How to remove the undercarriage from the Triang short clerestory coaches ?

[brian777999]

I have a couple of Triang/Hornby short clerestory roof coaches and I need to replace/remove the underframe piece in the middle. This is the black part with the gas cylinders. I have removed the large screw which passes through the floor and holds the roof on. The roof has been removed and I can see two tabs from the piece in question passing through the floor of the coach. But the tabs do not seem to move or bend. Has this piece been glued on ? If it has, then it is going to be tricky to remove.

[vulcanbomber]

I'm in the process modifying a rake of four of these which I picked up off ebay.

 

To get the gas cylinder out you need to push hard on the tabs, and they will come out.

The plastic is very brittle however, so they may break and you will have to glue them back

 

 

So far I have managed to remove the bodies from 2 coaches and fitted bogies from a couple of old Hornby Doublo GWR coaches, which amazingly enough are an exact fit and just snap lock into the existing holes.

I've also painted the top halves in the correct GWR cream, and brown which is a great improvement on the Triang colours

 

I could do with some help myself

 

1. Where can I purchase another 4 bogies?

 

2. Do the flush glaze windows from SE Finecast SE74 Tri-ang/ Hornby Short Clerestory Brake or Comp R384 R385. fit these coaches?

 

3. I want to get rid of the large triang couplings, what would be best to replace these with?

[brian777999]

I could do with some help myself

 

1. Where can I purchase another 4 bogies?

 

2. Do the flush glaze windows from SE Finecast SE74 Tri-ang/ Hornby Short Clerestory Brake or Comp R384 R385. fit these coaches?

 

3. I want to get rid of the large triang couplings, what would be best to replace these with?

 

 

I am using the LMS clerestory coaches R 384 and R 385. East Kent Models supply bogies : either the original Margate style bogies with the raised pivot platform or the Chinese made bogies with the flush pivot platform. I am using the latter because they sit closer to the coach floor and hence lower the buffer height so that I can use three link couplers. They look so much better.

 

I will try removing the plastic cylinders tomorrow.

[Adrian Wintle]

Another alternative bogie is the 247 Developments Dean 8'6" bogie - it is a whitemetal rigid bogie kit, but is an appropriate pattern and it adds weight down low.

 

There is a picture of one with these bogies (unpainted) in http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28388-adrians-coach-works/page__p__297309#entry297309 (near the end of the first post)

[DavidR]

I have several short clerestory coaches in my collection and have dealt with them in the following ways:

1) Drill out a series of holes around the brass 'rivet' ,release the whole bogie and bin it.

2) Cement a piece of plasticard over the ensuing hole.

3) Cut away the lugs holding the underframe-it should then drop out.

4) Carefully saw the 'gas tank' from the stretchers (a razor saw is best for this). Retain the tie bars and bin the gas tank. Cement back into original position.

5)Fit Dean 8'6" bogies from 247 Developments, or Phoenix Coaches- these add weight. An alternative could be the Hornby clerestory bogies and wheels from Peter's Spares, or East Kent Models. These are cheaper, but lightweight, so a weight needs to be added, if the coach isn't to fly off going round corners.

6) Add gas tanks, vac pipes and vacuum cylinder from 247 Developments (other suppliers are avaliable).

7) Strip off old paint and respray in appropriate livery and add transfers.

8)Glaze, as suitable

9) Dont forget to strip paint off roof and repaint.

10) Job done!

Edited September 7, 2011 by DavidR

[brian777999]

I thought I would ask this question here rather than start a new thread as it is related. I have recently purchased a number of GWR Triang clerestory coaches.

 

1. What is the best way to lower the buffer height if installing 3 link couplers ? The Chinese made Hornby buffers (without the raised step) are no longer available. This is what I used before. Nor can I find the white metal Dean bogies that everybody seems to mention.

 

2. I intend to the ''line'' these coaches by painting some of the cream panels brown. It is not really lining but filling in some of the yellow panels with brown paint  gives that impression. A fine paint brush can also be used to paint the borders around the windows. I have seen other people do this and the results can be quite effective. As these coaches do not actually represent any particular prototype, are there any suggestions for getting something that looks right ?

[RosiesBoss]

G'day, brian777999,

 

There is a lot of good advice found here:

http://www.gwr.org.uk/protriang.html

http://www.gwr.org.uk/proc22.html

 

In the 1970s, I gained a lot of useful painting experience by lining a set of these coaches to be a better match with the Tri-ang Dean Single. Although still not completely accurate, the coaches were much improved:

 

 

Much later, I re-bogied a 2^nd/3^rd coach and refinished it in 1934 livery:

 

Next, I kitbashed a 10-compartment 3^rd from two brake 3^rds and whitemetal bogies:

 

I also made an 8-compartment 3^rd in the same manner:

 

Further projects have included an ex-MSWJR brake 3^rd (detailed here http://www.gwr.org.uk/nomswjr7.html):

 

And an ex-Cambrian Railways composite (described here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/91150-cheap-cheerful-cambrian-railways-composite-coach/):

 

Approximations of a GNR 6-wheeled 3rd and a PBV (described here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67037-motorising-a-kitmaster-stirling-single/):

 

 

The old Tri-ang models are still easily found both on-line and at “bring and buy” stalls. They can be adapted into a host of different models – not just those of the GWR.

They offer an inexpensive way to get some real modelling experience.

 

Have a go!

 

Regards,

 

Rob

 

 

[Earlswood Nob]

G'day all

 

I have had great fun bashing Triang GWR short clerestorys into other stock.

 

They are readily available cheaply, so it doesn't matter if you make a mistake. 

 

Six of the so called composite can be remodelled into five 8-compartment ex-NER clerestorys.

 

I am currently bashing several into ex-GNR articulated stock, which was constructed from old six wheelers.

The only difficult bit is the flat Howlden roofs as they have to be scratchbuilt from plasticard.

 

Earlswood nob

Edited December 16, 2015 by Earlswood Nob

[Londontram]

I've been hacking away at these coaches for ages as you can see if you check my thread out from here onwards

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78165-steves-caledonian-coaches-wagon-work-bench/?p=1749971

 

The aim is to use them to build up some Caledonian 6 wheel and 8 wheel bogie coaches of which the Triangs panel detail with out to much compromise would seem very suitable.

 

   Most of them with careful cutting can be made to the correct scale length for the Caledonian 45ft coach only one conversion being to long which is the 8 compartment full third made from two Triang brake third which works out at a scale 48ft three feet or in 00 12mm to long. This is no problem as the 45ft coach design was later built as a 48ft coach with only detail differences.

 

   As you will see I in the process of building up a standard Caley four coach rake of Brake third, full third full first and brake third but am also working on a second short rake of brake third and first third comp.

 

  If you drill out the rivet holding the bogie have you tried filing some of the raised bump off the top of the bogie and then refitting it with a nut and bolt this might be a way of lowering the over all coach height down.

 

                       Steve

Edited December 18, 2015 by Londontram

[81E]

Thanks to the advent of 3D printing I've made some interiors and replacement bogies for these. I may get round to the gas cylinders and other details eventually"

 

[brian777999]

1. 81E Can we see your 3D printed bogies ? What sort of equipment did you use to make them ?

 

2. I am going to fit some 12mm Bachmann disc wheels to the original bogies. They are a good fit and run quite well in the plastic ''bearings''. The buffer height is correct after the step has been removed from the top of the bogie. Is it worth reaming out the inside axle holes on the Triang bogies and fitting some Alan Gibson brass bearings ?

Edited November 5, 2016 by brian777999

[brian777999]

Well, I thought I had Bachmann wheels but it turns out they were not ! The one set of wheels I already had measured 25.6mm from axle tip to axle tip  and these are a perfect fit for the old Triang bogies. But I ordered five packets of Bachmann wheels and these are 26mm ; they do not run well at all. Which brand of wheels are 25.6mm from tip to tip...Hornby, Romford, Dapol ?

Edited November 25, 2016 by brian777999

[MrWolf]

I have been following these articles on. Converting the triang clerestories with interest. A friend gave me a couple of coach bodies a while back. I bought a few bits from Ebay and set about them all with a razor saw. I hope to be able to post pictures soon. They are made of a rather strange plastic that behaves more like Bakelite or mica, that said, all you have to do is cut steadily and make sure that you don't twist or apply too much force. I should have enough stock for my Shropshire based branch project without breaking the bank.