as the general arrangment drawing only gave a few dimensions. In particular the placing of the doors was unknown so I used the standard SR cab and double guards door assembly at each end (same as the Tyneside 2EPBs) and averaged out the baggage doors along the sides. These are the normal BG size doors of 24" rather that the MLV size. One point taken from the GA drawing was that the Guard's compartment had one wall virtually on the half way point along the car's length.

 

These sides were printed out on 120 thou card and then given a couple of coats of shellac on the outside and one on the inside. Shellac seals the card ready for paint and stops 'fibres breaking out when you make a cut). Once hard, the outside faces were smothed down with wet & Dry paper of 600 then 1200 grade. This was used dry as shellac is not totally water resistant. This took ages as the Shellac seemed reluctant to dry completely and retained a waxey finish. Then the windows were cut out using a scalple and steel rule for the straight lines and then joining them with radiuses by hand.

 

See below

[Xerces Fobe2]

Hi Dave,

 

I saw a photograph of a 4mm model of E68000 a couple of weeks ago and a fine jib had been made of it. I intend to build one (based on its final years on Merseyside) too but like the model I saw I will cut and shut a Replica Railways MLV body. You can get most of the bits from Godfrey and Gareth at Replica and you will need a BG body as well together with an additional long cab. If you contact Godfrey or Gareth they will be able to get you the correct parts including some underframe detail however you will have to do considerable cutting of the body and modify/ amend the underframe as the SR MLVs had batteries and only 2 tractions motors

 

Replica Railways website

http://www.replicarailways.co.uk/

 

Good luck with the project

 

Xerces Fobe

 

[dasatcopthorne]

Thanks for the suggestion Xerces.

 

I have it covered. Watch for further photos.

 

If that's your layout in your avetar, I liked your 501 when I saw them at HW last week.

 

Do you know who had made that 68000 you saw a picture of, please?

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[dasatcopthorne]

The next job was to make sure the rooves fitted and mark them out for the future vents and lighting conduits. Strips were added to extend each end to produce the typical overhang of a BR Mk1 coach.

 

Then on to the bogies.

 

The dummy is made up from a kit I once produced yeard ago, patterned with the sides from a Triang DMU bogie.

 

For the motor bogie, I used an old Triank Hymek bogie, removing most of the sides and replacing with the same sides as that in the dummy kit.

 

Also at this stage, I added some prastic card to the buffer beams to get them looking more like the correct pattern.

 

Dave

[Xerces Fobe2]

Thanks for the suggestion Xerces.

 

I have it covered. Watch for further photos.

 

If that's your layout in your avetar, I liked your 501 when I saw them at HW last week.

 

Do you know who had made that 68000 you saw a picture of, please?

 

Cheers

 

Dave

 

Unfortunately at present I do not however I will make some enquires and get back to you

 

Glad you saw the my layout at Wycrail was not running as well as I like - I spent to much time building stock and skimped on track cleaning and paid for it.

 

Regards,

 

Xerces Fobe

[dasatcopthorne]

Next move was to mark up a picture of the car end and see how things worked out. I used the dimensions from a standard BR EMU end as reference.

 

Once satisfied with what I had, a start was made on marking up the ends and starting to cut out the appertures required.

 

I Used a series on drilled holes around the perimeter and then needle files to open up the windows to the required size and shape.

 

Dave

[dasatcopthorne]

Having got the driver's and destination windows fairly right, I turned my attention to the rest of the body. A hole was cut to fit the motor bogie and the mounts at the top of the sides were fitted. Then a crossmember was added, having first had the appropriate size hole drilled centrally.

 

Also the dual periscopes were applied above the guard's compartment and the underframe trussing fitted.

 

Dave

[Mallard60022]

Apologies. Could find nothing during my search at the NRM archive today. However they did remind me about the Ken Hoole NER collection in Darlo and I didn't look at the Eastleigh archives. In fact, about the only highlights at the NRM was, the presence of two very attractive, young Polish ladies working in the Cafe in the 'long shed' and the sticky toffee pudding that they so kindly served to me:D

Your build is looking pretty good by the way.

36E

[dasatcopthorne]

Thanks Mallard.

 

I've done the Kern Hoole bit and just about everyone else I can think of.

 

I've even emailed the Suburban Railway Centre in Coventry.

 

They state that they are intending the return one of the Ex-Tyneside 2EPBs from the Sourthern the original condition. I thuoght they should have at least the info on the 5 light cluster on the cab front, otherwise how would they achieve their ambition. Sadly, no one replied.

 

Thanks again.

 

The build it now finished and on Friday both cars will be on their way to Warley. One for the P4 Harton Gill layout and the '00' one for sale(if someone bits enough!).

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[dasatcopthorne]

Disaster.

 

Following the painting of the sides, there was reaction between paint and what, I think, was ‘old’ Shellac. It never seemed to go absolutely hard but I never considered there would be any mis-match. Also, it only happened in small areas.

 

In the picture of the painted sides below, it’s now hard to see any problem, but I knew they were unusable in their state as it was and I made the decision that it was all or nothing. I decided to rub the sides down with 1200 wet & dry and then varnish. Thinking that the varnish would bring back the surface finish. Well it was partially successful but not good enough for an exhibition layout or to try to sell to someone.

 

The decision was made very quickly to start a new set of sides. Some new Shellac was quickly ordered via Ebay. This time Shellac of ‘golden’ colour and de-waxed as well.

 

I also made the decision that I would use thinner card (80gram), making for less coats of Shellac and easier cutting out of the windows. This has proved absolutely the right decision.

 

See pictures of the 'raw' sides below. The first two being a test piece.

 

This time, the new sides were ‘primed’ with Games Workshop ‘skull white’ aerosol. Brilliant stuff and a lovely fine spray. I must say, these aerosols put Precision and Railmatch to shame. Pity there are no railway colours.

 

Dave

[dasatcopthorne]

Now attention turned to the roof. This has been my biggest bugbear of all.

 

Because most models are seen from above, I always like to get the roof right. However, as some readers may know, getting a least a half good picture of the roof has proved impossible so far.

 

The vent lines and the lighting conduits lines were taken from the standard BR SR EMU dimensions. In some photos there are tantalising glimpses of what’s on the roof, but nothing conclusive. So, having got lots of pictures of Ex-Tyneside 2EPB roofs, I used the basic configuration from these plus a generous helping of educated guesses.

 

For the lighting conduit I used the Southern Pride SR Lamp tops and .4mm brass wire. (thanks to Ark Royal for pointing the way to these).

 

The rest of the piping is plastic rod.

 

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[dasatcopthorne]

Whilst taking breaks from the roof detailing, the second lot of sides were painted and left to harden off.

 

Once the paint was hard, the sides were cut from the main sheet and applied to the coach body. I use Dunlop Thixofix and apply this with a very small paint brush to the clear sides and the backs of the card and bring the two together immediately.

 

It now only remained to detail the underframes using Southern Pride and others things, paint the roofs and ends, cut and fit individual 1mm Perspex to the drivers’ and destination windows, detail the cab ends and finish off minor paint jobs.

 

The phospor bronze strips on the motor bogie mounting plate transfer power from the 'trailing' bogie to the motor bogie without soldered connections. This allows the motor bogie to be removed for service without any tools.

 

The rest of the photos should speak for themselves.

 

 

Dave.

[dasatcopthorne]

Nearing the end now.

 

Dave

[Mallard60022]

This is a superb job and I'm sad I will not be at the NEC to see them. Pity my layout is EM and not OO!

I'll also look out for Xerces Fobe2's efforts with the Dapol bits. I have a Dapol MLV body for this type of 'conversion' already and I think I'll now get in touch with them for the other bits and source other parts from SP & DC Kits etc.

Thank you for giving us such comprehensive coverage of your builds. I would have exploded having found the original sides were 'damaged' after the paint job. You obviously have the patience of a saint.

Sincerely, 36E

[Xerces Fobe2]

Hi Dave,

 

Looks really good - it appears you have been busy over the last few days.

 

Xerces Fobe

[dasatcopthorne]

The end.

 

As they say in the cartoons, 'That's it Folks'.

 

All finished and on their way to the NEC tomorrow morning.

 

Thanks everyone for looking and your interest, the offers of help and advice and your comments.

 

Cheers

 

Dave Smith

[robertcwp]

Something new to play with at the weekend.

[dasatcopthorne]

Hi everyone.

 

Just to round off this subject, I'm please to report the P4 version ran faultlessly all weekend on Harton Gill at Warley.

 

The '00' version is now on Ebay.

 

Thanks for all your comments, folks.

 

Dave Smith

[Lyddrail]

Dave,

 

Well done, excellent modelling. A great model of an unusual prototype. Thanks for sharing.

 

Cheers.

[Worsdell forever]

A superb bit of modelling there , a bit late for me though, mine are of earlier generations...

 

 

scratchbuilt from plasticard.

 

Dave Alexander kit.