# CPR Coaches courtesy of Bachmann



## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

With considerable encouragement from my three year old grandson I have managed to produce (I should say in the process of producing) three coaches along the lines of the CPR Colonist cars for our Bachmann 2-6-0 to haul. This engine has been recently mentioned in the "DCC in Large Scale" forum.
I will add more photographs as time and weather permits.











































































































As can be seen from the different colours of the basic coach sections several coaches were used, five in all and some pieces from another previous build I did. I now have the coaches pained and lettered but to date only one, the baggage combine, has installed lighting.
I do have some photographs of the undersides and I'll post them later.
I hope these pictures provide some inspiration to others that as nice as the Bachmann coaches are they do lend themselves well to various modifications.
Cheers.


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## ORD23 (Jan 2, 2010)

Wow, these are beaut's. How many inches did you add to each?


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Pretty neat! Looking forward to seeing the final results.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

The original Bachmann coaches are twelve window units I added six which amounts to eight inches. The total length over the end beams is twenty seven inch.

Cheers.


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Great post! The coaches are coming along quite nice. I'm hoping to find time next winter to convert a couple of coaches myself so I'm very interested in learning how you did such a neat job of splicing them together.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

I pulled these coaches out this morning for a couple of photographs, you might notice a couple of details still to be added including passengers. I think that when I have the locomotive completed I'll get some more time for the coaches, provided I don't start anything else! The roofs are not attached yet as I still need to complete the lighting.
So here they are in all their splendid Tuscan Red.























































Cheers.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Harvey,

The coaches look great!! I have been tempted to do this for a more turn of the century looking train. The nearby tourist railroad operates wooden coaches that look similar to yours. 

Mark


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## ORD23 (Jan 2, 2010)

Great job. Give yourself a pat on the back. These are beaut's! Makes me want to rip into my LGB passengers. 

Ed


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

wonderful looking coaches! great job!


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello Richard,
On the first picture of the underside floors you can see on the centre floor the slabs of 0.040" plasticard used for reinforcements of the epoxy joint. The seating sets that Bachmann install have a clearance that allows the wiring to go under the seats. I use this space for the reinforcement. I do the same on the roof sections and then paint the head lining. These can be seen if you stand on your head and look up through the coach windows. The side panels are butt joined and reinforced with the same material. Obviously smaller panels due to the widows. You need to cut away the outside face of the seats in the immediate are of the reinforcement, which you can do with a razor saw, this prevents the body from being pushed out in that localized area.
For cutting the body sections I clamp a straight edge to the outside of the body and use a 0.020" razor saw. After the joint has set I clean out the groove in the paneling with some dental tools to the same depth as the originals. Try to get the attachment lugs in the body panels to line up with the holes in the extended floor if you can it makes for an easier assembly. the same applies to the roof sections if you can. The canvas joints on the roofs are cut from scotch tape which I layout on a piece of steel then cut into strips 0.080" wide. Once stuck to the roof I overlay them with glue.
The blind clerestory sections of the Baggage Combine car was done with individual sections of plasticard and then some light Bondo touch ups. if I was to do this again I would cut out the clerestory section and insert a single strip of plasticard. 
On the Bachmann coaches you have to be careful with the spacing on the tongue and groove panels as they are not all the same width depending on what type of coach you're cutting up. I learned this when I did my first coach, (not one of these CPR units) but didn't notice it until too late in the build.
I would also like to add that Bachmann do such a wonderful job of these coaches it's very difficulty to bring oneself to make the first cut, but once you're over that things go very well..
Cheers.


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Very nice Harvey. I have a question: how did you make the end steps? Where did you get the plans or dimensions?


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello Joe,
Somewhere in the vast expanse of my basement I have a sketch of the steps taken from actual steps on an 1890's coach, which operates in a local historic park near my home. I copied these but not too precisely and they didn't fit. They seemed to be too deep and just didn't look right, but I think this is quite common when trying to replicate a scaled down version of anything. So I pulled them apart again and shortened the drop (kick plate), this seemed to look better so I went with it.
The baggage car is copied from a published photograph in the Canadian Pacific Archives and is image reference #A200188. When I had the rough dimensions of this based on the number of windows and the baggage compartment is was easy to determine the length of the other two passenger cars. 
The passenger cars #2482 and #2498 were Colonist cars which unfortunately were wrecked in the Spanish River disaster January 21st 1910. regrettably 44 persons lost their lives in this wreck and I understand that 38 of them were British immigrants (like me). This my tribute to their hardships and efforts to find a new life in North America. Only you and everyone else who looks at this posting will ever know that.
I've attached yet another photograph of the steps I built, but I can't remember if this is before or after I pulled them apart.
Thanks for your comments, as well as everyone else's, on this post. I hope I inspire others to try doing something different with their rolling stock, your collective comments certainly inspire me.










Cheers.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Harvey, 
Very nice coaches. 
I take it these are the 63' Colonist cars. 
You probably don't want to know this now, but there are some drawings available! 
Keep up the good work flying the Canadian Railway flag. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## twolfe (Mar 3, 2008)

Harvey, 
Very nice......... 

Cheers 
Terry


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By harvey on 09 Apr 2010 09:24 PM 
Hello Richard,
On the first picture of the underside floors you can see on the centre floor the slabs of 0.040" plasticard used for reinforcements of the epoxy joint. The seating sets that Bachmann install have a clearance that allows the wiring to go under the seats. I use this space for the reinforcement. I do the same on the roof sections and then paint the head lining. These can be seen if you stand on your head and look up through the coach windows. The side panels are butt joined and reinforced with the same material. Obviously smaller panels due to the widows. You need to cut away the outside face of the seats in the immediate are of the reinforcement, which you can do with a razor saw, this prevents the body from being pushed out in that localized area.
For cutting the body sections I clamp a straight edge to the outside of the body and use a 0.020" razor saw. After the joint has set I clean out the groove in the paneling with some dental tools to the same depth as the originals. Try to get the attachment lugs in the body panels to line up with the holes in the extended floor if you can it makes for an easier assembly. the same applies to the roof sections if you can. The canvas joints on the roofs are cut from scotch tape which I layout on a piece of steel then cut into strips 0.080" wide. Once stuck to the roof I overlay them with glue.
The blind clerestory sections of the Baggage Combine car was done with individual sections of plasticard and then some light Bondo touch ups. if I was to do this again I would cut out the clerestory section and insert a single strip of plasticard. 
On the Bachmann coaches you have to be careful with the spacing on the tongue and groove panels as they are not all the same width depending on what type of coach you're cutting up. I learned this when I did my first coach, (not one of these CPR units) but didn't notice it until too late in the build.
I would also like to add that Bachmann do such a wonderful job of these coaches it's very difficulty to bring oneself to make the first cut, but once you're over that things go very well..
Cheers. 
Thank you Harvey. That was a most concise and interesting description. I do a lot of scratch and bash building and your info will undoubtedly save me some grief when I cut into my coaches. Thank yo much!


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Beautiful, really great work. Thanks for sharing! 


Ted. 
(Looking around his basement for more Bachmann passenger cars to chop up..)


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello David,
Of course I would like to know that, as long as they are not being held in the black hole near Montreal.
I would be very interested in see a drawing of the interiors as I know they had a basic kitchen arrangement.
Cheers.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Harvey - that is a very inspiring bit of work there that is in desperate need of an article - 

1. On THIS forum. 

2. In GR [USA] 

3. In GR [UK] 

4. On our immediately interested and local forum in Ottawa - www.ovgrs.org 

5. and on our sister forum - www.largescalecentral.com 

Please give it some consideration. 

TIA 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 

PS - I just happen to have eleven Bachmann passenger cars, including three combines and two full baggage and observation, lying around doing nothing right now.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Well, to all of you who have Bachmann coaches collecting dust, now you know what you can do with them.
I gave them their first run today behind a Bachmann Mogul that I have posted in the 'DCC in Large Scale' forum. If you look at this you'll also see what you can do with that Mogul sitting on the shelf as well.
Thanks to you all who have given me so much feedback on this subject, I enjoyed building them through the winter and together with my Grandson we're going to enjoy running them through the summer.




















Cheers.


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

TAC, 

Your making me very jealous. I need to raid evilbay for more. I only have one more coach to chop. I am not building coaches, just traction equipment! 

Ted.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

That looks really great--I have a bunch of the Bachmann coaches, and it really bugs me that they are so short. Beautiful job


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Those turned out great! They fit in well behind the mogul. 

Later, 

K


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