Costa Passenger Coach by yvesvidal - OcCre - 1/32

yvesvidal · August 22

I also started working on the chassis, as I need to plan for the couplers and their height:

The platforms on each end will have to be strengthened to be capable of accommodating some pulling. Again, OCCRE thought in terms of static model, here. The height of the platforms is also too large, due to the excessive size of the trucks. We will have to be creative....

Yves

Canute · August 23

Yves, good plan to be able to operate this car in a train. Will the wheels have enough side play to allow the trucks to roll smoothly into and thru a curve? I know in HO and N, there is a little wiggle room in the trucks.

yvesvidal · August 23

Canute, yes they do have plenty of wiggle to negotiate curves and irregularities in the track.

Yves

Canute · August 23

Excellent work, Yves.

yvesvidal · August 28

Some small progress. Second truck built and rolling very smoothly:

These trucks are crude overall, and I hope that once painted, they will look a little bit better. The modification I brought, allows them to roll freely and behave so much better on a layout than the original design, created for static purpose.

Overall view of the car (above). Again, I find the trucks slightly oversized..... Just my opinion.

I built the end platforms and I am waiting for some KADEE couplers to finalize them. Height and strength have to be adjusted very precisely.

The car is sitting high and the couplers will be located underneath the platforms, which is conflicting with the location of the bumpers and usually, where the European couplers are located. I will try to come up with a decent solution.

Third Class seats..... You should really bring your own cushion or have a fat bottom...

Honestly, I'd rather pay a few more pesetas and travel in Second Class.....

The instructions booklet is superb: glossy paper and full colors.

Hope you are enjoying this trip in the early 20th Century Cataluna.

Yves

wefalck · August 28

I have never travelled 3rd class on any railway - this had long been abolished in my part of the World. However, trams used to have similar seats (on some older trams e.g. in Vienna they are still in use today, I believe) and I found them more comfortable than many modern plastic seats, particularly when the latter are formed like the negative of your bottoms and only allow you to sit in one position. I gather, the 2nd class seats are only better than the wooden ones as long as they are not sat through ...

I am not a railway expert, but would agree that bogies look rather high. I wonder, whether there are not any drawings of these coaches to be found on the Internet for verification.

Canute · August 29

Yves, do you have a coupler height gauge for this scale? Kadee makes one.

Looking at the truck bolster(round pad) and the car bolster, sanding is an iffy proposition to lower the car height. Does Kadee make offset couplers in this scale?

yvesvidal · September 2

I am now working on the window frames, which is a very tedious work. Especially the painting in red that requires at least three coats in all directions....

The frames are made of basswood in 2 x 2 mm.

In the meantime, the other side has been partially completed:

The original side has all its window frames, painted:

Spaniards love the red color.... Honestly, I think it brings a nice contrast to all this dark wood.

Yves

CDW · September 2

4 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

I am now working on the window frames, which is a very tedious work. Especially the painting in red that requires at least three coats in all directions....

The frames are made of basswood in 2 x 2 mm.

In the meantime, the other side has been partially completed:

The original side has all its window frames, painted:

Spaniards love the red color.... Honestly, I think it brings a nice contrast to all this dark wood.

Yves

It must be the small amount of Spain in my DNA. I like the red as well.

Canute · September 3

I think it's the Latin influence. I'm half Italian and I also like the red. Progressing nicely, Yves.

Landlubber Mike · September 5

Really cool project Yves, coming along nicely! Love the colors and textures involved in this project.

David W · September 5

I've been quietly watching this very nice build - have to say that cutting all those short wood strips may have sent me to my bottle of a very nice Irish thirst quencher. My only comment is based on what you said about the trucks and wheels:

"These trucks are crude overall, and I hope that once painted, they will look a little bit better. The modification I brought, allows them to roll freely and behave so much better on a layout than the original design, created for static purpose."

I used this search term in Google "old wood European railroad coaches". From what little I could see, the wheels are fine but the actual trucks may need some help. Yes, many of the photos that came up in that search are models but the rest, including some European and US, are actual coaches,

yvesvidal · September 10

I have been working on the windows of the coach and that unit has a LOT OF windows.....

First painting both sides with three coats of red. Then installing the window frames after staining them with some dark walnut liquid:

Then, fine sanding to remove all traces of the sprues links and to make the frame fit into the painted opening.... I am so glad I did not finish the interior as suggested by the instructions. If you ever do that model, do not follow the instructions. Instead, build each side of the car on a flat surface, paint, glue, smooth and finally, glue the sides to the main frame.

Also, I have decided to not glue and install the clear window film provided in the kit. I will leave everything open for a much better peek inside the coach.

Now, on to the other side.....

Yves

Canute · September 10

It's a real beauty, Yves. 👍

king derelict · September 10

A lot great, tidy work there Yves

alan

yvesvidal · September 12

The other side is finished....phew!!! That was tedious. I am glad I painted the window frames in red as it brings a nice contrast to that car.

It is now time to move to the interior details. I am no longer following the instructions in a religious way....

Yves

yvesvidal · September 14

Second Class compartment is completed, at least the sitting part:

Now, I have to work on the Third Class compartment:

For a change of pace, I may try the luggage racks in the Second Class area. We will see....

Yves

mikegr · September 16

Nice built and great presentation

yvesvidal · September 16

Finished building the luggage racks over the Second Class area:

These are very delicate to put together. CA and Acrylic (Gator) glues are your best friends.

The roof holders are now glued to the walls. That step concludes the Second Class Compartment. The only missing feature is the numerous ashtrays, usually located between the seats, right under the windows. OCCRE did not provide that small details.

There won't be any update for a while, as I need to build all the Third Class seats and build the racks above. Lot of work in perspective.

Yves

king derelict · September 16

The luggage racks are so neatly made. Super work

alan

Landlubber Mike · September 18

Some really cool details there Yves - great work!

Canute · September 18

Nice work on the Second Class compartment. 😄 That Gator Glue is a good product. It's really good for gluing dissimilar materials together. It retains flexibility after it sets, unlike CA which becomes brittle.

yvesvidal · September 19

Not being ready to build all the numerous seats yet, I decided instead to look into the Clerestory section of the roof. This part of the roof is what makes this coach car so interesting.

The roof is planked like a hull would be, using 2 x 4 mm planks and a lot of wood paste to fill up the cracks:

In situ (at least almost there):

The roof fits perfectly and I am impressed by the precision of the assembly. I have also built both roof ends to receive the clerestory section.

Light are installed inside:

Now, on to the 10 third class seats. I cannot procrastinate any longer....

Yves

wefalck · September 19

That gives a very American look to the coach ...

Canute · September 20

The roof walk/running board makes the car look like one of the passenger cars used on the Denver and Rio Grande Western branch that ran into New Mexico from Antonito, Co to Santa Fe, NM. Some of these cars had a handrail along side, also.

David W · September 20

3 hours ago, Canute said:

The roof walk/running board makes the car look like one of the passenger cars used on the Denver and Rio Grande Western branch that ran into New Mexico from Antonito, Co to Santa Fe, NM. Some of these cars had a handrail along side, also.

Denver and Rio Grand is still a narrow gauge tourist train that runs between Durango and Silverton, Colorado using cars similar as you mentioned as we;; as open cars and pulled by a 100+ year old ALCO steam locomotive built in my long time past home town of Schenectady, NY. We rode that train in 1981 and paralleled its track in 2017as we couldn't ride with our two pups. Well worth the time and ride

Canute · September 20

There 2 parts of the old D&RGW left, both are tourist lines in spectacular areas. The line you rode is now the Durango and Silverton, running between those named towns in southwestern Colorado. The other segment is the Cumbres and Toltec, operating between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO. The C&T does a little freight hauling, too. Antonito was also the northern terminus of the line to Santa Fe, NM. That line disappeared in the late 40s, I think.

Jack12477 · September 20

Yep, rode both of them back in 1977. Fantastic ride and scenery as well

yvesvidal · September 21

Made it half way through the Third Class compartment:

You can see the difference between the plain wood coming out of the kit, and the seats after treating the wood with Oil. It almost looks like the real seat freshly varnished. In situ (below):