Scratch building coaches.

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Titan
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Scratch building coaches.

Post by Titan » Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:43 pm

A little winter project, but since I now have a double fairlie, I have a desire for some bogie coaches to go with it. I anticipate a rake of about five, not too long as they have to go round 2'6" curves.

Might need a little thinking about, as they have to be cheap, and reasonably quick to build.

First off, I have aquired some cheap bogies to use, see here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=013

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=013

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=014

and some steel wheels

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=013

Athough I hope the seller sends me his invoice quick as they are getting more expensive by the minute it seems!!

I'm not too bothered if the bogies are not the correct style, as you won't see them much anyway.

One of the ideas I am toying with is to make them from card. I have made stuff from card before, and as long as they are adequately strengthened do seem to be quite robust. I am also wondering if it is feasable to feed the card through the printer and print the livery including lining, numbering, crests etc, and then maybe spraying with varnish for a better finish and improved durability. I need to learn how to do graphics on the computer properly mind!
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Post by mhlr » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:16 pm

Oily Rag wrote:Um, they don't look like O gauge to me. :shock:
More like 45mm.
I thought that too, and seeing as its from the US of A...
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Post by Titan » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:31 pm

mhlr wrote:
Oily Rag wrote:Um, they don't look like O gauge to me. :shock:
More like 45mm.
I thought that too, and seeing as its from the US of A...
I do not understand why you think this, because

a) it says O gauge in the title.
b) there is nothing in the pictures to show that it is anything other than O gauge.
c) there is plenty of O gauge in the USA, for example Lionel, Atlas, etc as well as others, and thats just the ready to run stuff not counting kits.
d) I have actually sold loads of O gauge stuff to the USA via ebay - nothing with bogies though!

Still if it is 45mm I can always regauge it or sell it on!
Last edited by Titan on Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by SillyBilly » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:35 pm

I can see what the guys mean though, like you say metal wheels are easy enough to re-gauge should they be 45mm.

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Post by Titan » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:25 pm

Oily Rag wrote:a) on eBay - what is says on the title means nothing!
b) I use to run G scale and they look just like LGB/Bachmann wheelsets.
c)Definately doesn't look O gauge.

If you haven't paid yet ask the seller to check with a ruler.
If you have paid, and they are 45mm,  you can return them at their expense and get a refund, quoting "not as described".

Why waste your time regauging dozens of axles?

HTH
If you check his completed listings like I did, you will see that he sells a wide variety of stuff in HO, S, O and even "proto 48 O gauge".

And since O scale happens to be 1:48, and the volume of model sales he has with 100% feedback and an impressive 4.8 stars out of 5 for item as described, there can be absolutely no doubt that this guy knows exactly what O gauge is, and has labelled it correctly.

Some of his sales even include Lionel, which I believe only make O gauge anyway.
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Post by laalratty » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:31 pm

looking forward to this, it will be nice to see some cardboard coaches, especially if you can succefully add livery etc, it would cut down a heck of a lot on painting
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Post by Titan » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:00 pm

Oily Rag wrote:
Titan wrote:
If you check his completed listings like I did, you will see that he sells a wide variety of stuff in HO, S, O and even "proto 48 O gauge".

And since O scale happens to be 1:48, and the volume of model sales he has with 100% feedback, there can be absolutely no doubt that this guy knows exactly what O gauge is, and has labelled it correctly.

Some of his sales even include Lionel, which I believe only make O gauge anyway.
OK! it's O gauge.
Still don't look right.  :scratch:
I did note that there seemed to be quite a variety of wheel diameters and flange sizes, it is possible that this could account for it. I also did not bid for the proto 48 stuff - sounds a bit like some sort of finescale which might not have been suitable for SM32. Standard O gauge seems OK though, my one and only bogie coach so far sits on a virtually unmodified lima tank wagon chassis and has no problems.

As far as construction is concerned, I would build the coach as a full compartment style, so that each compartment would effectively have a bulkhead going from floor to ceiling for strength. The seats would also be attached firmly to the sides, helping too.

It may also be possible to print out quite a bit of detail for the interior too, patterned cushions for first class, with pictures above the seats, plain wooden benches for third class etc.

I think I'll have fun experimenting!
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Post by Titan » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:41 pm

I had a little google and found a couple of sites with similar ideas.

This one uses the printer for the colours, but has perhaps a little more basic look than what I am going for.

http://www.aizoon.co.uk/cardboard.htm

Whereas these instructions whilst I am sure would make a superb detailed coach, look a little time consuming - I would prefer to try and do it in three layers of thicker card if possible.

http://home.iae.nl/users/summer/16mmngm ... _Coach.doc

I will have a think about to what extent I could mix and match the two, + maybe a few ideas of my own!
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Post by Titan » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:22 pm

I have possibly had one of those 'got to be done' moments - I was mulling over what style of coach I should build, and then it hit me - how about a rake of Pullmans!? It would probably throw the quick to build idea right out of the window but what the hell!!

Now I know there probably is not much in the way of a full size prototype, but my railway is entirely freelance so anything goes and I like doing something a bit different.

No doubt I would have to spend a little time making them look half decent - but there is scope for doing a lot of unusual things - gangway connections for a start. And I can't get the idea out of my head...
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Post by made-in-england » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:27 pm

Your railway is most deffinatley freelance but it what makes it so brilliant!
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Post by SillyBilly » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:39 pm

There is a prototype for most things:
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http://whr.bangor.ac.uk/coaches2.htm

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Post by Titan » Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:33 pm

Thanks for the links, thats the sort of thing I have in mind!

Sadly at 500mm long the locolines ones are just too long.  They look pretty tall too.
I reckon 400mm is my absolute limit, and thinking about it even at that length gangways might not be possible as they also have to go round 2'6" curves, and the amount of swing on the coach ends may mean that it is just too far to stretch. Well at least not without looking like some joke accordian...

I think I would aim for something similar but maybe 4/5ths of the size and perhaps one window less.  I really do like the interior on those as well.  More ideas for the melting pot!
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Post by Titan » Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:42 am

The bogies have arrived, and I must say I am rather pleased. Most of them are in fact fully sprung, and most of the ones that are not have full compensation, so should give a lovely ride. Seems a bit of a bargain compared to buying new over here.

there are a couple of things, they are quite short wheelbase with fairly small diameter wheels compared to what you would be used to on SM32, but I think that is unlikely to be an issue.

The other is the brand new unassembled frames do not have springs. So I have a choice - glue them together and have them unsprung, or find/make lots of little springs about 2mm diameter - each bogie requires 6 and there are at least 6 bogies to assemble so that is over 36 little springs required!

And before anyone says anything I was not expecting springs to be included, I just did not realise the bogies were supposed to be sprung!
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