In a change from my previous practice of using a dedicated gallery style web page to record my various loco and rolling stock building activities, I have decided to keep a blog for all future projects.
Tralee and Dingle composite brake coach 13 is my first build for 2012. The brass etched sides and ends were produced for me by Allen Doherty of Worsley Works. He scaled the parts up for me from his 7mm scale kit of this coach.
I started construction with the bogies, which are castings by Garden Railway Specialists ref AM325. The wheelbase of the bogies is a little longer (57mm) than the 52.5mm of the T&D originals, 3ft 6ins in full size, but they were the nearest match I could find. I drilled out the axleboxes to 5mm and fitted brass bearings to the enlarged holes. I have used GRS 30mm diameter spoked wheels. The bogies were assembled using 10ba brass screws and nuts and I have left some slack in these to give a bit of compensation when running on uneven track. I also glued some lengths of brass channel between the axlebox keeper plates (see photo on the right) to bring the appearance closer to the T&D originals.
Tralee and Dingle composite brake coach 13 is my first build for 2012. The brass etched sides and ends were produced for me by Allen Doherty of Worsley Works. He scaled the parts up for me from his 7mm scale kit of this coach.
I started construction with the bogies, which are castings by Garden Railway Specialists ref AM325. The wheelbase of the bogies is a little longer (57mm) than the 52.5mm of the T&D originals, 3ft 6ins in full size, but they were the nearest match I could find. I drilled out the axleboxes to 5mm and fitted brass bearings to the enlarged holes. I have used GRS 30mm diameter spoked wheels. The bogies were assembled using 10ba brass screws and nuts and I have left some slack in these to give a bit of compensation when running on uneven track. I also glued some lengths of brass channel between the axlebox keeper plates (see photo on the right) to bring the appearance closer to the T&D originals.
 The GRS bogie parts and wheels. |  The almost complete bogies. |
My next job was to cut out all the parts from the Worsley etched sheets. I did this using an Expo 12v drill fitted with a mandrel and cutting disc. The underframes or solebars of the T&D coaches are flush with the body sides and this is included in the body etch. Allen has thoughtfully included blind rivet holes on the inside of the solebars which can either be left as they are, plain, or if you like rivet detail these can be drilled out. I opted for the full rivet detail and drilled out the holes before glueing 6mm x 12mm basswood strip to the inside of the solebars. I then glued the etched brass droplights in place behind the windows, not noticing there were two different sizes until I had glued a large one behind the smaller guard's door in error. luckily this came off OK and the droplights were all then correctly fixed in place. Once the droplights were on I was able to fit the window bars in place using fine brass rod. I then made internal linings, to waist height for the sides and full height for the ends, plus the internal partitions from 3mm basswood. The linings were superglued to the inside of the brass parts. The wood was treated with sanding sealer and then the sides and ends were assembled using epoxy resin.
A floor (3mm basswod again) was cut to size and glued in place sitting on top of the solebar wood strip and headstocks (buffer beams) (6mm x 12mm basswood) were glued on the inside of the brass ends.
A floor (3mm basswod again) was cut to size and glued in place sitting on top of the solebar wood strip and headstocks (buffer beams) (6mm x 12mm basswood) were glued on the inside of the brass ends.
 |  Sides and ends cut out and lined with bass wood. |  The assembled body with floor in place |
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