German Umbau carriages

[Duq]

Just before Brick 2015 in London I finished my new passenger carriages. I'd been wanting to build these for a long time and now I finally have some fitting carriages to go with my BR 55 and other steam engines.

The official type is 4yg but they're better known as 'Umbau' or 'Conversion' carriages. They were built in the 1950's using old chassis' with newly built bodies. This one is the B4yg, the 2nd class car. I've also built a 1st/2nd class (AB4yg) and a second class with baggage department (BD4yg).

Umbau B4yg by Duq, on Flickr

After seeing the beautiful brick-built bogies at PennLug and TBRR I decided I needed to build my own bogies for these new cars. Because of the fact they were partly built from existing stock and because they were built in various workshops a number of different bogie types were used for them. I've chosen the Minden-Deutz MD-36 bogies:

Minden Deutz MD 36 bogie by Duq, on Flickr

I've paid a lot of attention to getting the wagon ends as realistic as possible. For a start that meant round gangway connectors. The new Technic 'pin with pin hole' helped a lot with getting those right. The buffers on these cars are fairly exposed which I modeled with the old single buffer element combined with a telescope.

For the door handles I went to the dark side and cut a handful of bucket handles in half. There was just no other way...

Finally the windows. The pattern of part 3245apb01 was what I needed. Unfortunately that part was only used in one set in 1975 and is therefore kinda hard to get. Nevermind if you're looking for 50 of them. Luckily I know someone who can print on bricks so he printed this pattern on 1x2x2 clear panels.

I haven't taken proper photo's myself yet but Thomas Cogley took this nice picture at Brick 2015:

DSC_5322 by Thomas Cogley, on Flickr

[Sven J]

That's a very nice model! You've captured the prototype's distinctive shape very well. The wagon ends and the bogies are just great!

I'd love to see some more pictures of the whole train, including your BR 55.

The windows look a bit small, though. Did you consider to build just four windows in a row, and to make them larger? I could imagine that your models would look even better then.

(I know the prototype has five, but as I read on your Flickr account, you've shortened the wagons anyway.)

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Hey Duq, your skill and your collection are growen up so much ...and this wagon is amazing and so the bogies! :wub:

Top notch!

I also love (and I want to steal) this fantastic signal box

[Selander]

Great wagons!! Love that color scheme.

Do you make your own window stickers ?

[Duq]

Thanks guys!

I'd love to see some more pictures of the whole train, including your BR 55.

I don't have pictures of the whole train but I do have an album for the BR 55 on Flickr.

The windows look a bit small, though. Did you consider to build just four windows in a row, and to make them larger? I could imagine that your models would look even better then.

(I know the prototype has five, but as I read on your Flickr account, you've shortened the wagons anyway.)

It was always going to be a compromise. At full 1:40 scale they would be 60 studs long! Using 4 long windows I'd only get 3 in at this car length. 3 long windows would have to be brick-built, making the printed pattern a lot harder to do. This way it was easy to build and it also made it easy to do the first class section with 4 windows.

I also love (and I want to steal) this fantastic signal box

I don't have an album for the signal box, might do that some time. There's a picture from a different angle here:

Signal box by Duq, on Flickr

It's based on the signal box in Foynes, co Limerick:

2001-09-21 Foynes signalbox by John Carter, on Flickr

Do you make your own window stickers ?

Nope, they're printed onto the clear panels.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

WOW it's exactly the same!

[michaelozzie]

Always love your builds Duc. The wagons look great and nice to see separateley those bogie designs.

[garethjellis]

very nice coaches!

[brickostan]

Wow. Nice wagons. When I see the the train I come to think about some pictures in a Märklin catalog.

[harnbak]

Very realistic carriages - reminds me of my dad's old Märklin

[bricks n bolts]

Amazing carriages, great details on the bogies, and diorama is a fantastic job. The roof on that train station is something else.

[Duq]

Thanks for all the kind words!

My dad had an attic full of Fleischmann, that's where I got my inspiration.

[dr_spock]

Great job on the carriages. What device did he use to print the windows on the clear panels?

[eurotrash]

Great looking carriages and that signal box is awesome.

[zephyr1934]

The cars are amazing- great color scheme and attention to details. That station behind the train is fantastic too. I am quite impressed with how you were able to make an excellent reproduction of the prototype signal box. Great work all around.

I haven't taken proper photo's myself yet but Thomas Cogley took this nice picture at Brick 2015:

Heh heh, the sign of a master builder, snapping bricks together too quickly to snap a picture of the final creation.

[Duq]

The number of times I've come home from an event, looked through my pictures and realised I'd taken everyone else's work and forgot my own...

[Man with a hat]

Those are great. The compromise you had to make with respect to scale couldn't have been better.

The look is perfect. And I really appreciate the effort to keep it pure. You had parts printed, but at least there are actually bricks like that available (not a lot though).

[Duq]

I really appreciate the effort to keep it pure.

Did you notice the cut-in-half bucket handles on the doors?

[Beck]

There is another option for the door handles if you are willing to compromise a small amount. You could use the hammer tool #55295. A quick google search revealed for me that the handles were a bit smaller IRL than on your model. Overall, your model is excellent! I am also curious how the carriages ran on the layout considering that you used the 2x2 turntable piece, which does not allow for any rocking. Also where did you purchase the brass tubes for the axles. I'm having trouble finding a place to buy them.

[Duq]

You're right, I could have used the hammers. In theory the turntables don't allow for rocking. In reality there's enough play in them and the carriages ran very well for three days in London.

The brass tubes are made by K&S Metals. I buy them in my local model shop.

[peterab]

Just before Brick 2015 in London I finished my new passenger carriages. I'd been wanting to build these for a long time and now I finally have some fitting carriages to go with my BR 55 and other steam engines.

The official type is 4yg but they're better known as 'Umbau' or 'Conversion' carriages. They were built in the 1950's using old chassis' with newly built bodies. This one is the B4yg, the 2nd class car. I've also built a 1st/2nd class (AB4yg) and a second class with baggage department (BD4yg).

It really is a joy to see you build the sort of stuff I'm passionate about. Most of the layouts I participate in model local prototypes but I feel less of a total weirdo because every now and then you build something awesome that I've either built or want to build. I've built the same consist with an extra 2nd class carriage. I've been toying with building one of the prototype control cars which I aim to use with a BR23.

Not being particularly creative seeing your builds also allows me to improve my own. These are lovely and will force me to make a few changes to mine. I'll stick to regular green on mine though since it means I can use dark green for 1930's carriages and use the 2x3 windows as doors on these. Regular green is a bit too light but I think dark green is a little too dark too.

After seeing the beautiful brick-built bogies at PennLug and TBRR I decided I needed to build my own bogies for these new cars. Because of the fact they were partly built from existing stock and because they were built in various workshops a number of different bogie types were used for them. I've chosen the Minden-Deutz MD-36 bogies:

I have plans to upgrade my whole fleet of passenger cars since I saw those, I'm particularly hopeless at bogies, they are a godsend.

I've paid a lot of attention to getting the wagon ends as realistic as possible. For a start that meant round gangway connectors. The new Technic 'pin with pin hole' helped a lot with getting those right. The buffers on these cars are fairly exposed which I modeled with the old single buffer element combined with a telescope.

That pin with pin hole is an awesome part, I've been wanting to upgrade mine since they relied on string jammed between the roof end plates to stay in place, I hope I can find room for a technic hole.

I also used the single buffers but love your use of the telescope. I'm trying to find a way to stabilise my steps, the rest of my train club make fun of them falling off all over the layout, I love the look of your steps but they also seem like they might be fragile.

For the door handles I went to the dark side and cut a handful of bucket handles in half. There was just no other way...

I used hammers. Though the bucket handles look great.

Finally the windows. The pattern of part 3245apb01 was what I needed. Unfortunately that part was only used in one set in 1975 and is therefore kinda hard to get. Nevermind if you're looking for 50 of them. Luckily I know someone who can print on bricks so he printed this pattern on 1x2x2 clear panels.

You might want to try these, and they're better because they don't have internal tubes. If you buy them regularly in small batches you can easily amass a couple of hundred over time (ask me how I know), and if you set an upper price limit and do it slowly new lots will become available regularly without forcing the price to spike and spoiling it for everyone

http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=772p01&idColor=12

My one suggestion is a more rounded roof these had quite a curve on them, I'm currently buying arches to upgrade mine.

[Duq]

It really is a joy to see you build the sort of stuff I'm passionate about. Most of the layouts I participate in model local prototypes but I feel less of a total weirdo because every now and then you build something awesome that I've either built or want to build.

Thank you... I'm in a similar position here in Ireland. There's only a handful of train builders here and the ones I know build Irish. At the model railway shows where we exhibit most layouts are based on Ireland or the UK. I'd love to be part of a collaborative layout based on German steam...

Not being particularly creative seeing your builds also allows me to improve my own. These are lovely and will force me to make a few changes to mine. I'll stick to regular green on mine though since it means I can use dark green for 1930's carriages and use the 2x3 windows as doors on these. Regular green is a bit too light but I think dark green is a little too dark too.

I don't see myself as very creative. I can build copies of vehicles and buildings but designing something from scratch? I have a few of these from my dad's collection and based on them I've gone for dark green. Plus the fact I like Lego dark green as a colour.

I'm trying to find a way to stabilise my steps, the rest of my train club make fun of them falling off all over the layout, I love the look of your steps but they also seem like they might be fragile.

They are kinda. You can't touch them when you pick the cars up but I haven't seen any come off while running around the layout.

You might want to try these, and they're better because they don't have internal tubes.

http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=772p01&idColor=12

That's the part that my printed panels are based on. I see what you mean about the tubes but I'm quite happy with my non-yellow printed parts ;-)

My one suggestion is a more rounded roof these had quite a curve on them, I'm currently buying arches to upgrade mine.

Yup, I know my roofs are too shallow. I just had a few hundred of those curved slopes from Lugbulk... I'll have to see if the arches work. They might be too tall for my liking.

Before upgrading these again there is some other work waiting; finish my diesel, rebuild the BR 65, do a few more freight cars, finish the fire station...

Thanks again for your nice comments. Do you have pictures of your version? I didn't see them in your Flickr stream. Saw a nice BR 103 though...

[peterab]

Do you have pictures of your version? I didn't see them in your Flickr stream. Saw a nice BR 103 though...

I'm pretty hopeless at documenting my builds, as you probably can tell from the dates on the BR103; it has a rake of ten carriages to go with it including a Rheingold observation car which I'm particularly proud of but I've also never photographed them.