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7mm O Gauge/Standard Gauge Scratch Aid Coachbuilder Packs

Although not complete kits, the Coachbuilder series of component packs offers the keen model builder a good head start over starting from scratch. If you enjoy building your own rolling stock and don’t mind a bit of work, this should be both quicker than scratch building and an economical alternative to the conventional complete kits. The parts assemble rapidly with superglue or general purpose adhesive, just requiring the builder to provide a simple floor, roof and partitions which can be easily made from thick plasticard.

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The packs are in cast resin and offer highly detailed sides and ends, taking out much of the hard work associated with traditional scratch building.

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Many of the standard gauge items have been carefully created with reference to photographs and known data tables and drawings, plus calling on several years experience in vintage carriage restoration.

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Price list code in brackets - click to go to price list

O Gauge/7mm Range
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4 Wheel Composite 1st 2nd Freelance (OG02)
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The pack contains detailed cast resin parts that glue together to enable a quick assembly of the coach body and underframe.

 

This freelance 4 wheel coach would be an ideal project for someone wanting to have a go at coach building in 7mm scale.  From a modelling perspective the vehicle is ideal for light railway layouts, rural branch lines, industrial layouts or for use as mess coaches in works trains. Many pre-grouping companies used stock of very similar designs, so when its painted up in your favourite livery, many people wont know the difference!

 

A cast resin chassis / underframe is included with this pack, this can either be used as it is by drilling the axle boxes to accept bearings and fixed axles, or used as a dummy to conceal one of the commercial etched brass compensation units that are widely used in this scale.

The photographs show the parts you will receive plus some construction images and an almost complete model to show how a finished vehicle could look.

 

This kit is supplied with a pre-formed styrene roof section.

 

On the sample model, buffers and door handles were recovered from a second hand scrap coach, steps and lamp irons were folded up scrap brass etch, and door grab handles made from staples. Running boards are cut from plasticard.The only new items were the wheels and top hat bearings. O gauge modelling doesn't need to be expensive!

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LCDR/Hull & Barnsley Railway 5 Compartment 3rd (4 wheel) pack of parts (OG06)
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This pack contains detailed cast resin parts that glue together to enable a quick assembly of the basic coach body and chassis. Included are a pair of detailed sides and ends, pre-formed styrene roof section and underframe castings.

 

This model is based on a design by William Kirtley for the LCDR (later SECR). Kirtley went on to provide similar vehicles for the Hull & Barnsley Railway. A surviving Hull and Barnsley brake vehicle is undergoing restoration at Elsecar. These designs provide surprisingly versatile vehicles for small layouts, examples eventually finding their way to unlikely corners of the country. 

 

Constructed in the mid 1880’s, the H&BR vehicles were unpopular with passengers and eventually sold off. Second hand vehicles found their way to south wales, operating on both the Neath& Brecon Railway and the Cardiff Railway. In a strange twist of fate, these vehicles found themselves as GWR stock after grouping. Others were sold to a colliery line in south shields, and one ended its days in light railway service on the Bishops Castle Railway. Some of the LCDR variants also ended their days in light railway service on lines such as the East Kent Light Railway, whilst others crossed the water to the Isle of Wight. From a modelling perspective they are ideal for smaller rural layouts depicting light railways, but could also serve as mess coaches in works trains or workman's vehicles on industrial layouts.

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LCDR/Hull & Barnsley Railway 5 Compartment 3rd (4 wheel) - Body Only (OG07)

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LCDR (SECR)/Hull & Barnsley Railway Brake 3rd (4 wheel) Body Only (OG09)

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This pack contains 6 detailed cast resin parts that glue together to enable a quick assembly of the coach body.

 

This model is based on a design by William Kirtley for the LCDR (later SECR). Kirtley also went on to provide similar vehicles for the Hull & Barnsley Railway. A surviving Hull and Barnsley vehicle is undergoing restoration at Elsecar. These designs provide surprisingly versatile vehicles for small layouts, examples eventually finding their way to unlikely corners of the country. 

 

Constructed in the mid 1880’s, the H&BR vehicles were unpopular with passengers and eventually sold off. Second hand vehicles found their way to south wales, operating on both the Neath& Brecon Railway and the Cardiff Railway. In a strange twist of fate, these vehicles found themselves as GWR stock after grouping. Others were sold to a colliery line in south shields, and one ended its days in light railway service on the Bishops Castle Railway. Some of the LCDR variants also ended their days in light railway service on lines such as the East Kent Light Railway, whilst others crossed the water to the Isle of Wight. From a modelling perspective they are ideal for smaller rural layouts depicting light railways, but also can serve as mess coaches in works trains or workman's vehicles on industrial layouts.

 

Chassis kits and pre-formed styrene roof sections to suit this vehicle are available to be purchased separately. 

LCDR/Hull & Barnsley Railway Passenger Luggage Brake Body Only (OG08)

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This pack contains 6 detailed cast resin parts that glue together to enable a quick assembly of the coach body. *Also now includes a pre-formed styrene roof*.

 

This model is based on a design by William Kirtley for the opening of the Hull & Barnsley Railway in 1885. Kirtley's designs are widely believed to be copies of those he produced previously for the LCDR.  These designs provide surprisingly versatile vehicles for small layouts, examples eventually finding their way to unlikely corners of the country.  From a modelling perspective they are ideal for smaller rural layouts depicting light railways, but could equally serve as mess coaches in works trains or workman's vehicles on industrial layouts.

 

The H&BR 4 wheel vehicles were already outdated on their arrival, proved continuously unpopular with passengers and eventually sold off. Second hand vehicles found their way to south wales, operating on both the Neath & Brecon Railway and the Cardiff Railway. In a strange twist of fate, these vehicles found themselves as GWR stock after grouping. Others were sold to a colliery line in south shields, and one ended its days in light railway service on the Bishops Castle Railway. Some of the LCDR variants also ended their days in light railway service on lines such as the East Kent Light Railway, whilst others crossed the water to the Isle of Wight. 

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Chassis kits to suit this vehicle are available to be purchase separately.

North London Railway 5 Compartment 3rd (4 wheel) pack of parts (OG13)

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This pack contains detailed cast resin parts that glue together to enable a quick assembly of the basic coach body and chassis. Included are a pair of detailed sides and ends, pre-formed styrene roof section and underframe castings.

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This model depicts an ex North London Railway 4 wheel full third, following sale second-hand to an independent light railway. 

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The North London Railway was the single largest provider of second-hand coaches to the Light Railways and minor companies, examples eventually being found in just about all areas of the country. Better known examples include The Easingwold Railway and the Cleobury Mortimer & Ditton Priors. Some saw military use on the Catterick Camp Railway and at Spurn Head. Port Sunlight used a train of NLR stock for its workers around the complex and Whittingham Asylum employed them for the transport of patients. Surprisingly many vehicles were sold to existing companies. M&GN, North British, L&Y, North Staffs, MSLR, and GNSR are amongst some of the recorded examples. The NLR coaches received many barbed reviews by noted railway historians - 'basic' and 'outdated' being some of the more polite remarks. That said it was ideal for light railways, solidly built, no frills and designed for high density work. In NLR service they ran close coupled, but on transfer to other railways many had conventional buffers fitted and after the removal of coal gas lighting, the lamp tops were plated over. It is in this later form that the display model has been created, wearing a green livery in a nod towards the Isle of Wight where three lines are recorded as taking NLR vehicles, some eventually passing into Southern ownership

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My Coachbuilder packs aim to offer something partway between scratch building and kit building, giving the builder a good ‘head start’ in construction by taking out much of the tedious cutting work and fiddly panel mouldings. If you enjoy building your own rolling stock and don’t mind a bit of work, this should be both quicker than scratch building and an economical alternative to the conventional complete kits. The parts assemble rapidly with superglue or general purpose adhesive, just requiring the builder to provide a simple floor and partitions, which can be easily made from thick plasticard. External detailing on the display model was carried out using commercially available buffers and door handles, with grab handles simply formed from small staples. Steps were scratch built. The pack includes my generic 4 wheel underframe, which although not completely accurate for NLR stock, many previous customers have been happy to use it.

North London Railway 4 Compartment 1st (4 wheel) Body Only (OG05)
Metropolitan Railway 5 Compartment 3rd (4 wheel) Body Only (OG04)
Midland Railway Parcels Van (25' 4 wheel) Body Only (OG03)

4 Wheel Coach Chassis (timber frame 16' wheelbase) pack of parts (OG01)

 

Suitable for long wheelbase van or CCT type vehicle.

 

The kit comprises 4 parts which are simply glued together (in this case using superglue) enabling the quick and easy construction of a 4 wheel coach chassis. There are two headstock castings featuring rivet detail, drawbar plate and buffer plates, and two longer 'side' castings depicting a wooden solebar with flitch plate, W irons, springs, axle boxes etc.

 

The design accommodates vehicles with a 16ft wheelbase and body up to 28ft at scale length (196mm).

 

It is a generic design, representing the common features of this design of underframe but can easily be adapted / shortened / modified to suit the needs of the individual builder.

 

I have designed this kit primarily to be used as a 'dummy', outside of an inner chassis or compensation unit such as the etched brass versions that are widely used in this scale, However, it is possible to drill the back of the axle boxes to accommodate bearings for a fixed axle should this be desired. 

Pre-formed Plastic Coach Roof Sections
(2 sizes - see separate price list OG10, OG11)

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Handy styrene roof sections formed to a radius of 70mm. In practice this makes an arc profile roof that rises 7mm from cant rail level to the apex over a width of 63mm (scale 9 feet). This fits most of the arc roof profile stock in my standard gauge coachbuilder range.

 

Easily trimmed to size using the 'score and snap' method and sufficiently flexible to accommodate slight variations either side of 70mm radius.

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Available in the following lengths:

 

Short length: 210mm long - ideal for 4 wheel coaching stock or covered vans in O gauge  / 7mm scale.

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Medium length: 297mm long - ideal for carriage stock up to 42 feet scale length - 6 wheelers, short bogie coaches or long covered vans in O gauge  / 7mm scale.

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