Prometheus

For completeness, the finished product. Well, more-or-less finished, bar some very small areas of touching up and the addition of an appropriate tail lamp. This was an extremely speculative build at the outset. I knew that I could not guarantee a result and expecting an uncompromised product from the mating of the parts of four different coaches and a good deal of scrap was expecting a great deal. The use of the original Triang floor and Dapol/Hornby bogies eventually led to a huge and unwanted compromise: smaller wheels than intended and a substantial gap between the bogies and the underside. Without further quite drastic surgery, this compromise cannot be improved upon. It looks very pretty certainly, but I'm not sure that it was really worth the effort. I am categorically not fishing for compliments here, it's just that sometimes things don't quite work out the way you intended. The body I am quite happy with but the running qualities are not what I would have wanted and I have decided to box it up for a couple of months to concentrate on other projects before returning once again to the running gear. I can see from the photos that the dynamo drive belt needs adjusting, too. The slightly panoramic effect of the phone camera has made the bogies look just a little more inboard than they are. However, when I return to the running quality, I shall also move each of the bogies outwards by 5mm. Tony

Wouldn't that have involved total immersion and a near-death experience? This might be dangerously straying, I’ll draw the religious excursion aspect of this posting to a close (unless anyone else wishes to continue with it!). Tony

He’d have been on a hiding to nothing of course: they were all fiercely independent Primitive Methodists, even a whiff of Popery and the whole rake would be off into the Welsh hills in a flash..... Tony

Admirable honesty! You could dine out on that story!!!! Tony

My 'build' is proceeding reasonably well. I'm wondering about glazing now however. Finecast appear not to have made flushglaze for this coach, which is a great shame. Has anyone who has modified one themselves attempted flushglazing? Oh, Wheatley, thank you for the photo link - very helpful. Thanks Tony

Thank you. It's bog-standard Finecast flushglaze Mikkel, liberally coated inside and out with Klear, which seems to make a shade more glass-like from a foot away. Tony

Thanks for that Nick - appreciated. A D37 is on the list but not until I have finished 'improving' [well, trying to at any rate] a Triang Caledonian Brake. Tony

One of the more straightforward cut-and-shuts, this has been on my bench for a little while, mostly awaiting fine weather to allow painting and varnishing. It is, at last, complete. It comprised pieces of two Triang Clerestory Brakes, some extremely vintage K's Dean bogies [a project in themselves, frankly], Finecast flush-glazing, Ratio seats and various bits and pieces from the spares box. It awaits some Bachmann couplings and the bogies a light weathering. The splicing was pleasingly straightforward. Apologies for the poor photos, I am sans camera currently and had to use my phone in very strong light. I must paint the inner wheel faces, too. Finally, alongside the other Triang coach, for comparison. Tony

Thank you all for your replies, as always. I am going to proceed with this project, but with Rob's earlier disclaimer firmly in place: '...a bashing exercise to produce a nostalgic model...those who only wish to see [a] fine-scalemodel, precise in every respect, need read no further...'! Use of Hornby LMS dining Car 6 wheel bogies will be evidence-enough of the above caveat, that coupled with the probable use of Airfix or Dapol LMS coach roofs........ The underframe details remain a mystery yet to be solved. Tony

Thanks all for the replies. I was thinking about options for a Brake in LMS livery to use as a through coach. It looks as there may be a possibility. Tony

Many thanks - I shall explore.... tony

Can anyone tell me (please) whether these old coaches are capable of being cut and shut into any other prototypes? Close enough would do! thanks Tony

Thanks very much for posting those Penrhos - very helpful photos for my Triang C10 conversion! Tony

The Gaz is interesting but the Alfa is magnificent. I know which I’d be keeping! Tony

Bump - just to see if there is any further thought on this query out there. Thanks Tony

It’s a hobby, not a race, so unless you are in your late-90s...... Nice work there Lofty. Tony

Thanks all for your comments, appreciated. Mikkel’s C22 conversion is first on the list and will start soon when my new saw arrives. I thought about the D37 also but wanted to at least attempt the E37 as it is quite an interesting coach (although not without significant challenge). I have a backnumber of the MRJ in the post, featuring an article about a kit-built one - that should be helpful for detail pictures. All of this may come to nothing around the central toilet partition though, but I am thinking about using an adapted door for the central window area. We’ll see, we’ll see...... Thanks again. Tony

I may be losing my marbles but I am sure that, some time back, someone advised that they were attempting the above conversion and posted a progress photo. I have already falsely accused both Penrhos and Coach Bogie of this foolhardiness but if the real suspect reads this, could you please, if possible, provide a link to your post? Many thanks Tony

I have a pair of these fairly old castings. I'd like to use them but am uncertain as to their prototype. They are 9ft [more-or-less] and have a sort of GWR pressed steel appearance. But are they? Also, does anyone recognise their manufacture? Thank you. Tony

I recently discovered that my last RG4 was missing its brass spur gear, and I had absolutely nothing which would fit. If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation, Ultrascale quickly came to my help. Their 42 Tooth 100 DP 1/8th spur gear is an ideal substitute, and it fits both the larger and the smaller Portescap 'box, too. My order had a turn around in less than a week. Really cannot complain about that! Tony

Sadly, following a burglary last night and the new rules for socialising, we have had to close the club for the foreseeable future. The burglar - who was promptly apprehended by the police - caused a phenomenal amount of damage across the three floors of the building that we occupy the top floor of. We will have to replace a number of doors, locks and door frames but, luckily, nothing was stolen and our six layouts were not touched. The latest COVID development would have closed us anyway: the burglary just added insult to injury. Tony

Swansea Railway Modellers' Group is reopening on a limited and extremely regulated basis this coming Wednesday evening. Initially we shall be open on Weds/Thurs/Fri nights for a maximum of 15 attending each night only. Members have been asked to indicate which night they wish to attend and a rota has been drawn up. At the beginning of October the position will be reviewed in the light of any further virus developments. New visitors and potential members should not just turn up for the time being but contact the club through its website. Details of reopening for any interested here:https://srmg.org.uk/news-blog/2020/9/4/club-update-september-2020 Tony

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GEM-FINESCALE-KIT-BUILT-MODEL-No-MISM6-GWR-CAMBRIAN-2-4-0T-TANK-LOCO-VN-MIB/402071331066?hash=item5d9d51a0fa:g:txYAAOSwT~NeQUvm 'Very nearly MIB' - I don't think so, but a snip at almost £230. And exactly what does 'yet to be unfitted front coupling' mean?! Oh, it's missing a step, too. But still, VN MIB. Usual suspect..... Tony

Apologies - I missed this, but thanks to Porcy Mane for replying in my place. Tony

I have no other experience of these kits Paul so the castings are probably, normally, OK. These were not however, particularly the solebar/truss rod units. They couldn’t be dressed without breaking the fragile truss rod mouldings and the excess flashing / casting on the back required a very large file to remove it. The bogey sides were similarly ‘over’ cast. Ultimately though, none of this was a problem and the work around was wholly successful. None of the unused castings were binned though, all will eventually be adapted to find another life. This was an enjoyable build and a challenge worth confronting. It’s just the sort of modelling that I enjoy. Tony