Make a cup of tea/ coffee/ grab a beer ( maybe not this early!).....
I decided I wanted a gauge 3 carriage and wanted something cheap and freelance. Whilst GRS do some kits, they are too expensive for my pocket. So decided to have a go, results are below.
The body is made up of plastic sheet for the floor, ends (that have the beading made of a thinner sheet cut and laminated on the top) and a steel roof.
The sides- well this is where the old brain cells came in. The sides are made up of GRS modules that can be had for about £3.00 each. You can buy guards modules but they cost a lot more. So all I did was cut panels filling the windows where needed, file down the raised window frames and fill where needed. The docket is a GRS item cut to fit. The side modules come as two windows and a door so these were cut where needed. The roof is steel that I picked up at the Gauge 3 AGM.
I cut a pair of plastic card strips that fit below the windows (with a gap and glued a complete side to this. This way any filling can be done between modules and I fitted glazing cut to fit after painting.
The lamp brackets and vac pipe are from Brandbright (RSA49 for vac pipes)
Roof vents are GRS DG138
Chassis- this used laminated plastic for the buffer beams and I beam section for the sides. The couplings and buffers are from brandbright (RSA114 and RSA44)
The Brake gear is a mix from wagon and carriage works and Williams models and the shoes are GRS as are the wheels-SLG702. Axleguards. Proper gauge 3 ones can be expensive so I used large ones from GRS- DG121- much cheaper!
The running board is wood and the brackets are again GRS- SG1122.
All painting done by hand, apart from spray primer. A mixture of humbrol matt black and precision paints BR coaching stock maroon.
To be fair most bits were from the parts box so it cost me very little, but even if you had to buy everything it still comes in at a good price compared to full kits.
Simon.
ps. the whie square on the chassis is where the battery box will go!
I decided I wanted a gauge 3 carriage and wanted something cheap and freelance. Whilst GRS do some kits, they are too expensive for my pocket. So decided to have a go, results are below.
The body is made up of plastic sheet for the floor, ends (that have the beading made of a thinner sheet cut and laminated on the top) and a steel roof.
The sides- well this is where the old brain cells came in. The sides are made up of GRS modules that can be had for about £3.00 each. You can buy guards modules but they cost a lot more. So all I did was cut panels filling the windows where needed, file down the raised window frames and fill where needed. The docket is a GRS item cut to fit. The side modules come as two windows and a door so these were cut where needed. The roof is steel that I picked up at the Gauge 3 AGM.
I cut a pair of plastic card strips that fit below the windows (with a gap and glued a complete side to this. This way any filling can be done between modules and I fitted glazing cut to fit after painting.
The lamp brackets and vac pipe are from Brandbright (RSA49 for vac pipes)
Roof vents are GRS DG138
Chassis- this used laminated plastic for the buffer beams and I beam section for the sides. The couplings and buffers are from brandbright (RSA114 and RSA44)
The Brake gear is a mix from wagon and carriage works and Williams models and the shoes are GRS as are the wheels-SLG702. Axleguards. Proper gauge 3 ones can be expensive so I used large ones from GRS- DG121- much cheaper!
The running board is wood and the brackets are again GRS- SG1122.
All painting done by hand, apart from spray primer. A mixture of humbrol matt black and precision paints BR coaching stock maroon.
To be fair most bits were from the parts box so it cost me very little, but even if you had to buy everything it still comes in at a good price compared to full kits.
Simon.
ps. the whie square on the chassis is where the battery box will go!
