Darius43

Wired the BR Blue Type 3 for DCC and fitted a sound chip and sugar cube speaker. Transformed from this:- To this:- Cheers Darius

A few more Hornby MGR wagons modified to add to the rake. To make the formation “reversible”, I modified the first and last pairs of wagons to have standard tension lock couplings. This enables the first and last wagon (with the tail light) to be uncoupled and swapped around in the storage yard without having to remove any of the fixed bar couplings. Cheers Darius

Batteries installed and light blinking wonderfully. Cheers Darius

Received today direct from Accurascale - very very nice indeed One of the wagons is fitted with an operational tail light that is activated by a magnetic wand - supplied in the box by Accurascale. I waved the wand as per the instructions with increasing franticness but the light refused to illuminate. The light is battery operated. Removing the hood assembly revealed the reason - batteries not included. I have now ordered some suitable batteries online. I fitted the buffer beam screw link coupling and hose details. Removing the spring loaded coupling housing makes the detail fit and look better. I had to drill out the holes for the detail parts as they were smaller than the lugs on the parts that are supposed to fit into them. Looking forward to fitting the batteries and finally getting the wand to work its magic. Cheers Darius

Looks like a fine upstanding character to me. It’s the signal box that’s leaning. Cheers Darius

Hi DJ. I drill out the window corners with a smallish diameter bit in a pin vice (to create the curved corners) and then cut between them with a new/sharp blade. I then clean the opening up with needle files. Cheers Darius

Tail lights added courtesy of West Hill Wagon Works. Cheers Darius

Some running this morning Cheers Darius

Terraced houses now in place on the layout. Cheers Darius

As far as I am aware there are no RTR models of Indian Railway locomotives or stock. There are 3D printed models on Shapeways and Langley did produce a white metal kit of a Darjeeling Himalayan narrow gauge steam tank loco. If you want a model of IR broad gauge stock, a combination of modifying non-Indian rtr models and scratch building is the “easiest” option in my view. These are the coaches (or “bogies”) that I am modelling. The full train is going to take some time… Cheers Darius

Doors added. Cheers Darius

Very sorry to hear this news. Darius

Window cutting out commenced… Shortened the bogie centre dimension. One side done… Cheers Darius

Made a start on an ICF coach for the Deccan Queen using plasticard sheets to build up the lower coach body. It is designed to fit on a cut down Triang Mk1 coach chassis. The coach sides will be thin plasticard with the windows cut out - similar to the Bombay Local. An internal framework of plasticard provides strength and something for the coach sides to fix to. The Triang coach roof is modified to fit. The scale is approximately 1:87 HO to match the WCM1 loco recently converted from an Electrotren HO model. I adjusted the coach sides slightly to match the Triang coach length. I now have rather a lot of windows to cut out… Cheers Darius

Thanks David. Having completed the Loco conversion I suppose I have to build the 20+ coaches that form the Deccan Queen. Going to need a load more Triang Mk1s and plasticard. Cheers Darius

Calling this finished now - added buffer beam steps the the coupling end, bogie speedometers and light weathering to the chassis. Cheers Darius

Tail lights fabricated from plasticard and mounted atop the main headlights. Cheers Darius

Cow catcher made from plasticard and fixed to the removable front valence that came with the model locomotive. It’s almost brushing the tops of the rails so further modifications will be required. I have a cunning plan… Modified cow catcher fitted. Cheers Darius

Cab door handrails and train headboard added. Cheers Darius

Home made decals applied. Cheers Darius

Bogie frames painted black and re fitted. Cab glazing and headlight glazing re-fitted. New round buffers fitted. Body re-attached to chassis. Awaiting decals and additional details. Cheers Darius

Hence their nickname “Little Joe”. Cheers Darius

Initial painting completed. Cheers Darius

I have travelled by train several times between Mumbai and Pune and back on the Deccan Queen express. The train used to be hauled by WCM1 electric locomotives that were built in the UK at the Vulcan Foundry and exported to India. It would appear that similar locomotives were exported to Spain as witness this HO gauge model by Electrotren. So hatched my plan to modify the Electrotren model to represent, as far as possible an Indian Railways WCM1. After removing the glazing etc. the redundant nose lights and jumper sockets were removed and filled. Brass wire bars and shades were added to the cab windows and cab doors carefully scribed. Primer on. Cheers Darius

Running session yesterday… Cheers Darius