# A carriage for the Rocket



## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

It's taken a while but the carriage to give the Rocket a reason to be out there is almost finished. My first thought and construction involved a Hartland woodie frame and motor. A little experimenting determined that the motor in the tender had enough oomph and traction to pull a coach. About this time Pete Thornton posted a wonderful picture of a model that seemed as close to the unit in the British Rail Museum as we could hope to find.
Here it is,









So, instead of this......








leading to this,









a frame started to appear made of styrene strips, rods, and sheet materials. A pair of LGB spoked wheels came close to the size that Pete's picture showed. At least they have spokes. You just have to look past the huge flanges. 









The body was painted black after the strips were added and sections were cut and fitted that would be painted yellow and glued in place.








I don't do very precise work and I was surprised at how well they turned out. The windows were all cut from indiviual pieces of styrene (what else?) and there are three layers, black, yellow and brown.











This is the result of all this craziness.









There are more little steps on the ends but I need a break so they will be added later.









Now the train looks like this;









We hope to be at the Big Train Show in June and if we are, she'll be running on the Door Hollow Shortline layout.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Bob,

Well, I think it looks grand! Are you going to build a couple more? Also, do I get it right that the motor is in the coach, making it a 'pusher', so to speak? Also, those 'big' flanges look fine when on the 332 track--I'm assuming that's what it is.

Les


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

The coach will be a one-off. I enjoy the challenge of creating something new and different but if there was another one built THAT WOULD BE WORK! 

The motor didn't make it into the coach. The only motor is the one in the tender.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob..... That's a dandy.... Great modelling job. Didn't even notice the flanges. The whole consist is such a great attraction.....


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

A beautiful piece of modeling art, Bob. I had no idea whatsoever that you were capable of building train models.







You really should do more of this sort of thing. 
Seriously, what a wonderful train. As always, you keep excelling our expectations . Thank you.

Chris


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW Bob, that is a great job. Neat process on how you built it also.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

A really neat looking train. You certainly caught the feel of the coach. It is fun to see something so different, thanks for posting.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Neat! Very neat! 

Later, 

K


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Aww.. a thing of beauty, Bob! Are you going to letter it for the Liverpool & Dunderwich (or whatever... ) or for the Door Hollow Shortline? Looking forward to seeing it run on the D.H.!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW! Thats a real jem!


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## Dean Whipple (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 
What a masterpiece.....I don't know how you do it, your models just keep getting better and better....


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Bob,

You have made a good looking model of the posh coaches with that. BUT you must have one for the masses to go with it. You have at least half the work done for the blue open vehicle (they were called Third Class at the time, now it would be 'Standard Class)., so it will be an easier vehicle to build, plain old plank seating was fitted and no cushions!

I have attached a picture from the web of what they looked like, totally open, and therefore the passenger would have been covered in soot and smuts from the locomotive very quickly.

Experience is a 'First Class' vehicle almost a 'Parlor Car' though with typical British reserve is has compartments, and followed the Stage Coach designs. 

When the Midland Railway imported Pullman Parlor Cars it was a very great shock to the Victorians, with all those seats in an OPEN (shock, horror) carriage! They were eventually rebuilt to either Diners or our version of open coaches which were Picnic Cars. Amongst the Pullman cars were some sleepers and some day coaches as well.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, all I can say is fantastic. What a superb model.

Doc


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## Don Gage (Jan 4, 2008)

Very nice Robert, 
You definitely captured the look and feel of the original. Keep up the great work, 
Don


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, a beautiful piece of modelling. Aren't you glad we found that pic!


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Thank you all for the kind words! 

A special thanks to Pete. I'm sure glad (WE?) found that picture. 

As far as the lettering, Gary, I think it should retain it's British origins and appear on the Door Hollow as a visiting tourist attraction. That train and the "grasshopper", Heidi, would make a nice "Railfest" display in town. We'll see what kind of lettering Stan can come up with. 

Peter, creating another underframe would qualify as "work", not fun. That powder blue color is unusual in railroading. I'm not sure the motor unit in the tender could handle another car which would have to have several soot covered people in the seats. There is no interior in the yellow car and it's as light as I could make it. 

Chris, I may just try another train model. This one gives me encouragement to maybe try another project. 

Speaking of another project, I can't seem to find where I stored a couple of pic's of a Baldwin 0-4-0 that was built for a Japanese logging operation. It is sufficiently UGLY, with a huge stack and a cab that has a huge tank attached to the back of the cab. I think it was part of a recent post on MLS. If anyone saw it I'd be happy to have the link.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

That is way cool!


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## Terl (Jan 2, 2008)

Great work. I have special fondness for the pioneering railroad stuff. 

Terl


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks again, guys. My "break" didn't last long. I can't stop when I'm so close to the finish line. A way to attach the steps under the roof seats finally hit me and they were added. Then came safety chains and my idea of how a hook might have attached the car to the tender. A set of intermediate steps on the ends ended this project. Now it's on to something else..............if I can resist the temptation to add the roof rack.










We hope to be running this on the Door Hollow Shortline at the Big Train Show next month, if they can find room for us in with all the HO and N and O and Z gauge layouts.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Bob,

You've done such a remarkable piece of work. I hope you can bring yourself to put on the roof rack. But hey, it's your model. (And a remarkable one, too!)

Les


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry to disappoint you Bob, but that carriage is merely great until you break down and add the rack. How dare you try to pass this off as a finished model. (just to avoid any blog like issues of missed nuance, I'm joking its awsome). I loved your Rocket build post earlier and wish I had the talent to recreate it. 

Robert


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## trainbuffjr (Jan 11, 2008)

Wow, It looks great Bob. I wish I had a car like that for my Rocket! Thanks for posting.


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Responding to overwhelming comments that the carriage wasn't really finished until it had a roof rack, here it is. 


















Tiny solder joints aren't one of my talents so we have to apply the five foot rule to the rack. It's amazing how photos show flaws much better than casual observations.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob now I'm suffering from a serious bought of jealousy, I dig early steam. 










The $64 dollar question is...how do these perform on the Door Hollow track???


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Click on the Door Hollow Shortline link in my signature. Go to the "movie" page and select the Rocket clip. I have to assume that the whole package will run on the DHS. We'll find out at the Big Train Show in about a month.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Good for you, you finished it~ Good for us, 'cause it looks great.

Les


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## Terl (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys for posting the pictures. Now I can't decide which racks I like better. 

Terl


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

OK.........This is it! No more pictures of this thing. With a lot of help from Stan Cedarleaf the decals have been applied and it is finally finished. It will be running on the Door Hollow Shortline at the Big Train Show in about three weeks.








Thanks again for all the kind comments. Now on to the next goofy project, whatever it may be.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Just another wonderfully, fine, goofy project from the back room off the garage in Fallbrook. 

Fabulous, Bob.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm always amazed at the great talent folks have and share on this forum. Great job Bob. Later RJD


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