Painting Panelled Coaches

[SpudUk]

Hello Folks,

Any tips on painting panelled coaches? How best to do it, paints to use etc?

Also, can anyone suggest a good supplier? I've been looking at the IP Engineering L&B Short Coach Kit Range as I like the height compared to Accucraft locomotives, but the longest they do is only three compartments and I'd like a few short bogies instead (I wouldn't feel confident kit bashing). Just thought I'd ask

Chris

[williamfj]

The way I've painted my coaches so far is to paint the sides & overlays separately, as for kit suppliers have you checked out the Brandbright & Swift Sixteen ranges?

[SpudUk]

...have you checked out the Brandbright & Swift Sixteen ranges?

Thanks for the tips.

Brandbright's are far to short, usually coming in at around 130mm in height. Swiftsixteen's although they are 150mm, from what I've seen they're still quite short next to an Accucraft loco. Happy to be proved wrong though!

[TommyDodd]

I know their kits don't have an outstanding reputation for economy or ease of use, but GRS might be the answer in this case. They produce a range of L&B coach kits using an interesting construction method. small mouldings of individual compartment sides that are then stuck to a carcase (I believe a perspex box, to take care of the glazing) to make up the complete coach body. This system is ideal for kitbashing and freelancing- so much so that GRS themselves now sell 6 and 5 compartment length kits in a variety of combinations allowing anything from an all-third to a "Queen Mary" full brake. Knowing GRS I suspect they will be a tad under 16mm scale but given the size of the originals that would still leave a reasonably large vehicle.

[laalratty]

I would possibly have a bash at kitbashing, I think it would certainly be possible to bash two coaches into one with a new floor and solebars.
As for painting, well I'm not the best to give advice by any means, but I nowadays tend to paint the panelling overlays before sticking it on, and painting the coach side before sticking them on as well. This does have the disadvantage of having to try and keep the coach side where the overlay fixes paint free as it with stick better. I use brush paints, others swear by spray though.

[Soar Valley Light]

The information about coach heights was something I'd not picked up on before - thanks for that SPuduk. I was on the verge of spend about £100 (that I don't really have!) on some second hand ones of the freelance range. I've checked and I agree with you, they would look uncomfortable behind an Accucraft beatuy.

Regarding painting I would agree with the guys who recommend painting pre assembly, that said it will call for some very careful work to fix the beading without damaging the panelling. I think it's worth the risk though.

As for kit bashing, if you don't try you'll never know! I'm a little cautious myself these days as mistakes are expensive but they are rarely irredemable. We are very well supplied with raw materials of all kinds. Who knows, it may even lead you down the scratch building road one day!

[kandnwlr]

Check out from photos the heights on preserved railways, and you´ll discover sometimes that there is a mismatch. But it´s also reality. To be honest, I just caught myself looking at the heights of coaches from Perfect World to better match one of my locos. But there you are.

[Soar Valley Light]

Very true kandnwlr. When I was writing my post I was thinking to myself about how small some of the FR coaches are compared to locos. They weren't the only ones and it's not confined to narrow gauge either. Look at a picture of a Brighton terrier coupled to a Brighton autocoach!

The bottom line is always a personal choice for our own railways, that's what it's all about. For me though I like things to be in proportion, a good many railways were built to some sort of standard specification of their own and that usually meant things matched aesthetically. A good example of locos matching coaches in size, and of locos that don't, can be found on Laalratty's recent posts in the photos section of the Scorton Bank 10th aniversary visit. Some very nice shots there.

[SpudUk]

I agree about varying coach heights in prototype, but that's prototype. My personal feeling is that when this happens in model form it accentuates that you're looking at a model. For some it doesn't, and I have seen it work, but personally for me I'd want my locomotives and my coaches to be more or less the same height as each other, otherwise I think the Walthingham and Lyonesse Light Railway Company may have sacked their CME!