PW Crew Comfort

Spurred on by reviving the semi-complete 'not DA1' I looked into the incomplete projects box to see what else might be revived. My eyes settled on the 4-wheel coach I had assembled from Dapol railbus left-overs and last seen on the blog in May 2015 (and that date rather surprised me too...)

I had never had a real plan for this coach and to that end it had been completed with running gear adapted (badly) from an old coach bogie and only passive provision for MicroTrains couplings. Realising it would make a rather nice crew coach for the permanent way department I have replaced the running gear with a modified Peco wagon chassis and made proper provision for MicroTrains couplers. I then stripped back the primer on the body and tidied it up a little, especially around the ends of the roof which were never my finest work.

At one end I blanked over the end window on each side and added a vent cut from an old A1 Models BR class 37 etch. In fact I think these had previously been used on the original version of my model of 'Jay' before I realised I had made it a little overscale.

On the end itself is another etched addition, I suspect that this is again A1 in origin, alongside an electrical connection from the railbus spares box.

Internally a cupboard has replace the seat at this end, complete with a kettle fashioned from Dapol and Knightwing leftovers.

Another recycled part is the window set into the other end, this was once in the same position on one of my very early coaches that had to be dismantled.

It has been fun making these changes, and yes, there is something of a nostalgic tone to working with leftover kit parts and odd bits of etch...

Colin