Table Teaser

Another day long session on 105, concentrating on the underframe and interior detail.

The first job on the floor is to bend and fit the truss rods followed by any other gubbins found underneath like vacuum cylinders and reservoirs. (I generally don't bother with all the brake linkages on the carriages) On 105 there are some big boxes which appeared at the last rebuild connected with the toilet installation - but I wont' go into exactly what they all do in case you haven't had your tea yet!)

There are still a few bits to be added, such as the - ahem - discharge pipe, but this shot gives you a good idea of what I've got going on under there.



While I suspect most modellers build their interiors as separate drop-in units mine are a key part of the structure. The styrene sides are very flimsy things and because they are a laminate structure, and the effect of the solvent on the styrene, they curl up like bananas unless you can force them to stay flat. Fortunately they bend inwards so all you need to do is have a structure inside the carriage which pushes them outwards and keeps them flat. And the seats and tables are the obvious thing to do that.

So our carriages are built with the roof permanently fixed while the floor / interior is left removable.

I have to be careful to leave a little less than 1mm gap between the carriage side and the interior for the glazing to be slipped in after painting. This needs to be a tight fit so that a) it doesn't shoogle about and b) it keeps the force onto the carriage side stopping it bending inwards.




I do have a little difficulty which a reader may be able to help me with. None of my research pictures show the type of table installed in bays at each end on the Engine (seaward) side. Do they have double width tables or just a single width table?



The reason for the doubt is that to make room for the corridor connection the seats at each end of the carriage are in a 1 + 1 formation instead of the usual 2 + 1.

The original 'Barn' tables tapered to make room for the end door to swing open but I can't recall what solution the carriage works adopted when the tables were replaced. Can anyone help?