PGF's workbench topic - LBSCR/SR 48ft Bogie 1st

[Pre Grouping fan]

This will be my attempt at a workbench thread. 

 

My layout topic for my 009 layout "Porlock" is here: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/146005-porlock-009-scenic-work-underway/

 

I'll keep this first post up to date as each project is added. 

 

First project: Cut and shut of 2x Hornby 6 wheel coaches into a LBSCR bogie coach.

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Pre Grouping fan

[Pre Grouping fan]

 

Cut and Shut LBSCR Brighton 1st No 7598 from Hornby 6 wheelers. 

 

The idea is to make as close to accurate model a reasonably possible of this coach - http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/coach7598.html as it appears currently. 

 

Work is currently at quite an advanced stage but I'll go through it from the start. 

I first started when Hornby announced the range of "generic" coaches. Seeing the similarities between the model and 7598, I looked through Volume 3 of LBSCR Carriages for a drawing and the product thread here. 

 

Once earlier liveries had arrived and people had confirmed dimensions I decided to order a pair and drew up a baxic idea of how to go about it. 

 

The 6 wheel 1sts match the panelling layout of the prototype  coach almost exactly, and compartment lengths match up also meaning the body would be scale length once cut and shut. The only major error will b the roof profile as the models are based on the Stroudley coaches

 

1 un-modified 6 wheeler. 

 

Excuse the heath robinson setup but cutting through two perfectly liveried coaches was the scary bit. The hacksaw made light work of the job and left me with 2 coaches in bits

 

I purposely decided to offset the split in the body/chassis as I thought having the splits line up  might create a weak spot. 

 

One thing I like about the design of the Hornby coaches is the clip on bodies. The clips are really accurate and repeatable so you don't have to worry about the positioning of body and chassis each time it's removed. 

[Pre Grouping fan]

Onto the next part.

 

After cutting the bodies up, there was much trimming, filing and sanding with wet and dry to achieve as good a join as I could. 

 

Once it was close I could fit the glazing to one half and see how far the second half was from fitting and where adjustments needed to be made. 

 

From a distance it looks ok

 

 

At this point the body was only held together with the glazing strip and the two chassis sections only clipped into the body.

 

It also worked out to be almost exactly a scale 48ft which even surprised me how close I had got it. 

[KDG]

Neat work Matt. What are you using for bogies?

[Pre Grouping fan]

7 minutes ago, KDG said:

Neat work Matt. What are you using for bogies?

 

Cheers KDG.

 

The bogies will be Peco's LNWR 8ft bogies, which are the same design as what the LBSC used. 

 

I'm building the chassis as it is today so it will also have LNWR buffers and other more modern fittings between the bogies. 

[Pre Grouping fan]

I've done a fair bit of work to this coach since the last update. 

from the original 2 wheel chassis grafted together. This allows use of the clips to hold the body to the chassis which are perfectly good and were quite a good design choice by hormbh in my opinion.

 

I didn't take many pictures while doing the cutting but hopefully the pictures show it well enough.

 

 

All the detail and axle mounts were cut off the chassis. The chassis on the left was cut directly behind the original NEM coupling mounting and the second was measured up and cut accordingly to make up a scale 48ft length.

 

 

Holes for the original Hornby foot-boards were drilled above the bottom edge of the solebar. Again these were perfectly good to reuse on the extended chassis so felt no need to make from scratch, just needed cutting to suit the new length. Notches were filed into the boards to clear the headstocks so they sat against the flat edge of the solebars. You can also see the holes cut outs for the wheels. 

 

The bogies, as mentioned a post above are Peco LNWR 8ft bogies, with added brass bearings and Hornby 14mm coach wheels. The real 7598 has a shortened Ex LNWR underframe and bogies.

 

 

The bars connecting the W irons were replaced with 1mm wide x 0.5mm thick strip as the moulded ones were brittle and broke easily when handling.

 

 

The short pin you see below in the angle of the NEM pocket was for for the supplied Peco coupling, this was the right position to fit the NEM pocket and use a Bachmann short NEM coupling with the longer LNWR buffers.

 

 

More on the detailing next update.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Pre Grouping fan

[Pre Grouping fan]

More catching up on progress.

 

The chassis detailing has been a lesson in scratch building. Most of what was used came from the scrap box with only the bogies, wheels, battery boxes, and vacuum pipes (fitted at a later date). 

 

Here is a list of what was used for those interested. 

- BR Mk1 battery boxes from Comet Models

- Dynamo from a Hornby Pullman, found in scrap box, the belt is a piece of scrap etch

- Vacuum cylinders from Parkside SECR/SR PMV's

- V hanger came off a spare cambrian models wagon solebar. 

- Truss rods are 0.7mm wire

 

 

The grey "I" beam used to support the truss rods was filed to make it look thinner. 

 

The chassis and bogies after a coat of primer, the buffers were plugged with cocktail stick ends to prevent paint getting in and blocking them up. 

This shows more clearly how the floor was cut out to clear the wheels and where parts the old 6 wheel underframes have been left  exposed like the square holes at each end where the old axle clips were. 

 

And a shot of the first assembly after a coat of satin black. 

 

 

Until next time

 

Matt

[Pre Grouping fan]

Long time again between updates. I've added a few wagons i've been working on recently.

 

Hornby 6 wheel - Brighton First conversion. 

Work since the last update has included track testing to check how the chassis functions. It took a few attempts to get the bogies swinging enough but it now functions satisfactorily. 

 

 

I've also replaced all the handrails with hand formed brass wire and made up the detailing for the ends. So the end is in sight. 

 

The passenger alarm is lengths of brass wire with 2 short handrail kobs. Electrical connections are Comet models jumper cables with the wire replaced by fishing line. The horizontal plasticard strip is part of the lighting controls the ends are 'T' shaped carriage door handles. 

 

 

Wagons

- LSWR Road Van has been renumbered to 5706 as preserved on the Bluebell. With thanks to @Graham_Muz for supplying a set of rubbed buffers to enable me to represent it as preserved. 

 

SECR Cattle Wagon is a white metal kit from eBay that I broke up and rebuilt, painted and have just applied transfers to. The axles are painted blue ro follow SECR practice at the time.

 

The 8 Plank is a transfer job for a friend. Finally the Five79 SR 8 Plank Mineral wagon is another ebay purchase that just needed couplings and a tare weight added to the body. 

 

 

 

Finally my Ransomes & Rapier crane has gained an additional water tank on the rear bogie. I found someone who was designing and printing the R&R 45 Tonner in o gauge based off RS 1083 on the Bluebell  and managed to get a 4mm scale print of the tank which has now been glued in place. I'm working on a duplex pump for the cab to further detail the excellent Bachmann model. 

 

Matt