Nile's kitbuilding bench - Midland 1377

[Nile]

The one coach I've (almost) finished (all third) is the only one with steps on the end. I assume they were semi-permanently coupled as a pull-push set, hence the short buffers between them. The middle coach is a composite, the other is a brake third.

[Nile]

The other two coaches of the three car pull-push set:

The centre coach, a composite. As the compartments all look the same size I suspect they were a mixture of first and second class.

 

 

The brake third with driving compartment.

 

 

These got my usual painting and sanding treatment before a coat of red primer.

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Compound2632]

The centre coach, a composite. As the compartments all look the same size I suspect they were a mixture of first and second class.

 

I would expect the centre two compartments to be the firsts and the outer ones the seconds, as getting the rougher ride.

[Nile]

That's what I was thinking. The SECR keeping second class to the end makes things interesting.

[Compound2632]

That's what I was thinking. The SECR keeping second class to the end makes things interesting.

 

I was puzzled by that until it dawned on me you meant the end of 1922, not the end of the carriage!

[Nile]

The red primer was followed by a few light coats of brown on the sides, and grey primer on the roof. The masking tape inside the windows keeps the insides mostly free of paint.

 

 

As discussed above I've made the middle coach a first/second composite.

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

The rest of the build followed the same method as the first coach, with one difference. I painted the seat backs on the compartment walls of the composite, to see if the different colours would actually show.

 

 

They can just about be seen under the right lighting conditions.

 

 

I left the walls unpainted in the brake third so that it matched the other third coach, not much comfort in cattle class.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Compound2632]

Those coloured partitions are actually rather effective - they just give sufficient hint of the upholstery.

[Nile]

All three coaches are basically finished up to a point, I shall have to revisit them when I find more information.

I've fitted two-link couplings between them to give reasonably close coupling, keeping the screw couplings on the outer ends.

Putting them all together gives this.

 

 

And now the other way round with added loco.

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

While I had the toys out of their boxes I took a few more photos.

754 sets off slowly with its passenger train.

 

 

Just as O1 no.64 arrives with a local goods train.

 

 

 

As the passenger train disappears under the bridge the goods train stops to uncouple a wagon.

 

 

One wagon is dropped off in the siding.

 

 

Back on the front no.64 sets off with what's left of the train.

 

 

 

That was the final photo shoot for Wyndal, which has now been dismantled to make way for a new layout.

I have a few more SECR kits to build, then I think a drift westwards.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Jack P]

That's a shame, Wyndal was an excellent little layout. Excited to see what you do next though!

[sem34090]

Mid Westwards? I think the LMWR Needs a heavy goods tender loco, an 0-8-0 perhaps?

Edited April 16, 2018 by sem34090

[Compound2632]

I believe these sets were used on push pull services so the brake also accommodates the driving position.

 

Aha that explains the "stern gallery" windows! I wonder if some mechanism could be devised that would enable a driver/guard figure to face out of the windows when the coaches are being propelled, but have his back to them and look as if he's about more guard-like activities when the coaches are being pulled?

[Nile]

I found another 5 plank kit, built as per the instructions apart from the buffers. I used the last of Guy's printed ones as the kit ones didn't look very good.

 

 

Some time later this was the result.

 

As it's a late build wagon the markings are the same both sides.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

Next out of the box is a pair of bolster wagons (D1610). When it came to fitting the brake gear I found a problem, the kit had the wrong number of parts.

 

It should have two of each type. So some bodging was required to get things back into order.

I rebuilt one of the wrong parts with a bit of plastic strip. As they end up on opposite sides it shouldn't show up.

 

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Guy Rixon]

There's another problem: half the brake push-rods are the wrong way round. They're all right-over-left, whereas the ones on the side with the lift-link lever need to be left-over-right to move the shoes in the right direction.

[N15class]

There's another problem: half the brake push-rods are the wrong way round. They're all right-over-left, whereas the ones on the side with the lift-link lever need to be left-over-right to move the shoes in the right direction.

 

Don't understand the lift link is fitted to reverse the movement of the handle so all the brakes can be the same way around.

[Compound2632]

Guy is correct: because all the push-rods are linked to the one cross-shaft, as seen side-on, the push-rods seen on one side will be opposite-handed to the ones on the other side, viewed from the other side. Or, if you prefer, looking from one side the push rods are same-handed on both sides.

 

To quote Sellar and Yeatman, do not attempt to write on both sides of the paper at once.

[Nile]

I understand what Guy is saying, however this is not a problem as the SECR somehow got away with fitting brake shoes on one side only, even into the twenties. These wagons also only have a brake lever on one side.

[John Isherwood]

Don't understand the lift link is fitted to reverse the movement of the handle so all the brakes can be the same way around.

 

Not applicable in this case, but I understand what you are saying.

 

Unfortunately, you are mistaken - the lift link is there so that both handbrake levers can be at the RH end, and pressing them down will rotate the cross-shaft in the same direction.

 

In the early days, one handle would have been at the RH end, and the other side would have been at the LH end, as they were both attached directly to the same shaft.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Nile]

Some progress, mainly paint. The wooden decking is fairly clean as these are new wagons.

 

 

I didn't like the look of the intra-wagon coupling in the kit, so I devised my own solution that would loke more like the prototype. Holes drilled into the central buffers and some brass rod glued into one of them.

 

 

This hooks into the other buffer. It is set to maintain close coupling with a small amount of movement between the wagons.

 

I can't claim it will go through first radius reverse curves, but it's fine on my crossover of large Peco points.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Nile]

Transfers and bolsters added.

 

The Methfix transfers were a right pain to apply, they kept trying to break up. No idea where the chain came from, I've had it in a drawer for years.

 

This last photo shows how invisible the intra wagon coupling is.

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Nile

[Compound2632]

Brakes again: I don't know the prototype but it seems a bit odd to have a cross-shaft rather than just a double V-hanger on one solebar when the brakes and lever are one side only?

[Nile]

You've got me thinking. Could be the because of the steel chassis, difficult to attach double Vees to one side. Or maybe the off-side lever was deleted as an economy measure, without changing the Vees.

[N15class]

The brake shaft needs two supports, on wooden frames you can put both on one sides one either side of timber. The push rods are then angled slightly to get them closer to the inner vee. This is not easy to do on a steel frame, they either have the second near the middle of the wagon or on the other side.