Yorky D's Küchentisch - Purists look away now.....

simond

Western Thunderer
Dave,

This is looking very lovely, but I fear your floor will be trapped by the “tails” of the buffers and couplings. This might be a bit of a PITA when you come to paint.

Don’t ask me how I know...
Best
Simon
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
This is looking very lovely, but I fear your floor will be trapped by the “tails” of the buffers and couplings. This might be a bit of a PITA when you come to paint.

Don’t ask me how I know...

Obviously the voice of experience....;)

It's something I did think about - especially having made the body removable. I may end up carefully cutting the buffer beams off the ends and soldering them to the chassis.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
I like building locos,
I like building wagons.
The loco shed has been interesting, there’s still a way to go on that, and I’m enjoying it....
but I loathe building coaches.

If you can fit the buffer beams on the chassis, the problem does go away. Fingers crossed!
Simon
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Well, well well.... I appeared to have surpassed myself tonight.

I carefully cut off the buffer beams using a piercing saw and soldered them to some scrap nickel silver etch to beef them up a bit.

They were then soldered to the underframe after opening up the buffer and coupler holes.
LCD 41.jpg
LCD 42.jpg

This is after the coach body has been screwed to the underframe. LCD 43.jpg

Once the buffers, vacuum and steam heat pipes have been installed the slight imperfection will be hidden. After it will be representing one of Col. Stephens poorly maintained second hand purchases!
LCD 44.jpg

And temporarily resting on the suspension units. LCD 45.jpg

I've just realised whilst typing these ramblings this is the first brass coach kit I have built in O scale and apart from some few niggles it has been quite satisfying in a way. The previous brass coach kits I had built were the Roxey SECR 60' 4mm birdcage set way back in the late 80's
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
After discussing the LCDR coach on the Guild Tech Comm stand with a SECR Society member at Kettering last weekend he subsequently forwarded some of his notes regarding this LCDR coach.... which included a photograph taken from a footbridge at Lewisham Road around the turn of the last century showing the roof details.

So from this piece of guesswork (using the part provided in the kit).....
LCD 46.jpg

... to this. The rainstrips and electrical conduit were fashioned from Evergreen styrene strip and the torpedo vents were some I found in my wagon parts box. I think they are of Parkside origin but they'll suffice.
LCD 47.jpg

In addition the photo and notes revealed the LCDR had three lamp irons on their coaches so a third one was added centrally above the buffer beam on the compartment end.....LCD 48.jpg

....and on the brake end. LCD 49.jpg
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Over the last few days I've also been messing around with soft furnishings - in this case Slaters seats for the LCD coach.

I have no idea of the LCDR furnishing colours so I painted the first class a deep prussian blue with a purple colour carpet and the second class a dark red with a blue floor.

I've also attempted to show seat wear with lighter worn patches. The antimacassars are cut from toilet paper (clean, naturally :rolleyes:) and stuck to the seat backs with matt varnish. They were then painted with a dilute wash of ivory white and a very pale grey wash was applied.
LCD 50.jpg
LCD 51.jpg
LCD 52.jpg

And to see what it looks like inside the coach. LCD 53.jpg
LCD 54.jpg
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
I was messing about again tonight and added some mirrors and carriage prints to the interior.

The mirrors are made up from polished nickel silver scrap etch and a black marker pen was used around the edges.

The carriage prints were found online. I downloaded, resized and fitted them into the carriage. These are actually turn of the century photographs of scenic destinations on the LBSCR but look the part in the carriages.

I have also added a single ply of cheap kitchen towel on the floor of the first class compartments to represent carpeting...... it was this accident which set the leetle grey cells working :eek:.
LCD 55.jpg

I wondered if somehow I could represent the luxurious seating found in turn of the century carriages. So I made up a Slaters seat to try out the idea...

Again, good old kitchen towel, this time left as two ply.

I cut a piece slightly larger than the seat and glued this on with plastic weld gently prodding it into the corners - a bit smelly but it did adhere. Once set I made up and added the seat dividers and armrests. The results are below and one half has been left unpainted.
LCD 56.jpg
LCD 57.jpg
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Nice one, Dave. Most convincing.

Can you see it through the windows, or is it a case of “I know it’s there”?

Atb
Simon
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Impressive.

In the first photo one can believe that the seating has been the subject of wear on the squab and on the backrest - how have you achieved this effect?

In the second and third photos the seats have the impression of being buttoned - a Slater's seat is smooth so what have you done here?

thank you, Graham
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Can you see it through the windows, or is it a case of “I know it’s there”?

A bit like building a ship, detailing the engine room and putting the deck on :) :rolleyes:!

It just started out as an idea but I'd very much doubt it could be seen in compartment coaches. Saloons may be a different matter with their larger windows.
 
Last edited:

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
In the first photo one can believe that the seating has been the subject of wear on the squab and on the backrest - how have you achieved this effect?

The seats were painted in the base colour first followed by a dark grey wash to get into the corners. Once dry I lightly drybrushed the 'worn' areas with a lighter shade of blue (or red in the case of the second class seats).

In the second and third photos the seats have the impression of being buttoned - a Slater's seat is smooth so what have you done here?

The Slaters seats were made up as described earlier and I just stuck some cheap kitchen towel on with plastic weld glue and let it set before cutting off the excess towel with a sharp knife.
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
The coach body has now been dressed.... well, airbrush painted.

The body colour, all Vallejo acrylics, is a mixture of German Red Brown/Rot Braun RAL 8012 surface primer (74.605), Mahagony (71.036) and a drop of Red (71.102). Droplight frames are painted with a mixture of New Wood and Mahagony. White roof and black ends. SECR decals are from Fox.

The whole ensemble was then given a coat of Alclad gloss laquer.

Once hardened off the body will be lined and weathered.

LCD 58.jpg
LCD 59.jpg
LCD 60.jpg
LCD 61.jpg
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Yes - it's Bodge city's bodgarama time....

This time with the chassis.....

Not liking the axleboxes supplied with the kit I purchased some new ones from Ragstone, however they do not have W irons.

So viewers, you may recall from my LT thread I altered the suspension on the Met 6T ballast wagons, serendipity has intervened.

These W irons removed from the three Met ballast wagons have fortuitously provided me with six W iron etches.
LCD 61a.jpg

Ragstone castings soldered to the W irons.
LCD 62.jpg

And fitted them to the chassis. Polite note to the solder police - look away now :eek:.

A bit of bodgery with brass angle and scrap etch was involved to ensure they were at the correct height and secure. Although a bit crude it is solid and will not be seen :).
LCD 63.jpg
LCD 64.jpg
As this coach is being finished in SECR livery some new full length lower foot boards will be made as the kit only includes those as shortened (for the brake compartment only) by the EKR.
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Tonight I've mostly been making footboards.....

An office move over the weekend saw the liquidation of these assets - steel sprung paper clips......
LCD 67.jpg

Which I used to hold two brass strips together whilst I tack soldered these in preparation for cutting them into lower footboards for the coach. The original short footboard from the kit (lower right) provided the template for cutting out the axlebox slot.LCD 68.jpg

Yesterday I made up 16 C section (bottom right) footboard supports from scrap etch which were soldered to the base of the upper footboard.
I also cut out toe boards from brass strip. These were soldered to the supports first with the supports held in place by the paper clips followed by the lower footboards. The paper clips prevent the supports moving and also act as a mini heat sink during soldering.
LCD 69.jpg

Et voila - the chassis with lower footboards. LCD 70.jpg
LCD 71.jpg
LCD 72.jpg

The LCDR sign on the left is something I idly knocked up from the kit description on the outer frame of the scrap etch, tube, rod and a redundant flywheel. With a few glass beads denoting the James Staats-Forbes Dutch Rhenish Railway connection. The glass beads are leftovers when I used the green and red ones (stacked as shown) to represent port and starboard navigation lights on ships.
 
LCDR

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
This week saw the fitting of the under chassis gubbins.....

LCD 73.jpg

....which was primed, painted and mated to it's glazed and lined body. This being my first attempt at lining after a 30 year gap - only the windows, lower panels, outer end and bottom edges are lined.

The body was given two overall black/brown washes to get into the panels which has hidden the lining in some parts. Once this was dry I wiped over the body with my finger to 'polish' the panels which left a bit of grime in the corners. I've deliberately left the coach unkempt as it was sold by the Southern in 1926 to the EKR without being repainted into SR colours.

LCD 74.jpg
LCD 75.jpg

A view into the compartments... LCD 77.jpg

The SMOKING signs are part of the Fox Transfers SECR set and like all decals they are designed to be placed on the outside..... however....
LCD 77a.jpg

....I did not want the decals to be on the outside of the panes so I prepared them as per the instructions but dabbed them with a piece of kitchen towel whilst still on the backing sheet (but loose) to remove excess water. I then brushed a drop of Johnsons Klear (orginal formula from I bottle I purchased years ago) onto the inside of the window and applied the decal with a fine pair of tweezers. Due to fragility of the decals there is very little time to manoeuvre them into place.

A bit of a cruel close up and as can be seen these SMOKING decals represent the etched glass style.
LCD 78.jpg
LCD 79.jpg

Mmmm. It really needs a 5 compartment 3rd and a SECR ex-LCD loco to keep it company. Preferably an A class 0-4-4T :).
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Cunning use of the paper clips Dave, looks like they work well. Holding the parts tight but little thermal mass. One to store away for future use.
 
Top