All Aboard ! plus more

[ShaunW]

Unfortunately I have to put up with a number of cardboard people!

[JohnRatzenberger]

Oh, so it's OK if my cardboard people loose their grip and fall onto the platform, maybe even the tracks ?

[JohnRatzenberger]

Not being a total sloth here, but I have a review kit to get gone, and have been swamped with town business.



I googled a number of images and didn't come up with a definitive coach interior, nor are my Peco sets consistent, so I just decided on a wood - darker for the 1st restaurant, less so for the 2nds. Not meant to be real visible anyway.

However this clears the way for painting the exterior colors / livery and then assembly. The only real benefit is that I can test fit the card interiors, although I already made a test run with the card bases and a floor, so there really should be no problem.

Soon as I get this review done, it'll be pretty much full steam on these ... well as full steam as I can manage these days ...

[JohnRatzenberger]

I have been very busy in the Town, and it is only now slacking off. At same time I was tied up on a review kit which is now done. Last thing is family coming in Wednesday for a week.

Bottom line is the bench is clear for me to get to work on the rail cars, so expect to see progress reports starting soon ...

[JohnRatzenberger]

So, soon doesn't come all that quickly ... but it's here ....



The main corridor/compartment walls for all four are up. I have enhanced them with clear plastic windows along those walls but am not doing that for some of the smaller windows which are "painted on". Fortunately I could work this part as an assembly line.

Next step in the coaches will be the seats / compartments and they will take more time to cut out and are a bit fussy. I probably will have to drop out of assembly line mode shortly and focus on one coach at a time until I get back to the little details. Anyway, I am moving now ....

For all five, the undercarriages, end pieces, interiors, etc, are painted and ready to assemble later - so there is a lot more done than you see here. I will start painting the restaurant car floor, seats, and tables shortly. All windows need Future. I still have not started the exterior paint for the coaches, but must shortly. I have been stalling waiting on a book about Mk.I coaches but it seems to be on a slow boat from Down Under ....

[ShaunW]

Nice one, it's good to see these coming along John.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Seats went into the Corridor Composite today, I'm working them one at a time through this stage ...



I had a bit of a problem getting them bent and folded and then sitting right; it went easier on the corridor brake I did earlier. I'll take a couple stabs out fixing them, but in the main, it'll be hard to notice when done. Might even look better in first class when I get the head/arm rests in.

I'll be doing seats and toilets for a bit, coach by coach, then get back to the details scattered about.

[splash]

I love the detail in these old card kits they must really transform the old empty carriages.

Do the old kitmaster kits come with any interior or did they just come as empty shells?

I only ask because Dapol still do the carriages in the UK but they cost about £11 each and for about £8 you can pick up 2nd hand Hornby carriages with the interior detail.

Since starting to play build these Kitmaster kits I'm thinking of going over to the dark side and getting some trains and can't make up my mind if the kit carriages are good value or not.

What's your thoughts on value for money?

Regards Splash

[beany]

I've been tempted by the Kitmaster re-pops too Alan. VFM wise, they beat a brand new Hornby hands down at about a quarter of the price. Maybe not so much when compared with a second hand example on eBay - the source of much of my rolling stock if I am honest, locos as well - but if you look at it as a stand alone plastic model kit that will give you a few hours of fun in gluing, painting, detailing and weathering, then I reckon £11.00 is pretty good. Interiors can also be sourced via eBay or you can just buy some really cheap scrapper coaches and cannibalise them (I've done that as well).

I think the Kitmaster coaches come with metal wheels as well which means they will be really nice runners. I'm sure there will be many converts to "the dark side" when you've all had a go at running trains on the layout at Telford - I may even have to draw up a driver roster - allowing occasional breaks for Joe Public to have a go as well!!

Cheers
Al.

[ShaunW]

That is indeed a good looking interior John. The driver roster sounds fun, it's been years since I last had a go with a model train!

[JohnRatzenberger]

Kitmaster (I cannot speak to Dapol) coaches have no interior, no metal wheels, and a KM-style coupler. The exception on the interior is the restaurant car which has a floor, tables, and clunky chairs/benches. The Peco card interiors, for all but the restaurant car, are all I know about, but of course there have to be any number of figures and detail items one could add. I got metal wheels and Hornby couplers for all of mine.

I did review my notes to find that Al wants the Corr-2nd and Brake-2nd as primary, and the other 3 as fillers with the possibility of a brief starring role. So I am switching effort to those two. I can already see that the Corr-2nd interior is working better than the Corr-Comp, and I know from experience the Brake should be OK, so maybe my problems were an anomaly. If I can't just beat it into shape, I have spares and can re-do it.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Well, not much progress since last, but I did finally receive this, all the way from Australia.



It's really a trainspotter's book - all the cars, by type, series, manufacturer, specials, whatever, with serial lists, etc .... And not that many photos. However, each "variant" is introduced by a data table and a simple side view and an a top view of the internal layout.

I haven't gone deep into it, but I can see, with all the spare kits that I have, making some variant interiors from a combo of the Peco card kits and scratchbuilding.

But that's for later, I need to get back to work ...

[JohnRatzenberger]

I am about to paint then decal the coach sides so I can start body assembly.

Al has requested two in 'blood & custard' and I will do the other 3 in 'chocolate & cream'.

Each kit has a narrow (raised) strip running above/below the center (window) area.
-- the center area is custard/cream.
-- the lower area is blood/chocolate.

What color would the strip between the window & lower area be ?
There is a narrow upper area, above the strip above the center area - what color would that be ?
What color would the strip between the window & upper area be ?

[ShaunW]

Can any of you railway bods help John with his query please? Sorry, but I'm colour blind so even if I found pics on Google images or whatever, I'd still need to ask

[splash]

Is this link any use? http://www.bloodandcustard.com/bloodand ... story.html