Lima Coach BG conversion

[BrushType4]

I’ve got some old mark 1 Lima coaches laying around and it has always been my intention to do something with them.

Unfortunately as we all know they are a bit too short and narrow for scale. So I’m thinking about making them into BG’s with overlays and EasyBuild bogies etc.

Has anyone got any experience of doing this and what is the best glue to fix the plastic sides on?

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Unfortunately as we all know they are a bit too short and narrow for scale.

I believe they are 1:45 European O scale.

 

[BrushType4]

No going back now..


Don’t need this bit..



These coaches have a handy recess in the floors so I’m using this to insert a piece of lasercut ply to help strengthen the join between the two halves.




With bogies and side held in place.

 

[Rob Pulham]

It looks fairly sturdy sheet Phil, would EvoStick do it?

 

[BrushType4]

Not a lot of progress. Cut the glazing out and marked the coach sides for cutting.

 

[BrushType4]

Intending on keeping the Lima ends. Here with a EasyBuild roof, you can see how this overlays add almost the required width.

 

[BrushType4]

I made a gauge based on my own drawings taken from measurements detailed in the Parkins book to see how accurate or not the coach is. I’m very surprised how close to 100% scale the side overlays make to the Lima Coach.



The same gauge checked against a EasyBuild coach end.



The gap at the top is the roof line. The EasyBuild coaches are really quite accurate to scale.

 

[BrushType4]

Using the Lima Coach as a basis was supposed to be a money saving exercise so a reality check of this project and shopping list of parts required for the build is needed.

I think this is the minimum needed to complete;

• Any Lima Mk1 Coach
• Lasercut Styrene Sides
• Lasercut flush Glazing
• Roof Torpedos (EasyBuild?)
• Wire for various details
• EasyBuild Hinges (this may be on a larger fret with other useful bits)
• EasyBuild Bogie kit with wheels
• EasyBuild Roof and fixing bolts
• 40 thou Micro-Rod for door stops

I did wonder about cutting off the coach ends and using EasyBuild ends instead. It would look great but there is a point when I may as well just buy an EasyBuild BG kit!

A quick message to the very helpful Shawn at EasyBuild has confirmed I can get the parts. It will be interesting to know the total price once sorted.