Evan's workbench

To kick off this workbench thread, here's a few of my current builds:

An old Rails North Models kit of a NSWGR PFH class power/guards/2nd class car, which suffered "minor damage" under repair


Modified from an old Lima MBE 1st class sitting car, one of the first RTR models in Australia, is FE712, one of two MBE class 1st class sitting cars downgraded to 2nd class


Another modification from a Lima MBE, 1st class buffet car RBX647, modelled in c.1944 condition after it gained an enlarged buffet area


And an interior made for RBX647. The kitchen area and staff compartment will be built from styrene and placed in the top RH corner of the car once I can get some measurements of the partitions from the real RBX647

That's all for tonight

 

Here's some more shots of the construction of FE712
Sanding off the original letterboards from the Lima MBE. The spacer block to reduce flex in the sides is a weight from a Lima 422 class diesel.

AMatchboard panelling filled with modelling putty to replicate the plywood sides that FE712 was fitted with during rebuilding


Vertical beading added above the window sills, and one window filled in to correct the extra window on the Lima MBE.


For those interested, here is the prototype during a tour in 1968. Photo sourced from the John L. Buckland Collection, National Library of Australia

I think one of the drivers of the price factor is that Hornby has re-released the 72'6" cars, unaltered from the original tooling, for AU $70.00

Ian, you should see the "Z19" and "S truck" they tried to pass off to NSW modellers at first

 

Speaking of cutting up Lima 72'6" cars......

 

After two Lima carriages and several hours worth of cutting, we have most of a NSWGR "CAM" class sleeping/1st class saloon car. The centre doorway will have to be scratchbuilt using some 3D printed parts as the Lima doors are not the correct pattern


Works photo of class leader CAM1834 outside Eveleigh Carriage Workshops as built in 1913

 

Enough cutting and destruction for a day. Time to move onto the reconstruction. First sections of the body were joined tonight

 

After 25 hours of cutting, filing, gluing and sometimes cursing, the two main halves of the CAM composite sleeper have been completed except for filler putty, but this needs to wait until both halves are fully cured. In the meantime, I will turn my attention to designing the centre doorway and end doors in CAD, as these are a different pattern to those represented on the Lima 72'6" cars.

 

That's only the first challenge, Paul. After all the body repairs are done, this car has to be given a varnished finish, to match the prototype

 

I'm going to need a much more red finish more my cars. Unlike the famed LNER coaches, the NSW Government Railways clad their rollingstock in more readily available Australian Red Cedar. The finish when fairly new could almost be compared to Venetian Red paint. Below is one of the few colour photos of varnished cars in NSW.

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