TVT - Dog Box Carriage

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TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by GTB » Wed Apr 06, 2022 6:26 am

Model Story

The title is an Australian term, used by the travelling public to describe older railway carriages of the British non-corridor compartment type. Presumably the name came from a resemblance to the starting boxes at a dog racing track, especially when a suburban train stopped at a station during the rush hour. It was not used as a term of endearment....... ;)

This model was built to match the arc roof pass cars already in TVT service. The other TVT cars are based on an Irish prototype from the Tralee & Dingle line and while this one has no exact prototype, something similar ran on the County Donegal and also on the EBR in Tasmania.

Construction is the same as the earlier TVT cars, having a wooden underframe and bodywork laminated from layers of 0.5mm and 1mm polystyrene sheet. I finally found a local supplier of 1mm clear acrylic sheet recently and this is the first model to use it. It worked out much better than the 1/16" acrylic sheet I've been using for years.

For anyone interested, construction details can be found in the original post on the older models here. https://gardenrails.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=7254

If this had been built on the short underframe of the first TVT models, it would have had only four compartments and the proportions didn't look right when sketched up. After a bit of fiddling with the drawing, it was decided to make it a five compartment body on the same length chassis as the US style cars that I kit bashed from Bachmann JS models. As it happened, it came out the same length and with the same number of compartments as the later VR ng NB class cars. The internal arrangements are similar to those as well.

The underframe was built first, to confirm that it would handle the curves and clearances on my backyard track. As expected there were no issues, although like the US style cars, the coupler swing on some locos needs to be taken into account when marshalling a train.

The first photo shows the finished underframe sitting in the sun just after Christmas during track trials.

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The next photo shows the completed bodywork fitted to the underframe and ready for the paint shop a couple of months later. The underframe had sat around while I worked on other things, as I was waiting for Brandbright to open up again. I needed more of the same ventilators used on the other cars in the set, but eventually decided to complete the model and fit ventilators later if/when they became available.

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This photo shows the internal arrangements. Two compartments at each end with half height dividers and a single compartment in the centre with full height ones. The centre compartment would have been for ladies, one of the end compartment pairs would have been a smoking compartment and the other non-smoking. Interior detail is just basic seats made from custom wood mouldings cut to length and assembled, with the interior walls painted to resemble stained wood.

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The next photo is of the model painted and finished, ready to go into service. As always the sun finally came out after the photo was taken.....

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Finally, the last photo shows the branchline loco making up the weekly branchline mixed train. It will place the pass cars at the platform to load, then add a couple of goods trucks, before setting off. Normally the train crew outnumber the passengers on this service, but an excursion group have booked a return trip and the new dog box is included to provide enough extra seats.

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TVT Story

This was another 'find' from Tasmania for the always cash strapped TVT management committee. Excursion traffic into the area served by the TVT has been on the increase and the other TVT pass cars are saloons with fairly limited seating, as aisles are necessary to access seats.

Even the longer Yankee cars only have thirty-four seats, and the short Irish cars are worse with only twenty-four seats in second class. Both types have plenty of standing room, but the TVT isn't a suburban railway and excursionists complain loudly if they have to stand all the way.

The dog box car seats forty passengers and loads/unloads much quicker than the saloon cars, so the management is happy with the investment.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by philipy » Wed Apr 06, 2022 8:09 am

Exquisite work from you, as always Graeme. Thanks for sharing. :)
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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by ge_rik » Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:21 am

I was trying to place what they reminded me of. My first thoughts were Isle of Man, but I can see the County Donegal similarities - even down to the colour....

More modelling masterpieces, Graeme.

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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by Peter Butler » Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:47 am

Everything you touch turns to gold Graeme, these are more mini masterpieces, just as Rick says!
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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by BertieB » Wed Apr 06, 2022 6:51 pm

Very nice. I particularly like your use of colour, especially the grey underframes. Unfortunately I can’t really copy it.

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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by LNR » Thu Apr 07, 2022 2:00 am

Nice one Graeme, Borun and train look very typical. Seems you got a good flat finish on the dogbox.
Grant.

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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by Andrew » Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:03 am

That's another very fine-looking carriage! Glad the excursion trade is proving lucrative...

Probably not how you prefer to operate, but if you every fancied a "gala" type operation, with various locos and rakes of stock in action, I can't help thinking it would make for a wonderful spectacle, they're all such a joy to see...

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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by Lonsdaler » Thu Apr 07, 2022 7:52 pm

Those look marvellous Graeme. Well done.
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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by GTB » Thu Jun 30, 2022 7:03 am

With Brandbright now coming back online, I was recently able to order the roof ventilators I wanted to complete this model so the roof matched the others in the rake. The package arrived the other day, the vents were painted the usual shade of faded black and they were fitted today.

Which now completes this project. One more job scrubbed off the whiteboard.

The photo shows the finished dog box car sitting in afternoon sunshine for it's portrait, with two rows of roof ventilators front and centre......

Dogbox-h.jpg
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No running shots though. It may look nice and sunny in the pic., but it's mid-winter around here and today was brass monkey weather.

Graeme

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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by LNR » Thu Jun 30, 2022 8:53 am

Nice one Graeme, they look really good.
Agree about the brass monkey temps, two bars on the radiator in the workshop today.
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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by Peter Butler » Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:15 am

Beautiful work again Graeme, sheer perfection.
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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by Tropic Blunder » Sat Jul 23, 2022 1:40 am

Absolutely stunning Graeme. How did you make the roof vents or were they castings? I need some for my TGR BBL
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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by GTB » Sat Jul 23, 2022 2:39 am

Tropic Blunder wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 1:40 am Absolutely stunning Graeme. How did you make the roof vents or were they castings? I need some for my TGR BBL
Hi Jake. Scratchbuilding torpedo vents is above my pay grade.........

I used whitemetal castings from Brandbright. The new owner recently listed most of the detail parts in the range again and I ordered the vents as soon as they appeared. The torpedo vent castings I used are the oval type, RSA134 in the catalog. There is also a taller round type available, the RSA20.

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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by Tropic Blunder » Sat Jul 23, 2022 5:11 am

It would be uber finnicky and im not entirely sure that even my best 3d printed effort would do them justice. Will have to order a packet and see how they turn out thanks!
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Re: TVT - Dog Box Carriage

Post by GTB » Sun Jul 24, 2022 4:33 am

Tropic Blunder wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 5:11 am It would be uber finnicky and im not entirely sure that even my best 3d printed effort would do them justice. Will have to order a packet and see how they turn out thanks!
I might be possible to print decent ones using a resin printer of the sort Shapeways use, which are somewhere north of $100k......... I've seen examples of printed vents, that suggest a consumer grade filament printer would not be the way to go.

I looked up some TGR photos. and the Brandbright RSA20 casting looks more like TGR practice than the oval vents I used. Might be worth asking Ken at Brandbright the dimensions of those, before ordering.

The minimum postage is 10GBP, a bit pricey for one 2.52GBP bag of vents. My model needed 4 bags of vents and I made the order up with other bits to make it worthwhile. Even so, UK postage isn't as bad as it is from the US........ :shock:

The photo of the vents I use is the best I could manage. There's a bit of parallax, so ignore the ruler. The castings dimensions are approx. 10mm long over the curved cover, 10mm wide over the tapered points and a little under 10mm overall height.

roof vents.jpg
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Graeme

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