Darj' coach & waggon works

[maxi-model]

Had these Darjeeling rolling stock projects building up (or not as was the case) - 2 x IP goods vans, 1 x tea van, 1 x Mk I postal coach, 2 x Mk I passenger coaches, 2 x Yatton tarpaulin waggons. The goods and tea waggons are part built, sitting around for over a year ! The Yatton stuff bought at Peterborough........2013. The IP Mk I`s bought at £40 a pop, with bogies and wheels at the recent Warwick show. Ivan having a clearout again ? Figured if I posted on here it might provide me with a bit of motivation to get a kick on with it. That or suffer roundly from some apprbation from your good selves.

Got my basic Darj` booklet and 50 years of` DVD at the ready so here goes.......Spent Sunday trimming out the Mk I`s from their frets and sanding. Did a trial fit with the postal coach (appears to be machined/routed not laser cut) to check how it all goes together. Interesting. Paint already bought from Halfords - Filler primer, Rover Maple & Renault Alpine White/Carmine Red (postal coach flashes ) for the Mk1`s with the usual gray primer/matt black for everything else. Got some stock of Coloron dyes for the wood bits that are not painted. Might do the tarpaulin waggons in a stained wood colour, rather than painted. Baggage/tea vans already in red primer body/matt black underframes. And some pictures to illustrate. Big pictures so scroll left and right. Max

Workbench awash with Darjeeling. Prefer Earl Grey meself 

Trial fit with the postal coach, some staining done.

Part builts awaiting completion. needs some bling.

And here`s some I made earlier....3 years ago.

And something to drag `em around their intended habitat. One of Doncaster`s finest.

 

[KandNWLR]

That looks so good

 

[maxi-model]

A bit more done today. I prefer to do things as "batch builds"when I eventually get down to things ; economies of time scales, tools, materials and suchlike.

Sanded everything up and chopped out the Yatton tarpaulin wagon from its frets. Did a trial fit of it, goes together a treat. Interesting difference between Yatton an IP : Yatton uniformly uses much thicker ply and goes in for a much higher level of surface and detail parts, all lasered and laser cut parts. Not sure if to paint or stain this wagon. Any suggestions ? Will check the Darj` DVD. Thinking of doing one of the goods wagons in Dar`j blue so it can run with my Car Works set. Does anybody know a source of lettering for Dar`j wagons an coaches, looks bit bare without.

Now have a project manager appointed. Pictures supplied.

Trial fit Yatton wagon.

The new project manager. Only works short time, naps on the job.

Max.

 

[KandNWLR]

A bit more done today. I prefer to do things as "batch builds"when I eventually get down to things ; economies of time scales, tools, materials and suchlike.

Sanded everything up and chopped out the Yatton tarpaulin wagon from its frets. Did a trial fit of it, goes together a treat. Interesting difference between Yatton an IP : Yatton uniformly uses much thicker ply and goes in for a much higher level of surface and detail parts, all lasered and laser cut parts. Not sure if to paint or stain this wagon. Any suggestions ? Will check the Darj' DVD. Thinking of doing one of the goods wagons in Dar'j blue so it can run with my Car Works set. Does anybody know a source of lettering for Dar'j wagons an coaches, looks bit bare without.

Now have a project manager appointed. Pictures supplied.

Trial fit Yatton wagon.
Max.

Keep going! Can´t wait to see a full train. Once thing has been going through my mind, though. The Darj is a lively loco, so do you add weights to the rolling stock. Only asking, as I had a small incident on the K&NWLR with light weight stock being sideways by a run-away loco. :-\

 

[maxi-model]

Hi Ross. Thanks for the tip, only thing is these are for later blue NF stock not the pre war stuff I'm building. He says he does bespoke stuff but I have had some bad feedback from some who find him a bit s-l-o-w to say the least. I have had a similar no-go experience trying to get something done by him a couple of years ago.

Thank you KandNWLR. The stock I have made so far, the 3 coaches and 3 tea wagons, run fine with my RH Darj' Class 2 with no mishaps. Uphill, downhill, across points and crossings - all code 332. Fast and slow. The only criticism I would have is they amplify rattles a bit and as a result sound "cheap". The only thing that would fix that would be a heavier construction or some judicious use of thin styrofoam sheet in the roof and under the floors. Just need my project manager to keep me motivated..........oh she's asleep.

Max.

 

[maxi-model]

Whole lotta staining going on (no, not that sort of staining). Carefull not to let the stuff into the end-grain on the coach sides, roofs and ends as these will be painted light colours on the reverse side. Coloron wood stain leeches right through auto paint and shows through any light colours. Devil to over-spray to cover up as it keeps on leeching through primers and colour coats. Took 5 goes  last time it happened to me on the first batch of Darj` coaches to fix. Now let it all dry off, then build the basic coach "boxes" and prep that and all the other stuff that needs painting. Regular work will intervene for a few days now.
Max.

 

[KandNWLR]

I´m impressed - and thanks for the tip concerning wood stain. Up till now, I´ve avoid the combination with paint, but I´ve got some stuff to do, where I´m going to need to use both. I wondered whether a coat of varnish underneath prior to painting a light colour might help, but you´re the expert, so I´m going to veeerrrry careful. Concerning the rattles, I find that metal wheel sets on wooden stock running across the track joints make for a happily prototypical clackety-clack, but it´s a matter of taste

 

[mbiff]

always liked woody rolling stock

 

[maxi-model]

I wondered whether a coat of varnish underneath prior to painting a light colour might help, but you´re the expert, so I´m going to veeerrrry careful. Concerning the rattles, I find that metal wheel sets on wooden stock running across the track joints make for a happily prototypical clackety-clack, but it´s a matter of taste

I'm certainly no expert, just found out the hard way. Don't let the stuff go on under any paint, ever, just make sure it's kept on the other side of that bit of wood

Love the clickety clack sound too. Problem though with rolling stock that has a lightweight construction is its resulting cheap hollow sounding clickety clack. When I built my resin GRS L&B Manning Wardle I filled the voids in the boiler and side tanks with styrofoam, got rid of the "booming" and "cheap clickety clacks" a treat. Hence the idea comes to mind of some thin styrofoam sheet in the roof and under the floor. Had a load of suitable stuff left over from the Lidl display cabinet I bought. Throw it away - your kidding - straight into the "might be useful in the future" box. I might give it a try here.

The Yatton tarpaulin wagon is going to be in a plain wood-stain and laquered finish with just some fittings painted. A tailor friend of mine has agreed to stitch up some awnings for it for me.

Max.

 

[maxi-model]

Been a bit busy with work and all the rain of late has not helped given we are at the serious painting stage.
Main coach "boxes" are built. Just need some nifty masking so the overlays can be glued in place when painted without risk of lifting paint. Overlays and some other ancillary bits are mounted up for spraying on boards. The tarpaulin wagon will be left in its stained finish but with black underframes, buffers and detailing. A couple more boring pictures of work so far.

Coach "boxes" - Halfords - Yellow filler primer, then white primer, then Renault Alpine white colour coat

Overlays and some ancillary bits mounted for spraying - Halfords - yellow filler primer, then red primer, then Rover Maple colour coat.

Tarpaulin wagon bits couplings, buffers, underframes, etc`. Ready for assembly. Underframes, buffers and couplings - Halfords yellow filler primer, then grey primer, matt black colour coat.

Max.

 

[KandNWLR]

Like the progress. Can´t wait to see them on the line