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.

Water Tower Upgrade....

The garden layout's water tower was past repair.  I managed to find a nice one for sale on Ebay already painted and assembled - it just need the ladder fixing back on...

For outside it would need a base .... an old acrylic chopping board. 

Trying location of tower and an additional building...

sticking down a weight for under the water tower to prevent the wind from blowing it over

weight stuck down and screwed in as well.  Moved on to sticking the building and water tower to the base with No-Nails glue.........

Everything stuck in place, trial fitting the water crane....

I gave the water crane a simple finish in grey; plus everything else was given a load of spray satin varnish to seal the surfaces (and hopefully keep the weather from eroding off the paint).... 

placed in position on the garden layout .........

Something for a station platform...

I'm always looking for any useful bits to add to the garage layout.  Last week while out I spotted a plastic telephone somewhat like correct size in a junk shop for £1. It fits in just right on one of the station platforms...

LocoWorks - Odin goes battery/RC [5] .. Painted and ready for use...

Odin conversion now painted; all the bare plasticard was lightly sanded to key it and then two coats of paint plus two coats of satin varnish.

I had a little play with it on the garage layout...

Tinkering with the Track Cleaning Loco...

My track cleaning loco has had some running issues, pausing and stopping while running. I thought before the bad weather sets in I should try and fix it..

Partially disassembled and checking operation with power direct to the 'shoe' pickups, annoyingly troublesome and working intermittently.  I took it all apart, took the motors out (drive motor and grinder motor) and tested them - they worked fine grrh! 

Re-assembled with the lighting circuit wires removed (the lights didn't work so makes it easier to see whats what). Testing - it worked ... then a bit later it went back to its old habits of misbehaving !

Close investigation revealed a slightly loose spade connector on the front grinder motor - re-crimped it then re-connected the wire - hoorah ! consistent almost normal operation !

So re-assembled the loco, I left the glazing out of the cab and didn't fix the roof on, so it was easy to get the three-way 'function' switch inside the cab.

A nice long test on my garage layout and it is now at least working, but not at low speeds.  A bit of research revealed the cause - my controller has enough power for one single motor loco, but not the two motors in the track cleaning loco - so I have to turn up the speed to get enough current to run it properly. So I'm on the lookout for a suitable controller.