IP gladstone coach-more new wagons +video

[Keith S]

I've more or less finished the Gladstone coach from IP. I haven't made it to look too much like the real one on the Welsh Highland Railway, instead I just painted and decorated it according to my taste and using the paints and bits of cloth I had at hand.


I decorated the interior of the glazed section with cloth covering on the seats, some carpet and little turned posts for the benches (toothpicks from the japanese restaurant), and curtains. The curtains are on a brass rod, and were quite difficult to make. Close up, they are a little tatty but look pretty good from a couple of steps back. This part is quite difficult to photograph.


The observation areas at each end are varnished with a grey floor and cream sides. The doorknobs are the same brass tacks I use to make rivets elsewhere on the coach.


This is my first experience with making details in this scale. It's quite interesting because the models are big enough to use real materials for the most part. I detailed the wooden trucks with some rivet detail, as well as the step supports. Other than that and the upholstery in the middle compartment, the model is pretty much out of the bag. I like the IP products, they look good with my roundhouse engine.

[MTA]

Wow, I love the detailing you have added Keith. The seat covering in particular

[taliesin001]

that looks very nice, like the details, especially the toothpicks, may have to nick that idea, will save making some!

[laalratty]

That is really great, super job

[Pendo Pilot]

Looks superb mate, you have done a good job with that..

[Keith S]

Thanks for the comments guys, I wish I could photograph the coach on a railway, but there's two feet of snow on the ground, and I took up the tracks due to some vandalism. To be fair, my railway was on public property.

Here are some pictures of my entire train to date. The coach fits in well, I think. I am considering a box van and a brake van, and then I'll stop building things until I have a railway.

[Pendo Pilot]

Looks a good rake that, but why stop building stuff!! No need to wait till you have a line, get stock ready as an incentive to build your railway..

[Keith S]

Well, I have been mightily enjoying building the IP rolling stock, and of course I would like to build more than five pieces, but I am keeping my railway stuff on a little shelf in my music room, which is only about 10'x12', and already contains a piano, several amps and seven guitars as well as my little work table. Once the shelf is full, there will be no more room for trains. Mrs. Keith, who didn't even know I liked trains until the kits from Roundhouse arrived last winter, does not like music, boat, aeroplane, or train stuff cluttering "her" living room, and since I get to have my own music room, I daren't argue.

Still, there is room on the shelf for a brake van and a box van. Mrs Keith does allow that someday she might like to ride in the real version of the Gladstone coach, if we ever visit Wales.

[LMS-Jools]

Very Nice

[invicta280]

Great detailing on the coach. Did you have any problems with the kit?
Some people (myself included ) have struck some odd surprises with
these IP kits. They are good fun to make though and good value for money i reckon.

You have a 'Billy' in victorian maroon. I'm consumed with envy!

[Keith S]

THe coach kit was very precise, actually. I've heard about some problems with the length of the sole bars on some IP coaches, but this particular one at least was perfect, and just fell together. I was a little confused about all the spacers and things on the bogies, because the kit came with parts for 32 and 45mm wheels, and the appropriate bits to build each. I ended up using both sets of spacers in order to make the coach sit a little taller. I find it matches the Billy a little better in roof height that way.

The colour of that Billy is actually "Wild Raspberry". I built the engine from kits and that was the colour of rust enamel at the hardware store that most closely resembles Victorian Maroon. I was worried it wouldn't stand the heat on the boiler jacket, but I baked it in the oven (at a friend's house when his wife was out) and it is performing just fine on the engine.

[MDLR]

That looks very nice indeed!

[Keith S]

Well, I've finished two more wagons, the IP Isle of Man "G" wagon and a little brake van. I've yet to install the dummy brake system in the little brake van, but I've been playing with it since the wheels went on.





This weekend when my brother came over I realised I hadn't run the engine since September so I set the rails up in the basement (it's far too cold outside) and gave the whole works its first run together. The video is pretty crappy but it shows how the train runs. Pretty good, I think. Here is the train together and the video: It sounds like the burner is set too high on the engine but it's the air exchangers in the basement making all the noise. The scenery isn't nice but I hope you like the train.





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[Spule 4]

Quite the impressive rake of equipment. Agreed on the colors, very nice.

I baked it in the oven (at a friend's house when his wife was out) .

And the modelling tip of the year award goes to...

[Pendo Pilot]

Very nice, video shows it all off well. Loco is running well.

[Keith S]

Thanks guys, the engine has really turned out to be a nice little machine, I think it must be adequately "run in" now. I do enjoy the sound it makes with the chuff pipe too, I must say. Now the little train feels "complete" with the guards' van. I think I could use some more open wagons, but the "train" shelf and the top of my piano are full of little wagons now.

I've installed the IP "working brake gear" on the little open wagons, I suppose it could be called working in the sense that when applied it does press a shoe against one of the wheels, but being made of white metal it is probably not really meant to be used often. I guess it would stop the wagon from rolling away if it was left parked on a grade. At least it makes one side of the wagon more visually interesting and it's fun to install little detail bits.



Having the engine and wagons looking at me from a shelf in my music room is certainly making me regret not having a garden. I shll have to rectify this soon.