Having been gently persuaded by a local friend to try H0 for my Scottish micro layout project Dounreay, my first task was to see what was available and how usable it was.
Coaching stock first - The 1970 ScR Passenger Working Book showed that Far North workings needed BSK, BCK, SK, CK, RMB and BGs, all Mk1s, so that meant Lima or Playcraft/Jouef.
Playcraft are underlength and underheight with crude underframes and lacking/simplified detail.
Lima Mk1s are the right basic dimensions, some minor detail issues (bogies & gangways), undersized windows and limited to 3 types - BSK, CK, RB.
Lima it is, then! Acquired quite cheaply were a selection of coaches and my initial work was cutting & shutting 4 BSKs to give a pair each of SK and BG. Fairly straightforward
What to do about those undersized windows though? Discussion with another friend prompted me to finally unbox my Silhouette Portrait cutter and look at its possibilities.
Drafting up a 'seed' file of Mk1 side components (windows, doors, etc) was easy enough, then its a case of copy/paste in the right order onto a side template and cut the side in 10 thou plasticard. I also added the Mk1 gangway rubbing plates to resolve that issue.
In fact, my sides are 2 layers of 10 thou - the inner has full toplight/droplight detail, the outer has simplified window frames, door seams, hinge positions, etc. Laminated together gives a 20 thou-thick side with a bit of 3D effect.
The Lima core has all the side detail sanded right back, new windows opened out as required and the new sides glued and clamped in place.
Looks the part and quite cheap too - I get 2 coaches-worth of sides from a sheet, so about 25p per coach. Door furniture (hinges, handles, grabs) is all simply microstrip, usually 10 x 20 thou Evergreen.
I ended up drafting about 20 Mk1 designs - first and second opens, compos, brakes, restaurants, buffets, sleepers, npccs... all shared via the British 1/87 Society's groups.io site.
Bogies next. Discarded all the Lima undersized B4s and made my own. 4 scale length BR1 sideframes cut & shut from 8 Playcraft shorties to use as masters for resin copies. The mechanical parts are layered 80 thou plasticard to suit the OO 12mm disc wheelsets scavenged from various places. Internal bearings with the pin-points cut off.
Paint, glazing and decals to finish, a mix of maroon and blue/grey as appropriate for the era. Kadee scale-head couplings (#153 or #158) and away we go!
Coaching stock first - The 1970 ScR Passenger Working Book showed that Far North workings needed BSK, BCK, SK, CK, RMB and BGs, all Mk1s, so that meant Lima or Playcraft/Jouef.
Playcraft are underlength and underheight with crude underframes and lacking/simplified detail.
Lima Mk1s are the right basic dimensions, some minor detail issues (bogies & gangways), undersized windows and limited to 3 types - BSK, CK, RB.
Lima it is, then! Acquired quite cheaply were a selection of coaches and my initial work was cutting & shutting 4 BSKs to give a pair each of SK and BG. Fairly straightforward
What to do about those undersized windows though? Discussion with another friend prompted me to finally unbox my Silhouette Portrait cutter and look at its possibilities.
Drafting up a 'seed' file of Mk1 side components (windows, doors, etc) was easy enough, then its a case of copy/paste in the right order onto a side template and cut the side in 10 thou plasticard. I also added the Mk1 gangway rubbing plates to resolve that issue.
In fact, my sides are 2 layers of 10 thou - the inner has full toplight/droplight detail, the outer has simplified window frames, door seams, hinge positions, etc. Laminated together gives a 20 thou-thick side with a bit of 3D effect.
The Lima core has all the side detail sanded right back, new windows opened out as required and the new sides glued and clamped in place.
Looks the part and quite cheap too - I get 2 coaches-worth of sides from a sheet, so about 25p per coach. Door furniture (hinges, handles, grabs) is all simply microstrip, usually 10 x 20 thou Evergreen.
I ended up drafting about 20 Mk1 designs - first and second opens, compos, brakes, restaurants, buffets, sleepers, npccs... all shared via the British 1/87 Society's groups.io site.
Bogies next. Discarded all the Lima undersized B4s and made my own. 4 scale length BR1 sideframes cut & shut from 8 Playcraft shorties to use as masters for resin copies. The mechanical parts are layered 80 thou plasticard to suit the OO 12mm disc wheelsets scavenged from various places. Internal bearings with the pin-points cut off.
Paint, glazing and decals to finish, a mix of maroon and blue/grey as appropriate for the era. Kadee scale-head couplings (#153 or #158) and away we go!
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