Bish-Bash-Bosh! A Coach Chop....

Last year, I brought from Zerogee, a couple of NQD coaches that he had brought from the U S of A.
 
Nowhere near the quality of LGB of course, but at a good price.
 
However, I found that they were too long for my R1/R2 curves and that they were not great runners. So I decided to 'modify' one of my coaches.
 
I had an idea of shortening the coach by removing the veranda/balcony from each end to the length of the coach body, so out came the tape measure and the razor saw....

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As I wanted to keep the existing buffers and draw gear, and keep the structural integrity of the coach as far as possible, I worked out that the best way to shorten the chassis to the length of the body was to make just 2 cuts, and the best place was either side of where the NQD details are moulded.
 
It just so happened that the planking lines either side were the ideal place to make the cut and shut....

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I also decided that I would make the coach into a push pull driving trailer.
 
I removed the handrails and other details from one end and sanded it down. I originally was going to use the windows from the end doors for the cab, as you can see marked out on the end, but I had a change of plan later....
 

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Having done the 'cut', here is the 'shut' on the chassis, next to the coach body....

 

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Keep us posted Gizzy
 
Like to see how this cut n shut works out,
 
still think these cheap coaches are great for projects like this.

Nah!!! It'll never pass its M.O.T.!
 

Now the problem of joining and reinforcing the join.
 
The original verandas are still part of the chassis and are 2mm or 80 thou higher than the part of the coach where the body originally sat.
 
I was thinking of using some aluminium sheet from work for this, to add weight, but I don't have access to a guilotine to cut nice clean edges and I thought cutting with a hacksaw and then filing would be a bit of a faff, so I brought a sheet of 80 thou plasticard, and cut that with a sharp blade and a steel rule.
 
I used a contact adhesive (Evilstick) and stuck the chassis back together. A smaller piece will be needed to fill i the gap on the right side....
 

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Whilst the adhesive on the chassis cured, I cut a new end for the coach from 60 thou plasticard.
 
I scored on the details with a scribe, and then used a soft pencil to highlight where I need to cut out the windows. A change of plan here as mentioned earlier, was not to use the smaller windows from the end doors, but 2 of the larger side windows instead....
 

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Up until now, the proceeding work had been done during 2 Thursday evenings at my Model Railway Club, but a quiet Night Shift allowed me to cut out and file the window openings....
 

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A picture of the new 'front' with the original side windows, taken at home after my Night shift....
 

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A little bit of work with the needle file, and I eventually got the windows to fit nice and snug.
 
I need to think about some head/tail lamps at this point. I will use bi-colour red/yellow LEDs as I have done on my Shoema, but if anyone can suggest any ideas for the lamp housing please?
 
I've kept all the handrails and pipework from the end, which I will add later....
 

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Although I am a USA bloke, I do like a good kitbash and you are doin' a fine job with this Giz. I was thinking of doing the opposite to you and to 'cut and shut' 2 D&RGW coaches together to make a 'real' scale jobby. If it works than I will do three altogether. Now to find some nice cheap Bachamnn 'wasps'.......don't want to butcher me LGB ones!

More work tonight on the coach bash.
 
Cut out some of the end, ready to fit a new front....
 

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The new front was glued on with 'Evilstick' contact adhesive....
 

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Now that the vestibles have gone, the passengers need a means of access to the coach, so some sliding doors are to be fitted on the sides. The window opening was made larger for the said doors, which will be fabricated from the 60 thou Plasticard as used on the front....
 

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Body temporarily mounted on the chassis, to see how it's coming on....
 

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me likes - keep at it bud

Looking good. Keep the info coming please.

mmmmmmmmm given me some ideas for all those spare Jackson coaches i have
 
Tony

  " but if anyone can suggest any ideas for the lamp housing please?"
 
Gizzy,  Maplins do a chrome bezzel for leds of various sizes I think
I bought some for my modern 3 car unit but made these instead out of styrene tube & shaped styrene sheet, as the bezels would have faced down to the ground.
but if yours has a flat front the Maplins bezels would look good I should think
 
 

 
 
            Just remembered, the styrene tube size was chosen to fit the  bezels in   Doh
 
 
 

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