Having just acquired, and begun to clean, a couple of Bachmann (Big Haulers - early?) coaches which look as though they have been mouldering away in a shed since Adam was a lad, I would like to upgrade their bare plastic interiors to a modest degree, if only by painting the floor and seats in different colours - currently a semi-shiny chocolate brown.Trawling the net (including various US railroad museum sites) has produced nothing of assistance. Grey-brown or black floor, mahogany seat timbers, dark red unholstery?
Unless advised otherwise, I also intend to matt-finish the roof. I might even stick on a layer of extremely thin handkerchief fabric. (“Yes, I know they have been washed so many times you can read the paper through them, dear, but I’m sure they’ll come in useful someday.”) Gunmetal/metallic black/rusty black chimney top rather than plastic black?
Interestingly, the outer face of the continuous moulding immediately below the windows has been painted by what appears to be an amateur hand. Is this likely to be the previous owner, or “as sold”?
The moulded representation of the lavatory window detail is just texture added to the otherwise clear sheet. Should this appear white? Should the framing round the individual “panes” be picked out?
And since I’ve taken the glazing out, any idea what the inner sides of the coach ought to be like? Presumably painted or varnished wood? The sides themselves are fairly translucent, so I think some sort of treatment is called for - but not wood veneer. (Why not? I hear you cry.)
Another point of interest - the lighting is battery powered, permitting plastic wheels for economy, but also removing the not inconsiderable drag caused by pick-ups on the wheels.
I’ll leave for another day the problem of two coaches with the same running number...
I look forward with interest to hearing from someone rather better acquainted with the subject than myself.
Unless advised otherwise, I also intend to matt-finish the roof. I might even stick on a layer of extremely thin handkerchief fabric. (“Yes, I know they have been washed so many times you can read the paper through them, dear, but I’m sure they’ll come in useful someday.”) Gunmetal/metallic black/rusty black chimney top rather than plastic black?
Interestingly, the outer face of the continuous moulding immediately below the windows has been painted by what appears to be an amateur hand. Is this likely to be the previous owner, or “as sold”?
The moulded representation of the lavatory window detail is just texture added to the otherwise clear sheet. Should this appear white? Should the framing round the individual “panes” be picked out?
And since I’ve taken the glazing out, any idea what the inner sides of the coach ought to be like? Presumably painted or varnished wood? The sides themselves are fairly translucent, so I think some sort of treatment is called for - but not wood veneer. (Why not? I hear you cry.)
Another point of interest - the lighting is battery powered, permitting plastic wheels for economy, but also removing the not inconsiderable drag caused by pick-ups on the wheels.
I’ll leave for another day the problem of two coaches with the same running number...
I look forward with interest to hearing from someone rather better acquainted with the subject than myself.
The toilet window can be picked out with brass paint and a sheet of thin plasticard will suffice to whiten the window inside.My choice of lighting is if its track power i normally keep if it works ok and if battery power(Bachmann cars) I change to battery strip LED with flat round style battery which all fits snugly in the roof,hope this is of some use and is food for thought at least
and Big Hauler tenders!
