Coachbuilding II - Opens for Everyone

Shifting Sands - Colin Peake's O9 Railway Modelling

5th January 2009

This has recently been keeping me entertained in-between other things. It isn't technically a Shifting Sands project but very nearly was. I'll explain, Some years ago I obtained an Avalon Line 0-6.5 coach body, which I lengthened and mounted on bogies with the intention of giving it a spray coat of the standard red shade and using as an extra on the layout. Trouble is, it looked a bit taller and a tad narrower than everything else (but I chose it over the O9 coach as that looks too wide!), so it eventually got brush painted and dumped in the yard near the caravan.

During 2008 it was extracted and replaced by something else, and the paintwork smoothed down with a mind to repainting. It then sat in the drawer until I decided to tidy it up, so I brush primed it and then set about repainting with acrylics, again brush painted. These are Games Workshop 'Citadel' colours and went on very well, although 3/4 coats were required. On went a set of spare MicroTrains bogies and the result was rather smart. However one coach won't get you far...

I wouldn't repeat the build itself as it was not ideal, however I felt it would be easy to scratchbuild some companions. So I went into the genetic engineering business and 'cloned' the 8-seater. I thought it would be useful to show how I did this as the techniques are transferable to other designs

Materials Used:

20 thou plasticard
40 thou plasticard
60 thou plasticard

Tools:

Craft knife (and spare blades)
Steel rule
Set square
Fine flat file
Scriber
Fine Wet & Dry paper
Liquid polystyrene cement

Construction Notes:

A few basic dimensions, the 8 seat coach is 60mm x 21mm with a panel height of 18.5 mm. All parts were marked out on the plasticard using light scores with the craft knife. I always start out with a freshly cut, straight edge on the plasticard and mark a right angle using the set square to work from. All lines at right angles to the edge should be marked with the set square.

Hopefully the photo sequence should be self explanatory.

Moving on from the 8 seaters, which eventually became 4-wheelers using Peco chassis components, I started work on some 12 seat bogie versions, wider at 26mm and 88mm long. These are built on a batch basis and surplus vehicles are available to buy in grey primer. *Please contact me if you may be interested in purchasing examples of the 12 seat coaches.*

More photos to follow soon!

Never one of the running fleet, this is modified Avalon line product.	This was treaed to a set of bogies and a fresh coat of paint. I then started thinking about another...	Replication begins by marking out side and end panels, 4 off 18.5 x 8mm, 2 off 18.5 x 16mm, 3 off 18.5 x 19mm on 40 thou plasticard.
Seperating the panels into pairs.	Seperate the pairs into individual panels, and clean up the cut edges with a fine file, wet and dry or (carefully) the knife blade.	Take a 45 degree nick off the corners where the passenger openings are.
Round with the file.	All the completed panels lined up.	Mark out the floor on 60 thou plasticard, 58mm x 19mm. Mark on planking lines at 4mm intervals from either end (there will be an odd gap in the middle!).
Use the scriber to deepen the plank lines. Clean up edges with a file, wet and dry or knife tip.	Cement an end panel inside one of the 8mm panels, and cement to one end of the floor.	At all stages, use the set square to ensure the assembly is square.
Add the other 8mm panel and repeat at the other end of the coach.	Remove 1.5mm from the base of the third 19mm panel, then centre this on the two 16mm side panels.	Cement the middle seating assembly into place, carefully measuring to ensure it is central.
Seat supports are next, from 20 thou plasticard, 8 off 8 x 5mm, 4 off 8 x 19mm. Clean up before moving on.	Seat supports are cemented in place, 19mm pieces first, then 5mm bits.	Seats marked out in 60 thou plastcard, 19mm x 7mm, with a plank line scribed in the middle.
Seats in place but not glued until after painting.	Underneath, two 58mm lengths of Plastruct 'U' section form the solebars.	These 5 x 2.5mm pieces form what little there is of the headstocks.
The completed coach body next to the converted Avalon Line item it is based on.	Although planned to be another bogie vehicle this has become a 4 wheeler.	The chassis is a much cut-up Peco example.
The 12 seat bogie version is 26mm wide and 88mm long.	12 seat version compared to the 4 wheel, 8 seat coach.	Loaded with happy Prieser passengers.