Transform an RTR coach

GEORGE DENT brings a rudimentary Dapol coach to life with a new chassis, a wealth of details and a superior paint job.

George Dent brings a rudimentary Dapol coach to life with a range of modifications and detailing.

Modelling coaches to a high degree of fidelity can be a timeconsuming job. As well as the body and underframe to consider, there are the pressing issues of realistic gangways and coupling systems to resolve. Then there’s the interior to decorate and populate. And what about lighting? The list of jobs can be dishearteningly long and, when faced with scores of vehicles to treat, many of us give up and make do with what we’ve already got. But what if you’re modelling a single-coach train for your layout? Surely we can motivate ourselves to go that bit further on an individual carriage? I’m the first to admit that my attitude to carriage modelling has expediency and cost as its primary considerations. There are many ways to achieve great improvements for a modest outlay in terms of time and money, as I’ve explained in a recently finished book on carriage modelling (see panel). Now and again, though, it’s hard to resist taking something rather basic and turning it into something very special. This was the case when I recently picked up a Dapol (ex-airfix) LMS non-gangwayed coach kit for less than a tenner. Offered either in part-finished

kit form or, for a few pounds more, as RTR models, they hark back to another age in terms of detail finesse and specification. But there’s plenty of potential there, nonetheless.

BELOW PAR

The bodyshell is accurate and, with some replacement details, it can be transformed without too much effort - and certainly without breaking the bank. But what could be done with that primitive underframe? I’d originally planned to improve the chassis with replacement bogies, trussing and detail components, but the soft plastic from which it’s moulded did not provide a very stable base. However, an etched nickel silver chassis kit is available from Palatine Models that looked to be just the ticket. I met Ralph from Palatine Models last year at the Manchester MRS clubrooms, where he showed me some of his LMS 57ft carriages, using his own etched chassis and bodyshells. Built to run on the club’s ‘P4’ magnum opus ‘Slattocks Junction’, they looked simply wonderful. The Palatine chassis are available to purchase at a very reasonable price (a 60ft version is also offered) and, despite being designed with ‘P4’/ finescale in mind, they’re equally suited to ‘OO’. Supplied with full, illustrated instructions, the parts are rendered with tab-and-slot assembly aids, making for a straightforward building project. Although I’ve invested a lot of time in this single carriage, it has proved to be an economical project overall. A combination of the cheap and cheerful Dapol coach, plus a number of scratchbuilt and improvised detailing parts, has kept the total outlay to a minimum. The Palatine Models etched chassis costs £13 and the rest of the necessary fittings, such as bogies, wheels, bearings, detail parts, glazing, paints, transfers and passengers came to around £45. At a cost of £68, a coach of this specification is pretty good going. Furthermore, the enjoyment and reward gleaned from the practical tasks has made it all well worth the effort. Would I do it again? Absolutely, but I’m not sure about treating a 12-coach rake. All things in moderation, as they say!

Main: The roof was tacked to the body with Glue ‘n’ Glaze adhesive, offering a firm but easily broken bond, should access be required. A light weathering job followed, using Tamiya acrylics.

Left: Before and after: it’s hard to believe that these are the same carriage, with the superior chassis, details, paintwork and glazing making a massive difference.

In steam days, the sides of coaches were often kept fairly clean and retained a shiny appearance, while the roof, sides and underframes were usually filthy.