Turning Suburbun Coaches back to Paddy Trains.

Hi there,

Remember these two?

These are my Annie and Clarabel Mrk I's. I finished them in 2019, and they are about to have their wheels repositioned!

Annie made from the Connoisseur Models N.E.R Four Wheeled, Five Compartment, All Third Coach kit.

Clarabel made from the Connoisseur Models N.E.R Four Wheeled Brake Third Coach With Birdcage Guards Lookout kit. (The lookout point was removed and the roof piece joined together)

These oddball coaches were adapted to make a TVS style Annie and Clarabel, the TV coaches were made from the Tenmile Stroudley Firsts kits. Roxey Mouldings produce the Stroudley coach kits for O gauge but they were more expensive then the Connoisseur ones. As the N.E.R carriages were sent to collieries and light railways this allowed for them to be painted in some rather unsual liveries so I didn't feel silly about painting the kits in Railway Series/Thomas colours.

For the underframes I stupidly attempted to replicate what I thought I saw on the TVS models, rather than follow the coach drawings. As I was attempting to copy screen shots from the show less of the N.E.R kits pieces got used e.g Axle Guards, Brakes, Lamp Hole Covers. The door hingers weren't used because this was my first time kit building a coach and for some reason I didn't think to put them in. 

 

Another thing I forgot to do when I was building Clarabel (As she was the first coach to be built) was to cut out her front windows, so the entire kit was assembled without and it meant I couldn't give Annie her windows either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of the appropoiate axle guards I opted for seperate brass W Irons, with Slaters wagon axle boxes and springs. The reason for using these axle springs was because I thought the ones on the TVS models were alot smaller compared with what came with the kit. I have also stuck the wheels too close to each other, this again was me looking at the TVS models rather than following the proper diagram.

Rest assured I will never do it this way again.

I decided I couldn't live with them looking like this anymore, so in 2021 I bought the Stroudley Firsts brass kits to make Annie and Clarabel Mrk II's.

And then turn the Mrk I's back into N.E.R. coaches.

The pre-drilled holes for the hanging footboards made it easier to line up the new axle guards properly.

Hopefully you can see the difference.

The paint had to be stripped down so that I could solder the whitemetal castings to the coach base.

Annie has been double wrapped with Tamiya tape to protect her Teak coat.

Just as before the bottom is sprayed with Red Oxide for the undercoat.

Then the coach is given a spray of Matt Black, which miraculously matches the previous paint, and thankfully the paint didn't leak under the tape and onto the teak finish.

Now Connoisseur Models make their own suspension units, sprung ones to be exact. The example shown above is from Walsall Model Industries. They are not sprung but and I wanted to give them a test run. They were also cheaper.  

Once the compensation units are assembled, the ends of the axles need to be cut back and the Axle Guards then become cosmetic fittings, rather than active W Irons.

 

 

And here is the model so far, very happy now that the wheels are where they should be, I'm hoping the coach will perform a lot better too!

The original plan was to fit the two coaches with the hanging footboards and brakes, but as a lot of the detailing is missing I decided to scrap that idea and keep them the way they are. I am still debating whether to put the Lamp Hole Covers and Lamp Top Holes on the roof or not.

 

These two will now be used to make up another train and will also be used as extra coaches for my Annie and Clarabel Mrk II's.

Clarabel is next, watch this space! 

 

Image Scources 

@tomsmodellingcorner

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine_Wiki

https://dvlr.org.uk/