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Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:33 am
by SpudUk
Hello Folks,

I'm pondering something which in my head looks great, but in reality may not even work! I'm thinking of building a Swift Sixteen four wheeled coach (https://www.swiftsixteen.co.uk/Classic- ... heel-Coach) but mounting it on their WWI WD bogies to make something reminiscent of the Ashover coaches, although slightly shorter. Does that make sense, is it do-able, and would it look better then awful?

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 10:05 am
by Andrew
It's rather a nice idea I think, and will work well if you do end up having to go for tight-ish curves. Yonks ago I did something similar with a Brandbright 4 wheel brake compo (a little shorter than the Swift Sixteen model) and Big Big Train bogies, which I was always fond of - and from a distance you couldn't really tell it was a bogie carriage at all:

Image

Go for it, I reckon - you'll end up with leftover gubbins to build a 4-wheel wagon or van too...

Cheers,

Andrew

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 10:58 am
by tom_tom_go
I like that coach Andrew.

I have been thinking about painting the front and back of my IoM coaches in a similar colour.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:26 am
by SpudUk
Andrew wrote: Wed Jan 09, 2019 10:05 am It's rather a nice idea I think, and will work well if you do end up having to go for tight-ish curves. Yonks ago I did something similar with a Brandbright 4 wheel brake compo (a little shorter than the Swift Sixteen model) and Big Big Train bogies, which I was always fond of - and from a distance you couldn't really tell it was a bogie carriage at all:

Image

Go for it, I reckon - you'll end up with leftover gubbins to build a 4-wheel wagon or van too...

Cheers,

Andrew
That looks great Andrew!

My only worry with the WD bogies is that they would overhand the ends of the coach (as per Ashover) and I wouldn't want it to look weird. Only one way to find out I suppose!

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:40 am
by Andrew
SpudUk wrote: Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:26 am My only worry with the WD bogies is that they would overhand the ends of the coach (as per Ashover) and I wouldn't want it to look weird. Only one way to find out I suppose!
The original Ashover carriages had that bogie overhang (sounds painful...) and the Wembly carriages that ended up there:

Image


And the FR/WHR toastracks:

Image


So your carriage will be in good company! You can always perch the body on top and see how it looks, then omit the brake wheel uprights and mount the bogies more conventionally if you don't like the overhang.

Just a thought, but have you considered scratchbuilding a shortened Ashover-style body? Windows are generally the tricky bit I find, but with a shortie Ashover there wouldn't be many of them, and they're all nice and square, no tricky round corners to cut. Perfect for those winter evenings, and cheaper than a kit...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:44 am
by SpudUk
Andrew wrote: Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:40 am
SpudUk wrote: Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:26 am My only worry with the WD bogies is that they would overhand the ends of the coach (as per Ashover) and I wouldn't want it to look weird. Only one way to find out I suppose!
The original Ashover carriages had that bogie overhang (sounds painful...) and the Wembly carriages that ended up there:

Image


And the FR/WHR toastracks:

Image


So your carriage will be in good company! You can always perch the body on top and see how it looks, then omit the brake wheel uprights and mount the bogies more conventionally if you don't like the overhang.

Just a thought, but have you considered scratchbuilding a shortened Ashover-style body? Windows are generally the tricky bit I find, but with a shortie Ashover there wouldn't be many of them, and they're all nice and square, no tricky round corners to cut. Perfect for those winter evenings, and cheaper than a kit...

Cheers,

Andrew.
Never seen that Wembley carriage, what an absolute beaut!!

Not sure I'm up to scratch building yet, only ever done a flat wagon in O-16.5 and that was some time ago! Really lack the ability and the confidence to give it a crack

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 12:03 pm
by Andrew
The Wembley carriage is lovely, isn't it, although I realise I've got my carriages in a muddle, and it's not that sort that ended up at Ashover, they were the "never stop" railway ones... Details of the one in question are here - although do they really mean to say the carriage ended up as a family home?!

https://www.gwsr.com/planning_your_visi ... ilway.html

Do give scratchbuilding a try some time. A lot of it's about the planning I reckon - what bits will be needed, how they'll be made, and how they'll fit to the other bits. Certainly passes the time in dull work meetings...

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 7:13 pm
by Dasher
I'm right in the middle of a similar project. I've built the S16 4 wheeled coach bodies (2 off) and had attached the wheel carriers to the chassis central to the marked out area. At this point the chassis had not been attached to the bodies. Fortunately for me I then tried the chassis on my track and low and behold there is no way that they will go around a Peco 38" radius let alone a 2'6" one. Moving the axle blocks inboard (so that the outer edge was butted up to the inner line of the marked out area improved things. The chassis would now negotiate the curve (even the 2'6" radius) albeit with a little (but acceptable) resistance but the overhang/coupling alignment now became a problem. I could solve the overhang issue buy adding a larger coupling buffer but all the time I felt that I was using up the box of sticking plasters. So last week I gave Rob a call and asked his advice. I should soon be receiving four bogies to equip the two chassis and bodies. I've gone for S16 standard bogies but I guess that you could go for the S16 WW1 versions - check with Rob first. You won't be disappointed with the quality of the S16 4 wheel coach castings - they are simply the best resin castings that I've seen. Rob is flexible too - so if you talk with him first he will make up the kit so as to substitute the wheels and axle blocks with the bogies saving you buying unnecessary parts.

Rob's build instructions are good. There is also a Tony Bird build on the Garden Railway Club site that is very useful.

I can't help on the placement of the bogies as I haven't got there yet but I would go cautiously if considering the bogie running outside the front of the body as the chassis is set up inside the body by about 10mm.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:51 pm
by invicta280
That's interesting to know. I am planning to get some Swift Sixteen coaches and was wondering if the 4 wheelers might exert more drag on tight curves. I think the shorter coaches could suit my line better, so fitting them with bogies sounds like the answer. Thanks!

Any chance of a photo of your new 'shortie' bogie coaches when they enter service?

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:56 pm
by Dasher
invicta280 wrote: Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:51 pm That's interesting to know. I am planning to get some Swift Sixteen coaches and was wondering if the 4 wheelers might exert more drag on tight curves. I think the shorter coaches could suit my line better, so fitting them with bogies sounds like the answer. Thanks!

If you are running anything close to 38" curves (or tighter) then you will need to do the modification to run bogies. If the fixed axle blocks are mounted in the recommended site then its more than drag, it just won't go round. If you mount the axle blocks further inboard then it helps - i.e.they go round but with drag.

Any chance of a photo of your new 'shortie' bogie coaches when they enter service?

Yes sure, but like Andrew's Brandbright coach, the bogies are going to be almost unnoticeable as the sides of the coach extend down to obscure most of the wheel. I have got the bogies yet - and I can't spray the bodies further until the weather warms up!

The simple fix is to use the S16 "short" coach - but these are very short!

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 2:06 pm
by KjellAn
I have bogies on my Brandbright 4-wheel coaches, and I am very pleased with them running in sharp curves. I have a 2,5 foot radius curve on my Pine Hill Railway.

Here is a pic of my first built coach. The bogies are the simple plate frame from Brandbright.

Image

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:18 am
by SpudUk
I've spoken to Rob, though he thinks its possible there'd need to be some significant alterations to the coach chassis in order to get the WD bogie overhang (as they'd sit inside the body otherwise).

Whilst researching I stumbled upon Timpdon models, specifically these: http://www.timpdon.co.uk/timpdon/tmRcoaches.htm. Anyone seen them before?

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:26 pm
by BorisSpencer
I've not seen the ToastRacks but I'm currently building a rake of their 3 compartment coaches (4 wheelers). Nicely produced kits, with fairly minimal instructions requiring a certain amount of common sense.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:55 pm
by Andrew
SpudUk wrote: Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:18 am Whilst researching I stumbled upon Timpdon models, specifically these: http://www.timpdon.co.uk/timpdon/tmRcoaches.htm. Anyone seen them before?
Haven't seen any in the flesh, but they do look impressive on the website - reasonable price too. I'd be tempted if I hadn't already got a half-finished Hudson toast rack I started scratch-building about 10 years ago. I really must finish it some time...

Like the carriage by the way KjellAn, very nice...

Andrew.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:45 pm
by Dasher
My bogies arrive last week and I've built them up today. Locating them on the standard 4 wheel chassis in the same place as is marked for the original wheel carrier will work well. I've only offered it up to check and it will be a while before I complete the job as I still need to paint the coach sides before fixing the floor/chassis in place. It is worth noting that the standard axle block and wheel set give a ride height approximately 2mm higher than the ride height sits with bogies. The floor level is determined by the lugs on the steps and so is in effect fixed. I shall probably build up the underside of the chassis/floor with a 2mm plasticard spacer before drilling and locating the bogie.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:16 pm
by Dasher
I've done a little more work on the bogies today. The difference in ride height is actually 1.7mm and so I've cut 1.5mm plasticard spacers - 26mm x 30mm and these sit in the space between the moulded guide lines (the ones meant for the SS16 axle blocks) very nicely. A couple of things that I have had to think about that are worth noting. If the intention is to drop the chassis floor into the coach as per the original design then you have to watch the overlap of the bogie as if placed too far forwards the bogie will likely foul the end panel when in a curve . (the coach end panel carries the buffer and therefore extends down past the coach sides and is therefore deeper with respect to the floor/chassis). Using the WW1 type of bogie will avoid this problem but brings its own with it - namely a likely need to chop off the bottom of the coach ends (and probably the sides too)! At the moment I'm looking at the bogie pivot point being 46mm inboard of the end of the floor/chassis.

Coming inboard so as not to foul the coach end panel brings a new problem - the bogies will now foul the chassis stiffening bars. As these are up inside the coach I've got around this by carving away the inside edge of the stiffening bar. It will not be visible once on the track.

I can see how fitting the WW1 bogies would be, as Rob says, a challenge. It would probably be easier to work on the chassis than the coach sides and ends. You'd probably need to build some boxes to then mate the bogies to. I don't have a WW1 bogie and so can't comment further on how easy this would be.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 5:54 pm
by Dasher
I have positioned and mounted S16 Standard Bogies onto an S16 Standard Four Wheel Chassis. I've temporarily taped on a couple of S16 Mk2 buffers and pushed it around the track using a GRS Diesel. It wasn't coupled. I can confirm that it will run around both 2'6 and 38" Peco radii (at least 180 degrees of curve). The buffers maintain front face contact with each other throughout the curve and the chassis themselves do not come into contact with each other at any point. The bogies are mounted on the chassis longitudinal centre line and are 47mm from the chassis end.

It will be a while before they see a body as I need warmer weather in order to paint them!

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 7:29 pm
by invicta280
47mm in from chassis end. Handy to know. I'm planning the same thing.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 8:05 pm
by Dasher
invicta280 wrote: Sat Feb 02, 2019 7:29 pm 47mm in from chassis end. Handy to know. I'm planning the same thing.
You will need to shave the insides of the strengtheners to run 47mm back as it just fails to clear. It is only a shave of the inner surfaces though - you can't see it from the normal viewing point. Making a card template helps. The image was taken before I cut the spaces for the chassis strengtheners - once this is done the template sits flat (tish). I think that the pivot screw will need a touch of superglue to hold it fast in the bogie. The bogie tension needs to be just right and just after one circuit all mine had moved.

It's pretty easy to do - and nice to know that it works as it was very touch and go. Any further back than 47mm and the strengtheners really get in the way, and also the body of the first coach will touch the following one on overhang. 0.5mm forwards and the coach end gets in the way - so 47mm is critical.

If you are making up more than a pair of bogies then build a jig for attaching the sides. Getting them to sit square is a test of patience. I'm going to pin the next two sets that I still have to build.

Re: Botch Idea

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 7:45 pm
by SpudUk
Since starting this conversation I've noticed that both Bowaters Models and HGLW have announced Ashover coaches in their new ranges being launched at Peterborough