RTR-Bash/Mod in O Gauge.

I picked up a Bachmann On30 Colorado & Southern carriage at a second-hand stall at the Epping MRC show at Rose Hill last week.

I've heard lots of tales of narrow-gauge from standard gauge equipment, but I wondered if I could standard-gauge a narrow-gauge item. So, I started with a set of standard gauge bogies. These are NSWGR 2AA type, found under numerous passenger carriages. The trouble here is that the Bachmann body works out at a scale 7ft wide, and it does rather look like a kid wearing his dad's work-boots.



I took a closer look at some prototype photos of similar carriages found in Australia and I noted that the Bachmann bogies looked rather similar to those found under the NSWGR KA "Tramcar" from the 1880s. The last example was largely destroyed by an arson attack in 1993, but the remains are somewhere up in the mountains now. So I borrowed some wheel sets from Athearn O gauge bogies, and modified one bogie to standard gauge. The wheels are about 18mm diameter, which seems to suit this carriage much more nicely than the 21mm standard wagon wheels in the 2AA bogies:



The locomotive in both shots is a brass Manning Wardle H class, produced as a limited run some years ago. There was talk of a re-run but they failed to reach the required EOIs for an order. Numbered as 1021 of the NSWGR, built by Manning Wardle in 1916 and retired from service in 1970. She was also hired out to a private coal railway for a time, so I might be able to "imagineer" a private line in NSW, Australia with an odd collection of rolling stock.

 

The KA Tramcar. I will be scratch-building one of these soon.

 

Both bogies converted and it now sits about 1mm higher which seems to give better wheel clearances.

 

By the way, the carriage measures in 7mm scale 28 ft over body, 32ft over headstocks, 7ft wide and approx. 11ft tall from rail level with these bogies.

 

I'll be doing a few sneaky things to increase the height of the carriage. This mock-up shows how I will increase the height by nearly a scale foot. Though, I will probably ditch the clerestory roof for a simple arc shape.



Someone mentioned San Juan car co. kit parts. I did have a set of ends and sides somewhere. The ends are no-where to be seen, but the sides turned up after a short rummage in my garage. They're about 7 scale feet longer than the Bachmann carriage sides. Of course, they were significantly cheaper, but the Bachmann coach was complete with bogies, which turn out to be perfectly convertible to standard gauge!

 

Just got my hands to a set of construction drawings for the KA Tramcar. 30ft over the body, 35ft over headstocks. I'm surprised at how wide the body is at 8'10" over the corner-posts on the main body, and 9'0" over the steps.

 

Meanwhile, a bit of work is progressing with my Atlas Plymouth conversion. These Atlas 0-6-0 diesel shunters were made in the 1970s and 1980s. This one is getting converted into an 0-4-0. When finished it will measure a scale 15ft over headstocks and 8ft wide over the footplate. The footplate had a section in the middle cut out to reduce the length and sections off the front and rear to reduce again. The side frames had to be cut down and then built up with styrene sheet and sections, all held together with some CA glue. Just have to make the buffing plates, new cab and re-assemble the mechanism.

 

Not sure if I can manage to DCC it, since the bonnet and cab are both mostly full of chassis block. I'm seriously thinking about some name plates and calling this one "Atlas"

 

Mechanism reassembled. Only part missing was the original keeper plate, so I had to make a new one using various sheets and sections of styrene until it fit. All original screws back. Have to figure out a pick-up system. The wheels are insulated on one side, so the chassis block is electrically live. I may need only one set of wipers on the insulated side. I thought about re-using some sections of the original cab, but after I cut out these sides I discovered that the door scales out as 5ft tall and 18" wide. Seems a might small even for an industrial diesel shunter.

 

Thought it was time for my other diesel to have a family snap. The Green Diesel No. 5 is also an Atlas 0-4-0 conversion, though not by me, formerly of Coney Hill Light Railway and now working for me. I added the number, handrails and the big buffers. I reckon the new diesel cab will work best if there is a "family resemblance" with the other one.

 

Buffing plates went on. Since the footplate is a bit on the low side for 7mm scale, some 2mm styrene angle is used to raise it slightly. Will be using some drawing pins to make up a set of large industrial loco buffers. I checked out the price of sprung 22" industrial buffers, and they're a bit expensive for what is supposed to be a cheap and easy conversion.

 

Maybe. I think this and its big brother will both run a little better with DCC stay alive type set up.

 

Starting on the Cab. Going for a fairly generic Hibberd Planet, Ruston 48/88 diesel look.

 

Cab coming along, though I ran out of 2mm angle, so a trip to the local hobby shop to get some more. Just wondering whether I should put a window in the cab doors or not.