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Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - Coaches


Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

HI all,

 

Progress is slow on this bit of the job.

 

Mainly as I have other tasks related that all need to come together and complete at the same time.

 

For instance - Yes - I hear you!

 

 

This one is a revival of a previous project when I was asked if I could draw up coaches to make into card models.

 

It's sat in my files for nearly 5 years doing nothing.

 

So I dug it out and exported it as a jpg to see what people think.

 

Thanks

 

*** Edited to remove coach drawing***

 

This is withdrawn pending amendment.

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

Very nice - I wonder if the sides could be made using a silhouette cutter with plastic for those of us with solder-phobia?

Hi Supaned,

 

The project would fit in with the silhouette cutters abilities.

 

It would take an outline drawing and a cuts drawing and I've not explored how to do it - Yet!

 

I have a Cricut cutter and was working my way through the projects to see if it is possible using that machine.

 

Other coaches may be available shortly from the drawings I've already started.

 

Thanks

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

If I get hold of dimensions for the coaches I will be making them for myself in HOn30...

Hi there,

 

My original drawings are vector graphics and so can be scaled to whatever scale needed.**

 

If you were doing them in card then the card thickness that would need to be used then printing them may be a problem.

 

HOn30 - I'll work I've worked out the scaling for that and it looks easy for me to do them scaled for HOn30.

 

So - watch this space!

 

Thanks

 

**It's the extracted drawing as a jpg that isn't scaleable.

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the responses and messages - so far so good!

 

Card modelling of DHR coaches seems to have a fair bit of interest.

 

Some background...

 

Some years ago I was asked by someone who asked if I could create card models of the coaches.

 

I said I could have a go - so he supplied me with some measurements and some photos.

 

Unfortunately he passed before I could complete the project and never got to see the end result.

 

I have about another six or seven drawings that, depending on which software was used, may be able to extract as jpg to show on here.

 

I've no idea about the potential for this - I just approached it as another challenge in the hobby and to my modelling abilities.

 

So - to keep you going!

 

Another drawing....

 

 

I've left it un-numbered to enable more than one coach to be modelled.

 

Apparently the font for the name and numbering is Rail Alphabet, however, they are hand painted - so the font wont make a difference!

 

For the record I've used Humanst521 BT and then converted the text to a bitmap so that I can condense it and get a nearer result.

 

This one is a bit more of a challenge to build though!

 

I have a feeling I should include more end profile pieces to make it easier to maintain the body profile.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

 

*** Edited to remove coach drawing***

This is withdrawn pending amendment.

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

Well - The initial reaction to the coach idea has been very good - thanks.

 

So - another one to keep things  flowing?

 

I think so!

 

 

With all of these I have tried to match the colours from the photos.

 

I know, however, that blue is one of those colours that is seen differently by a lot of peoples eyes.

 

The railway itself seems to have coaches that are a variety of shades of blue!

 

The locos appear a bit more consistent.

 

My thoughts on this are that when a workshop does the repairs - it paints it in what it thinks is the right blue.

 

The locos, on the other hand, appear to have all repairs done at one works, this would lend strength to this suggestion.

 

Thoughts, opinions?

 

Feel free to wade in!

 

Thanks

 

*** Edited to remove coach drawing***

This is withdrawn pending amendment.

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

I did say I had done a fair number of the coaches already!

 

This one was done in some software or other that was free.

 

As is quite common, this means it was a pain to access the drawing and reuse it.

 

Hey Ho! Who said life was easy...

 

Anyway, a bit of digging around in old hard drives and I've managed it.

 

So - another coach for viewing!

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

Cheers for those. A pity you aren't doing Kalka-Shimla. 

 

The new style ZDM-3 locos with dual cabs are very appealing

Hi there,

 

I think you will find some of the coaches on Kalka - Shimla are the same type as used on DHR - just different livery.

 

If they are - It would be easy to change the paint scheme to suit.

 

What scale would you be working in? I ask as it's  2' 6" gague and the drawings are for the 009 2' 0" gauge DHR.

 

If you are working in 3.5mm to foot then Worsley Works does 3 of the coaches.

 

http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk/NG/NG_Kalka-Shimla_Railway.htm

 

If you are working in 4mm to foot then ask Allen for details as he can supply these to order.

 

For me - I would prefer some clear, large format photos, to work from.

 

Doing the DHR ones was a nightmare when I started them 7 years ago as there were very few good photos to work from.

 

Not that there are loads around these days - just I got used to working with poor images.

 

The first drawings I did were done from images the person wanting them made lifted off video footage.

 

If you have or know of, photos of the Shimla coaches - Point me at them!

 

Thanks

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Eric,

 

Thanks for sharing - much appreciated.

 

Yes - all of them are of use.

 

The 4 wheel coaches and Everest are already done.

 

It's the newer coaches that are still to do.

 

I got into this after I was asked if I thought it would be possible to make a model of a particular coach.

 

It's the one on the rear cover of the Train Hobby photo book - The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

 

The phot shows 804 and a coach in 'the latest DHR colour scheme'. Not sure about this and have not been able to find anything else about this mentioned anywhere.

 

The coach is in what appears to be cream and terracotta/red colours but unfortunately not enough of the coach shows to enable an identity to be confirmed.

 

The photo is dated Feb 1998. I've been trying to confirm if 804 was on the DHR at that time as I have a suspicion that the photo is not on DHR but on KSR and that would then confirm why the coach is painted in that livery.

 

As usual, research! Ask a question - get an answer, leading to more questions needing asked.

 

Thanks

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I will most probably be undertaking a trip to Darjeeling this year... To visit Mount Hermon where my dad did his teacher's training and also where both he and my mum worked. Will also visit many places in south India where my grandparents, uncles, aunts etc. worked on the railways.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

 A bi8t of an update on what I said about coaches in cream and terracotta/red.

 

I've had a response from someone over in Darjeeling itself.

 

"A number of coaches were painted in 1998 with the cream/red livery. This was done as part of the work to show the railways of India were a group together. The cream and red was chosen to match the newly applied livery of the mainline trains. The should be a list of the coaches treated available and I will try to locate one."

 

So - thanks to this bit of information and once I get the list - the appropriate coaches will appear in cream and red after all!

 

Thanks

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

As per previous posting.....

 

The Paint Shop!

 

OK - So it's been a while, but I've ended up spraying the coach twice and then stripping it back to brass!

 

Why?

 

On both occasions the etched brass primer didn't take properly and neither time it showed until I put the first top coat on!

 

Outcome? Amused I was not - livid would be a more accurate description! Even the Mrs complained about the language the second time.

 

So - despite having used a new tin of the etch primer each time, it was time to buy some more.

 

Anyway - 10 days later - Some painted bits!

 

post-6887-0-51138800-1462051150_thumb.jpg

 

post-6887-0-51890400-1462051160_thumb.jpg

 

Still window frames to fit and some touching up to do, then a coat of gloss before doing the lining.

 

Thanks

 

Next - Time to warm up the lining pen!

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

As per previous posting....

 

Finished coach - ready to run.

 

Just need the chap that's doing my decals to get them to me!

 

I will have the text, numbering, names and India Rail roundal for the coaches once he does.

 

post-6887-0-47134700-1462921005_thumb.jpg

 

post-6887-0-15950300-1462921013_thumb.jpg

 

Thanks

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

HI all,

 

I've made a start on the next batch of coaches...

 

These are the DHR Blue and Cream straight sided ones.

 

They are not the next ones on the 'To Do' list for Eddie - the 1998 Red and Cream ones should be.

 

However, I have a grand total of 3 photos to work from for those and that isn't enough.

 

Initial results are not as good as I hoped for, but, with a bit more playing - it will be sorted!

 

 

First things though...

 

I'm not sure about which variety of cream to use!

 

Nearly all the photos I have access to give a different appearance to the cream - even when it's the same coach that has been photographed at around the same date.

 

This could all be down to the settings on the camera or to the amount of sun at the time of the shot.

 

Thoughts, comments etc.....

 

All welcome!

 

*** Edited to remove coach drawing***

This is withdrawn pending amendment.

Edited by Scottish Modeller
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  • RMweb Gold

HI all,

 

I mentioned above the difficulties I'm having with creating the DHR Red &Cream Coaches....

 

First problem is matching the colours!

 

Some samples....

 

post-6887-0-91154700-1464285492.jpg

 

This is more of a problem as I don't have many photos of them to compare.

 

So - I've made patch panels that match the colours in the photos I do have access to.

 

Once again, thoughts etc - All welcome!

 

Thanks

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Hi Phil,

 

One thing you must keep in mind when modelling anything IR is that there's no set colour standards in India. Coaches roll out of their respective factories in different shades of blue. During their life on the rails they follow a "not so strict" POH (periodic overhaul) schedule. This is done at various workshops who they themselves use varying shades at the same time. Don't forget many places in India still use brushes to paint stock. Brush painting can often cause shades to vary due to the thickness. Many a time the coaches are just clean and painted or sanded down and painted. Primer isn't used so a varying base will provide a varying top coat.

I have just started modelling IR BG and MG including manufacturing of these models. Paint is the last thing on my mind. My advice to you is to simply take the whole "match the paint" scenario easy. Having mixed colours is very much a standard there.

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  • RMweb Gold

Phil,

 

How can I can copies of your DHR coach drawings in vector format? I what to model some of them in 16mm scale using card.

 

Best Regards,

Charles Collins

Hi Charles,

 

I've started on some of them for 16mm already and will be making them available once I am happy wit the results.

 

I have also let someone have a .16mm scale dxf file as well to see if him CNC can cope with the task.

 

More on these developments once I get some feedback.

 

 

In the meantime...

 

Is it specific DHR coaches or just any DHR coaches you are after?

 

Thanks

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On the subject of colour perception---

 

To avoid massive duplication of opinion and optical convictions, I suggest a look at Phil Parker's Model Rail Express site (www.mremag.com ) -- the "having your say" section currently has a running discussion on this subject going back about 3 or  4 weeks.

 

Fascinating stuff to someone who whilst not colour blind but has some difficulty with shades and tints. Arguments with SWMBO on this subject are the stuff of legend! 

Edited by DonB
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  • RMweb Gold

On the subject of colour perception---

 

To avoid massive duplication of opinion and optical convictions, I suggest a look at Phil Parker's Model Rail Express site (www.mremag.com ) -- the "having your say" section currently has a running discussion on this subject going back about 3 or  4 weeks.

 

Fascinating stuff to someone who whilst not colour blind but has some difficulty with shades and tints. Arguments with SWMBO on this subject are the stuff of legend! 

Hi Don,

 

Yes - Already aware of Phil's discussion section about colour and 'perceived colour' comparisons.

 

I readily acknowledge that I have some problems with how I perceive colour and have had, what are likely to be, very similar discussions with SWMBO on the matter.

 

I have a particular problem in the amber/orange colour range and that's why I am asking about the colours I put up on here.

 

Thanks

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Hi Charles,

 

I've started on some of them for 16mm already and will be making them available once I am happy wit the results.

 

I have also let someone have a .16mm scale dxf file as well to see if him CNC can cope with the task.

 

More on these developments once I get some feedback.

 

 

In the meantime...

 

Is it specific DHR coaches or just any DHR coaches you are after?

 

Thanks

That's great Phil. No specific coaches in mind. Just something in the current style (prefer the straight sides rather than the bow sides) to pull behind my Roundhouse 'B' class. Please kept me updated on your progress.

 

Charles

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