Garden Railway Forum

hi all

i was just wondering if anyone had any tips for building IP engineering coaches and if there is anything i should watch out for when building one

many thanks

plewsy2105

Laser cut?? which coaches???

the coach i ordered was IP's freelance Two Compartment / Guards coach kit

First of all make sure its all square. I was given some kits from the same range to build a few months ago and they where far from square!
If they are check both sides and ends are the same sizes and that they fit where they are meant to. Construct the kit roughly without any glue.
then your read to build!

Also, don't be afraid to use Peco track pins to hold the basic "shell" together until the glue's dried. I also find it beneficial to stick coffee stirrers inside the body in such a place that the floor will sit snugly against them - Ivan is very fond of saying "draw a line x millemetres up from the bottom of the panel, and glue the floor there" - it's a damn sight easier if you've got something to butt the floor up against!

TBH, just follow the instructions and you really can't go too far wrong. The only problem that did once catch me out with an IP kit was a warped floor panel. If you have this problem, run the affected component under the hot tap for a few minutes, bend it back into shape and then duct-tape it firmly to a flat surface and leave for twenty-four hours.