Coachworks Update

 Life has returned to some normality now and I have been able to find some time to work on the coaches. The Dundas Vale of Rheidol Carriages have languished on my "to-do" pile for some time since I started the process of changing the kit bogies for the more reliable Peco RTR examples. My original rationale for using these bogies was to give the coaches more consistent running and to rationalise the couplings across the whole fleet. 

I had originally just drilled a 4mm hole in the floor which helped but I had not accounted for the excess material on the original axles. I filed the material away and constructed new collars out of styrene to mount the bogies into. I re-drilled the holes to 5mm and added the 4mm collar melting it onto the floor with poly-cement. My hope was that it would be more secure. 

Coaches 2 and 3 were given this treatment and the carriages were finished with glazing and the rooves being attached.

Coach 4 was an attempt that had not gone to plan with my original paint job so it was left at the back of the list. I had tried to use metal washers on the original build but they didn't attach properly and simply fell off when I manipulated the bogie. I repeated the process I had used on coach 2 and 3 and it can go back on the waiting list for the repaint. 

Coach 24 has not received new bogies because they were more free-running. I added passengers and fixed the glazing back on to the walls. I now have four Dundas coaches that I can use for trains which takes my total of large bogie coaching stock to 11 coaches which will be fit for purpose on high-season trains.