laalrattys latest rolling stock project

[laalratty]

Having spent most of the spring and summer so far trying to think of a carriage to scratchbuild, and having almost started designing and building a pair of Ffestiniog Railway "barn" coaches (numbers 104-107 if you know your FfR carriages) I have a nice little project to be working on thanks to a big bargain on e-bay
I don't like to admit it, but it is thanks to SLRmidge that I managed to buy a part complete Tenmille Lynton and Barnstaple coach kit (retail price £112 excluding bogies and wheels) for a mere £44.00 INCLUDING bogies and wheels
So what cunning plan do I have for this then??? Let me explain

The kit I brought is for Lynton and Barnstaple number 15/16, these were 3rd class brake coaches. However, unlike most of the L&B fleet, number 15 survived, and I think most of you should know where it is now running! http://www.frheritage.org.uk/wiki/Carriage_14
It is this carriage I am going to model, using the kit as a basis. The main altreration will be to the internal layout, which will mean removing the compartments. The rest of the mods that I need to do will be found out when I recieve the kit.
There is more however, to give me a proper little FfR rake, I am going to scratchbuild a model of Ffestiniog van 5 (formerly number 12) http://www.frheritage.org.uk/wiki/Van_5
This should allow me to recreate an FfR train of the 60's using my model of the observation car van 4 (formerly 11) and my IP engineering "bowsider" number 17. The only thing missing will be a model of Prince to haul it (though i'm sure Taliesin should suffice nicely!!!)
And finally, how did I get the coach so cheap? An exceptionally bad listing, the coach wasn't even mentioned in the header, the seller was selling the bogies, and you had to read the full description to realise that the coach was part of the sale. The seller also seemed to think it was 0 scale because it was 0 gauge.

[bungle80a]

Very nice! You jammy git!

I am taking by your description it is now running on the Ffr? If it is that coach you are refering to, will you be modelling it as it is today, complete with bar? Was a very nice coach to ride in last weekend!

[laalratty]

Yes it is the coach running on the Ffestiniog. I am hoping to put the bar in, and I would like to thank you for the internal pic you put in your album from last week, it will come in very useful! I have always liked that coach, the vintage expriance whislt also having access to the buffet close by

[bungle80a]

yopu'll be able to get some piccies yourself next week! What you up to whilst in Wales?

[laalratty]

Volunteering on the FfR mostly, taking part in kids week which is a manic week where kids under 18 do a variety of strange jobs, often involving painting. Both me and dad are adult helpers. Perks include a free travel pass for the Fffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways We will be having a ride on the WHR at some point in the week, and i'm also taking down Taliesin and Urien for running on the Seibiant Hill Railway, the Bryn Tydden (sp?) light railway and the Moel-y-Guest light railway (hopefully)

[bungle80a]

Its gonna be a busy week! LOL!

Does adult helpers basically stand for 'big kids'!?!

[laalratty]

Its gonna be a busy week! LOL!

Does adult helpers basically stand for 'big kids'!?!

yep Well it does if your under 30, i'm not sure about dad

[bungle80a]

I know you are doing very valuable jobs whilst there, but isnt there a yearning to be more actively involved in the operational side?

[laalratty]

erm yes there is a bit, but distance is a problem for the FfR as well as time, to get down there and also spare time to commit for more then a week a year

[SillyBilly]

but isnt there a yearning to be more actively involved in the operational side?

Yes, this is what I do, and for soem stupid reason I have volunteered on Kids Week this year.

I have promised myself this is the last one I shall do, unless future ones involve careing for locos. The only reason I'm doing it is to see friends, and I do this at the risk of having the fun poked at me for ages when I go back to my department.

[bungle80a]

It woulod take you less time to get there than it does for the PTLR crowd to get up to Scotland!!!! Although I suppose getting there could be a problem!

I cant wait to get back on the road. Quite possibly gonna volunteer on one of the big 2 in North Wales! I'm quite fortunate that this job 'can' be quite flexible with hours...unless of course I want to go to a steam up!

[laalratty]

Right, time for some de-bunglefying....
Firstly, the coach has arrived today, SLRmidge came round with a huge box, he had pre-warned me that there was a nice suprise in there. But nothing could have prepared me for came out of the box

First came the coach....



Then came this, which SLRmidge did know about...


And it was followed by this which he didn't know about...


And this as well...


Overall it came to this pile of goodies...


It's fair to say that I'm completely chuffed with my £44.00 purchase  :D  :D I reckon that it is worth at least £250 from the kits alone (they mostly appear to be Tenmille, although the box van isn't listed as one of their products). Apparantly the seller told SLRmidge that he was including some "scrap" with the coach, the Lynton and Barnstaple wagons are certainly not scrap, and are new additions to the ANLR fleet, I've always wanted the accucraft L and B bogie stock but have never been able to afford it. The Tallylyn  brake van number 5 I will be selling however, see the for sale section...
Anyway, back to the main project, the body of the coach appears well built, which is a pitty as I need to partially dismantle it to make the changes I want to it. A repaint is also needed, and the bogies need to be fitted.
Anyway, perhapes I should start believing in karma, as this almost makes up for having Taliesin fall off the PTLR viaduct! Also a big thank you to SLRmidge for finding and buying this lot on ebay

[DLRdan]

Thats a great buy an all for what i paid for my bogie van
If your van is any thing like mine it makes the most annoying sound when is rolling

[MoelygestLR]

When is your aimed completion date?
Will some of the items make an appearance in wales?
I am trying to finish building my small rake of slate wagons so that there is enough stock for the amount of trains that will be coming!

[mhlr]

damn it!

[laalratty]

When is your aimed completion date?

For the carriage, i'm hoping for mid september, maybe earlier although it will be a difficult alteration

Will some of the items make an appearance in wales?

Probably not, the van is most advanced of the mods I want to make, having worked on it for most of the day. However they are fitted with hook and link incompatible chopper couplings, and with only one chopper fitted per vehical to boot! They both need repainting into ANLR wagon livery, and the open wagon needs some detailing replacing. I'm hoping to have them ready by the end of August. Obviously with all of these extra wagons, the scratchbuild FfR van 5 is very much on the back burner!
BTW the van is defiantly not a tenmille kit, it is a scratchbuild, with a cardboard roof that is definatly going!

[laalratty]

Started work on the carriage this morning, and as you would expect for something that needs a few changes, it meant doing some dismantling. One side had to be taken off so that I could access the interior and remove the partitions. This took nearly 2 hours, being extreamley careful not to cause the whole thing to be a right off. Luckily I managed to get the side off with only a small amount of damage to the end beading.


Taking off the body side revealed that there was an inner side below the windows, this I decided to leave in place as I thought I could get the partitions out with it still in place. This I managed with a bit of force and ignorance, and yet only managed to break off the inner side with the last partition. This was easily glued back on.


As you can see the interior is painted a horrible dark grey colour. Number 14 as running on the Ffestiniog now has a stained interior and I want to stain the interior for this as well. This means sanding away all of the paint!!! Needless to say this is not a fun job! I have managed to do the upper half of the side that is still on and the end, although I still have over a half to do Then I can start building the new interior. I am also planning some changes to the beading, and of course a repaint into ANLR green and off white livery.

[laalratty]

I have spent most of today sanding off the horrible grey interior paint, a horrible job with dust flying around and the inevertable pain to fingertips. It was so bad that mum offered to help as I looked so obviously bored Anyway, here is what the coach looks like now...


It's not perfect, but my fingers can't take anymore, so it is staying like that, and i'm hoping that the remaining traces of paint will be hidden by the wood stain. Next up is the building up of the interior, this will happen after my week in Wales as I will be spending tommorow packing. Then it will be back to the sand paper for the repaint...

[Hancockshire]

Nice work so far, can't wait until it's finished (first Binnie skip purchase looming on me, can't wait until the order )

[laalratty]

yopu'll be able to get some piccies yourself next week! What you up to whilst in Wales?

Ermm, oh no I didn't! Despite my best efforts number 14 managed to evade me for the entire week, usually sailing by formed in the train passed by the one I was on in loops.
Anyway, I have restarted work on the carriage, and have made the required mods to the beading, next up is the interior. This will invlove making several tables, seats and of course the bar