DC Kits 4CEP EMU kit.

I won this kit a few weeks ago on Ebay. It comes as a basic kit with several 'add-ons' such as a brass etch kit, seating pack (both included) so basically, it needs in addition, wheelsets, paint/decals and motor bogie(s). As I have a Bachmann 4 car unit already which slips and slides quite a bit with just one power bogie, I decided that two motor bogies will be the way forward on this build, so the outstanding items are duly on order, awaiting postie. My plan is to DCC both bogies and also use the same programming for them, but the front one will 'pull', rear one will 'push'. I'm going to try running the internal lighting of first and second cars from the leading cars decoder, also white and red external lighting, third and fourth cars from the rear bogie's decoder, together with white and red external lighting. That will save me having to wire link all four cars together (2 pairs are easier to handle) and I can then rail then in pairs and just couple pairs together (I'll be using Kadee's as normal). Anyway, I've made a start, and I won't bore you by showing you a big bag of bits, just sub-assemblies, some ready for primer and paint. Here are the body sides.

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Now sorted and glued together.

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Cab and car ends. I have some etched parts to go on the cab ends before painting.

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I've already assembled the bogies, 'Top Hat' bearings fitted and ready for paint before fitting the wheels. Only six bogies for four cars, 'cos two motor bogies to add and fit bogie sides to (Included).

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Now the floors with underframe struts and brass etches fitted.

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Now with tanks, generators etc fitted.

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These are the roof panel undersides. I'll be fitting internal lighting as usual, and my first step is to glue strips of white paper to the roof underside. The purpose of this is twofold, firstly to reflect light downwards and secondly, some roof panels allow light penetration (don't know about these yet) so to prevent this since I don't want roofs glowing in the dark, I add the paper. LED strips will later be fitted after painting but before final assembly, and this is where I've got to so far.
To be continued.

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Thanks for the tip re- my Bachmann set Robert, I'll take a look when I have the chance. This kit being all plastic, will need some weight adding in the form of lead flashing either on the underframe or possibly under a false floor with the seating attached. I've ordered Tenshodo motor bogies rather than the more expensive "Black Beetle" ones, no idea what either types are like power/torque-wise, but at least by using a pair, they should have enough 'ooomph' and less chance of slipping.

 

Been slowly plodding on with this build, and have now had delivery of the additional parts from DC Kits. Part of this delivery was the pair of 'Tenshodo' motor bogies, and this is my first time working with these units. As delivered, the fitted pickups deliver current directly to the motor, which is fine for DC, but no use for DCC, so first job was to see if they are 'modifiable', and the answer is 'Yes'. I needed to remove the bottom plate (1 tiny screw) in order to fit the supplied bracket for fixing bogie sides onto (superglue), so whilst the plate was off, I straightened the two terminal tags (which hold the motor in place) and eased out the complete motor. The pickups (thin metal strip) have a tag each side which the motor brush holders bear onto, so bending them out of position by 180 degrees meant that the pickups would then not feed the motor directly. Assembling the unit back up again, I tinned the ends of each tag, soldered red and black wires to each and heat sleeved to prevent shorting, glued the bogie sides in place, and temporarily soldered each wire to the motor terminals, purely for test purposes, as they'll be removed later on in the build when I fit DCC decoders. This pic shows the two motor bogies, modified at the front.

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And here they are, both modified and with bogie sides fitted and painted.

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I completed and painted the other unmotorised bogies now that I had the wheelsets, so here are the 8 completed bogies.

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"DC Kits" suggest fixing the seating onto a separate plastic sheet and fixing to the chassis, which seemed a good idea as the units are on the light side, being plastic, so I cut and fixed 2 12mm wide lead flashing strips for each carriage, gluing in place either side of the chassis floor, leaving a 6mm gap down the centre which might be handy for passing wiring down later. I then glued a 30mm wide 'Plasticard' floor onto the lead strips, ready for partitions/ seating to fix to. Hopefully this pic shows a 'side-on' view of what I mean.

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The 'seating packs' which came with the kit are a bit soul destroying to cut from the sprues, clean up, and glue together prior to fixing. There are 88 twin seats and 42 single seats, all of which I shall paint and fit a number of passengers before fitting the carriage roofs. You also have to supply your own partitions (Plasticard again). Here's the first one I dealt with, the leading Motor/Brake.

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I've now done the trailing 'Motor/Brake', and the 'TS' car also, 3 down and one to go, but it's the 'TC' car, so I've got a complete corridor assembly to make up, which should keep me busy for a while. Here are the 3 done so far.

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