Coach works(2) : Coupling Test and Storage

Getting started on aspects of the project ....

My large Bagnall 2-8-2 loco will be hauling the full train of bogey coaches so I replaced the coupling on it's tender with an Accucraft one

Coupling Test

The problem with the Accucraft couplings, using the fixing bolts they come with, is that the bar at the end of the underframe get in it way.....

simple cut and remove solves that one ....

testing on the layout curves, the coupling fittings catch just enough on the corner of the underframe - another 1 mm of travel would help.

I will get some replacement nuts and bolts; the top of the bolt will sit nearly flush with the top of the coupling and fix the problem round the curves - thats the theory 😀

Storage...

Having now unpacked and dismantled all four of the coaches, I needed some space to store all the bits..

a bit of re-arrangement of stuff in the game room freed up a filing cabinet drawer - which is alright for now 

at some point I will have to clear space in the garage to store the finished coaches.

Coach works(1) : Disassembly and Couplings

Disassembly

The coaches I've selected for my project are held together with screws, so a quarter of an hour with a screwdriver ..

Couplings

I found on the Web that someone else had done a conversion job using the same coaches and had adapted them to use Accucraft chopper couplings which most of my loco's and rolling stock use.

A small bit of surgery on a standard LGB coupling and the Accucraft coupling fits on top and lines up nicely with my rolling stock...

However some additional surgery is needed to the end of the coach underframe to allow proper movement of the coupling with the bogey as it negotiates the curves.

Coachworks - The Project

The madness of the 'yearly project' is upon me; this time to make some freelance bogey coaches.

Rather than buy some expensive kits (a bogey coach is £120+) I decided to do some conversions of commercially available rolling stock.  On Ebay I picked up 4 of the Newqida coaches at £30 each, like this one

In theory they go round the LGB radius 1 curves on my layout, but not quite so some tinkering required.

In terms of conversions I'm leaning towards making them into something like the W&L Pickering coaches which were made by Accucraft....

Something to aim for 😀 At least with four cheap coaches to hack about and modify if one goes wrong I won't be too bothered.