Director's Saloon

[Hugh Norwood]

I wanted a suitable small coach to go behind the 4-2-2 loco that's recently joined the roster; a saloon for directors of the line and their Important Guests...



My go-to coach kit to customise is the RC810 Innisfail coach from Chivers. I wanted to make a shortened version so carefully cut off three windows from the ends so that the doors would both be one window in from the front. I also decided to make the body wider; I settled on the new floor pan being 25mm wide, making the body about 27.5 mm wide. The coach body is 55 mm long and the entire coach is 69 mm long. I cut a new floor out of 1 mm styrene sheet.

I already had the required drawings to make up new ends; one with windows for the front and one with windows and a door for the rear. I just had to widen them to suit the new dimensions (and I still made a wee mistake). These were printed onto 210gsm paper and the ends laminated. Using three layers allows for the window frames and door to be inset and some relief to put put on the door panels. Scoring the wood panelling on the outer layer (before gluing in place) gives it texture. As an added "bonus", I made up an internal door part, even though you can't see it in normal viewing.

[Hugh Norwood]

The coach sides and ends were assembled and left to set; the card ends were glued in place with Glue n Glaze, which I find works well and isn't too messy. Meanwhile, I made up a new roof by laminating three layers of 210gsm paper round a mug (which had a suitable radius and was near enough cylindrical; this was set aside to dry for a day. Glazing is thin acetate held in place with Glue n Glaze (Deluxe).

The issue of the balcony arose now. I wanted more than just the single handrail that I had put on my other balcony coaches. I asked for advice on a group on Facebook and one suggestion looked good; Scale Link do a sheet of etched brass railings. This arrived in a couple of days. I chose what looked like a good style of railings, and I was very pleased to see that the width of the balcony fitted a whole number of the vertical uprights in the etch, which meant the balcony wouldn't look odd when viewed closely.


Balcony in place
The etch was glued in place, with two lengths of 1mm o.d. brass tube for the corner supports.


I made up a table from styrene sheet and section, and three chairs also from square section tube and styrene strip.

[Hugh Norwood]

I took the unfinished coach to the Oldham Group meeting at Paul's, along with the 4-2-2, to see how well (or otherwise!) they went together. Everyone thought it looked fine.


Interior


Inside of the door to the balcony


three-quarter rear view

What it needs as a finishing touch is a couple of "important" figures standing on the balcony surveying their iron road empire!

[clayliner]

...and some interior catering facilities, surely?!

David.

[Hugh Norwood]

well I did think about a bar at the front end...  :)

[S Duda]

Morning, Hugh.
I was thinking a stove as a source of heating and a kettle to provide water for the tea.
Could the people stood on the balcony be a Director's daughter and the son of a potential new investor? Would curtains be too much frippery?


Stefan

[Hugh Norwood]

Back when I was building the layout in the early 2010's I visited the Leeds Wargaming show in the Armouries in Leeds, and bought some white metal dwarfs (dwarves) from Kallistra; a few of these have been on the layout for all that time, but I couldn't find a place to put the King. Where would I put a dwarf (with a crown) sitting in his (well, I won't say "throne", because it's obviously wooden) chair? Well, I've found just the place now, as a guest in the Director's Saloon.



I had already painted the King; I touched up his crown with "Gun Metal" and gold highlights. He's now planted in the coach where the woman was, and I've added a dwarf bodyguard.




A couple of 3D printed bottles from Petite Properties (sold as a set of four in 1:48 scale) looked fine for 4mm, so I made a serving plate from 3 layers of thick paper laminated together, the top painted Titanium Sliver, and glued the bottles to it. This now sits on the table in the Saloon.

[Hugh Norwood]

I ordered some people from Modelu


Modelu people after painting

My painting skills do not do justice to the high quality prints.

Two are now standing on the balcony...

[MickT]

Excellent Hugh! I recognised one of the celebrities straight away - who are the other 3?...................

Mick

[Hugh Norwood]

Excellent Hugh! I recognised one of the celebrities straight away - who are the other 3?...................

Mick

They are Set 3 in Modelu's Victorian People series
(Not met them personally...)