7mm On Heather's Workbench - Easy-Build does it!

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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It's been a while since I had one of these on the bench. I have a "finish it for me" commission to try and get four Easy-Build Mk1 coaches actually finished. This BSK is the first one I've looked at properly. The client had assembled the underframes nicely, but after the ends were stuck in place they had developed something of an inward twist. I had planned various solutions to this, but in the end decided to try and force the issue - literally! - by gluing the sides in place. Amazingly, it worked. I didn't knock too many details off while I did it, either.

I think I'll attempt the other bodies (another BSK and a CK), so at least those three will be more or less at the same stages before I contemplate interiors and roof fixings. The other kit is a BG, and has a completed body, but still needs to be finished.

Solvent abuse makes a change from brass wrangling, don't you think? :p
 

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
What are all these weird abreviations you guys use? I find them as mystifying as Diagram Numbers. It's like a secret language used by choo-choo nerds if you have never been exposed to it.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Well, essentially, K means the coach has a "corridor" (has compartments with a side gangway). So, in this case I have two Brake Second Class Compartment Corridor coaches. A BFK would be the First Class version.

The CK is a Composite Corridor, which has both first and second class compartments.

There's tons of these codes. I believe BR based them on the LNER styling.
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
I guess you mean the coach type codes?

BSK - Brake Second [K]corridor (K used because C = composite), hence:
CK - Composite Corridor
BG - Brake Gangwayed

Why corridor and gangway which (apparently - I can't think of a 'corridor' carriage without gangways, but that probably says more about my areas of interest than anything else) often mean the same thing? No idea.

Adam

EDIT - posts crossed with Heather.
 

adrian

Flying Squad
It's like a secret language used by choo-choo nerds if you have never been exposed to it.
It's just lazy engineers/scientists (myself included) not exclusively railways, aerospace is littered with TLA's (three letter acronyms). I note with wry amusement that Elon Musk has just announced his new design for his Mars rocket which is announced as his BFR project. Which I assume stands for Big F***ing Rocket. :))
 

Bob Reid

Western Thunderer
Well, essentially, K means the coach has a "corridor" (has compartments with a side gangway). So, in this case I have two Brake Second Class Compartment Corridor coaches. A BFK would be the First Class version.

The CK is a Composite Corridor, which has both first and second class compartments.

There's tons of these codes. I believe BR based them on the LNER styling.

Side "Corridor" Heather (I knew what you meant) :) Side Gangway's are fitted to ex-LMS design (and one batch of BR Mk1) Postal Vehicles. "K' is usually used in the context of "corridor compartment"....
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
I can't think of a 'corridor' carriage without gangways, but that probably says more about my areas of interest than anything else) often mean the same thing? No idea.

The NER at least had some 'semi corridor' stock without gangways - half length corridor down opposite ends of either side leading to central lavatory compartments in the middle. - I know because I have just cut some out with the Cameo - they appealed because they are straight sided with no turn under. Photos when I have the layers stuck together and some paint on because you can't see much on the white styrene.
 

Peter

Western Thunderer
It's just lazy engineers/scientists (myself included) not exclusively railways, aerospace is littered with TLA's (three letter acronyms). I note with wry amusement that Elon Musk has just announced his new design for his Mars rocket which is announced as his BFR project. Which I assume stands for Big F***ing Rocket. :))
Hi,

Could not the development of carriage and wagon codes be due to the time that all information was transferred by Morse code? Therefore BSK would be more efficient than Brake Standard Corridor and likewise of BSL for Brake Standard Lavatory.
Peter
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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Anyone seen me specs?

This is one disadvantage of having a relatively large workbench: four Mk1 coaches take up a lot of space all at once! Today, sorting boxes of bits to ensure I have enough interior parts, and sufficient spare glazing to reglaze the BG with the earlier window style (which I do, so that's someone else who will be pleased). I've arranged for the roofs to fit, and I'm considering how to make the ends look a little bit more like the prototype and a little less like a thick piece of plastic.

Onwards!
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I've been feeling a bit out of sorts today, but I've bumbled on with the Mk1s. Well, one of the BSKs, actually. When working on several, I like to work things out on one first. I chose the one I'd damaged through handling, so I could fix lots of things in one go.

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CPL cast passenger communication bits, already in situ when I got the boxes. I'd managed to dislodge and break one of the butterflies off, so I repaired it with some suitable wire and careful drilling. I also refitted the end steps that had been knocked off. Clumsy. :oops:

The next thing I considered was fitting a Kadee. The plan is for the brake ends of the pair of BSKs to be outermost, with covered gangways and dropped buckeyes. A helpful slot had already been made in the headstock, so it was a relatively simple matter of aligning things. I have allowed for the gangway, and clearance for the roof bolt head, which is why the coupler pocket sticks out. Happily, it'll allow quite close coupling to the next vehicle, but that might lead to some issues. Consultation about alternative knuckles with longer necks might be in order. Anyway, I'll definitely need to trim off the "ears" on the bottom of the gangway rubbing plate, as they impede the knuckle swinging.

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Simple, but quite effective. These are my first "up close and personal" with Easy-Builds, and I'm actually warming to them as kits. I suppose I ought to try and get all three of the passenger coaches up to more or less the same point.
 

mth

Western Thunderer
The next thing I considered was fitting a Kadee. The plan is for the brake ends of the pair of BSKs to be outermost, with covered gangways and dropped buckeyes. A helpful slot had already been made in the headstock, so it was a relatively simple matter of aligning things. I have allowed for the gangway, and clearance for the roof bolt head, which is why the coupler pocket sticks out. Happily, it'll allow quite close coupling to the next vehicle, but that might lead to some issues. Consultation about alternative knuckles with longer necks might be in order. Anyway, I'll definitely need to trim off the "ears" on the bottom of the gangway rubbing plate, as they impede the knuckle swinging.

View attachment 80050

Simple, but quite effective. These are my first "up close and personal" with Easy-Builds, and I'm actually warming to them as kits. I suppose I ought to try and get all three of the passenger coaches up to more or less the same point.

Heather,
I used Kadee 805 on the coaches I've built. With the lip agenst the Corridor Mounting Plate. Also I use a 1mm pice of plastic card packing under the Kadee to help aliment. I've not been told of any problems, yet.
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Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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Progress so far on one BSK. The outer brake end has had a set of spare uncompressed JLTRT Mk1 buffer heads installed, a brass coupling hook with a whitemetal dummy knuckle coupler in the dropped position (I think the casting came from ABS, but don't quote me on that), and brass castings for steam heat and vacuum pipework. The lower end step will be fitted as late as possible, as they are probably the most vulnerable fitting. I've added the step across the top of the gangways. I'm still pondering whether to change the roof ends at all. The simplest option will be to cut off a millimetre or so at each end to shorten the roof moulding slightly, as it projects a bit too far out. The real thing is thin metal here, but that isn't something easy to replicate using the materials supplied. I'll leave it for now, as I will be able to consult with the client over the weekend.

At the other end of the coach, I've fitted the Kadee, and slightly modified the bottom of the gangway rubbing plate to allow some swing in the coupler. Pipework and handrails next, and I mustn't forget the gangway lamp brackets (see lower end step on the vulnerability issue), but again I may leave that in favour of bringing the other three coaches up to about this level.

I'm using EMA Plastic Weld for the construction, but I'm finding it doesn't always dissolve the black material. Sides occasionally pop open along the bottom edges while handling of the model takes place, in spite of an additional plastic rod fillet. While interior fittings and the roof will help, I'm thinking a dribble of epoxy resin along the inside bottom joints will be needed. It's a good job I've overcome my fear of the stuff!
 

mth

Western Thunderer
I'm using EMA Plastic Weld for the construction, but I'm finding it doesn't always dissolve the black material. Sides occasionally pop open along the bottom edges while handling of the model takes place, in spite of an additional plastic rod fillet. While interior fittings and the roof will help, I'm thinking a dribble of epoxy resin along the inside bottom joints will be needed. It's a good job I've overcome my fear of the stuff!
I think you may have one of Shawn's older kits as he changed the plastic, to one that glues better, a little while back.
Having built both types, the epoxy resin will help.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
you might want to scrape along the "to-be-glued" area to provide as clean a surface as possible, along with the added benefit of some added roughness for the epoxy to grab. A dental scraper is ideal for this (as it is for removal of excess solder!)

best
Simon
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I think you may have one of Shawn's older kits as he changed the plastic, to one that glues better, a little while back.
Having built both types, the epoxy resin will help.

Good thinking. Oddly, the side to end joint was fine. It's only the side to floor one. I think ER will be worth the effort, though.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
I'm using EMA Plastic Weld for the construction, but I'm finding it doesn't always dissolve the black material. Sides occasionally pop open along the bottom edges...
Same here, the parts which appear to cause the problem are those which are extruded (sides / roof / floor / angle strip) rather than those parts which are moulded (ends / bogies / underframe central girders). At Guildex 2016 Shawn Kay told me that a couple of years back the mouldings were ABS whilst the extrusions were a mix of ABS and PVC (not his decision, rather that of the supplier). We have some kits which suffer the same behaviour as you describe and those kits were bought probably Guildex 2014 or 2015.

Graham
 
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