Redimus Posted May 10, 2015 (edited) EDIT #1 WiP.... /EDIT EDIT#2 It liiiiiiives! /EDIT So a while ago I build a pullman coach. All in all, it was a success, but still very much on the toy end of the scale still. I had intended to build more, but got side tracked with m 7 wide Q class and rolling stock. By the time I had (mostly) finished all that, it seemed rather daft to build more of the existing design when I felt there was still room for improvement and it wasn't even my chosen 'scale' anymore (6 wide vs 7). I also had already come up with a few ideas in the original design process that I wanted to try out but knew wouldn't work at 6 wide. So, here comes version 2! With the Q class. New v Old This is still a work in progress, but it is already a vast improvement on the original. The red bits are bricks that won't be visible in the final version, the arches will hold either 2x4 black tiles or 2x2 light bley turntables with a black frame. As well as the length, I've added more accurate sloped ends to the coach, raised the end roofs and added an extra grey plate to the main roof to more accurately replicate the difference in where the roof ends in the different parts of the coach, replaced the standard Lego buffers for buffers in the right place, the frames are 6 wide the whole coach long (as well as more prototypical, it is also an easier way to build the different width parts) and I've added some extra markings to make it look a little less plain. I also added a second set of toilets, which I thought was more prototypical, but on further investigation, it comes down to which coach you're looking at. Still, it makes the coach symmetrical and (in my eyes) look better. I am aware this makes for quite a long coach and I will buy and build the frames on their own before investing in the rest of the coach so I can test out the viability of this length of coach on my current layout (although, even if I don't end up with these as a regular runner, they may well get built for display purposes). Still to add: the rest of the roof (duh), interior (I have a few ideas on this, not yet sure which I'm going to go for) and undercarriage detail. Edited July 9, 2015 by Redimus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heppeng Posted May 11, 2015 Thats looking pretty good! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinioncorp Posted May 11, 2015 Looks nice! The extra length is more proportional and the extra width actually makes the ends of the carriages easier. My only complaint would be that it looks to be sitting up a little high on the bogies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zephyr1934 Posted May 11, 2015 Oh wow, the new design is a ton better than the original 6 wide. Keep up the great work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaofar Posted May 11, 2015 You might consider using transparent clear plates in lieu of the red bits you have in the doors. One of our members designed a similar coach and did that. It resulted in an etched glass, Orient-Express look to the coach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted May 11, 2015 Thats looking pretty good! Oh wow, the new design is a ton better than the original 6 wide. Keep up the great work. Thank you kindly. :) Looks nice! The extra length is more proportional and the extra width actually makes the ends of the carriages easier. My only complaint would be that it looks to be sitting up a little high on the bogies. Yeah, it's a side effect of not being able to use the standard Lego train bases. Luckily, the previous design used virtually the same bogies, and in the plastic it sits lower than LDD will allow it to (plus the undercarriage detail will make it look less open and empty). You might consider using transparent clear plates in lieu of the red bits you have in the doors. One of our members designed a similar coach and did that. It resulted in an etched glass, Orient-Express look to the coach. The red is just the colour I chose for this design to indicate it doesn't matter what colour these bits are. The final one will use a 2x4 black tile held in between the two arches as a filler piece for the window. I had hoped for such a thing as a 2x4 clear tile (in which case those red bits would be black), but alas, no such bit exists. As for a clear plate, have you got a photo of it being used, I can't say I'm convinced I'd like it, but I'll give anything a go once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaofar Posted May 11, 2015 No, sorry I don't have any pictures of it. It was displayed in a show back in 2012 or 2013. BTW, sorry I forgot to give you kudu's for the new design. It looks great! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted May 11, 2015 No, sorry I don't have any pictures of it. It was displayed in a show back in 2012 or 2013. BTW, sorry I forgot to give you kudu's for the new design. It looks great! Heh, no worries. That's why I post half complete LDD designs on here. You guys are a great source of ideas and techniques. If I post a half done LDD file, people are more than willing to offer useful and welcome critique. If I wait until I have it fully finished in the plastic, no matter how half baked it is, no one will offer me any ideas, and I've already spent money on the bits anyway. My Q Class (which I'm rightly proud of) would never have been half as good without that exact kind of critique! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted May 22, 2015 (edited) So, here's the finished design in LDD. As before, all red (and light pink because that bit doesn't come in red) pieces are pieces that won't be visible when complete. The black 2x4 tiles will slot into the door arches, and the 2x2 turntables will sit studs inwards in between the other set of arches (to represent the toilets). The tubes will form (with a bit of butchering) the undercarriage frames in between the bogies. Before ordering the bits for the coach body, I will order the bits for the undercarriage, so I can make sure it will fit with any degree of comfort around my layout as it currently stands. Complete Coach: Frames: Body: And a complete train: Assuming the first coach is a success, I will then dismantle the original (6 wide) Pullman in order to make the 2nd coach cheaper. EDIT! Looking at inspiration for a brake version, I noticed three things; 1: The end windows were too small. 2: I had completely forgotten to include a way of putting a lamp on the end of the train. 3: The buffers, whilst in line with my other builds, are far too short when compared to the corridor. So here are the ends of the coach with the minor modifications: I was also reminded that the doors really are rather wide compared to the real thing, but sadly, that's something I can't really fix without settling for less accurate windows (and they wouldn't be in scale with minifigs if they were). Edited May 22, 2015 by Redimus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zephyr1934 Posted May 23, 2015 That is a great solution you've used to replace the expensive tan train windows, I think it looks fantastic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heppeng Posted May 23, 2015 3: The buffers, whilst in line with my other builds, are far too short when compared to the corridor. Don't forget that Pullmans would be buckeye coupled together with the buffers retracted, so that the buffers would be much shorter than the corridors in real life, except at the ends of the train when they would be extended to couple to the loco - unless the loco is buckeye equipped also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScotNick Posted May 23, 2015 Hi Redimus, the coach looks wonderful!!! :wub: You've done some great work, I think the new coach is a big improvement compared to your old one! Especially the proportions seem to be much more realistic. One question though: Will you really let your Q class haul the Pullman coaches, or is there a more suitable engine planned for a Pullman train? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted May 23, 2015 At some point I really want to work out how Techno Andrew managed to pull off such convincing Bullied Spamcans, but until then, I'll have to settle for the Q class or my generic blue thing (which really ought to be my next upgrade) lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) Well, it doesn't look much yet, but the first coach is finally on it's way! The most important thing is this... It makes it around the layout fine, despite it's length! It's also pretty strong, although it does dip very slightly in the middle right now, by the time the body is added it should be very sturdy. The remaining few bits for the frames are winging their way to me from somewhere in Europe, and I have just ordered the bits for the body on bricklink (and boy are those reddish brown 1x1 horizontal clips and light blueish grey 2x2 curved slopes expensive when you need a few of them...). EDIT: Video of it not hitting things! (Out of interest, how do you embed videos in this forum?) Edited July 2, 2015 by Redimus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
THERIZE Posted July 2, 2015 (Out of interest, how do you embed videos in this forum?) i beliece the 's' from https would need to remove. I saw a topic about it but im not sure if thats the way how to do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScotNick Posted July 2, 2015 Oh, that looks like a great start! Clear the way for more realistic trains!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dread Pirate Rob Posted July 2, 2015 Inspiring work! You have captured the lines beautifully. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted July 2, 2015 Oh, that looks like a great start! Clear the way for more realistic trains!!! Nice! Inspiring work! You have captured the lines beautifully. Cheers guys! ---------------------------------------------------- Whilst waiting for bits, I felt it was time to look into the brake coach. I really wasn't sure how I was going to tackle this, as a lot of details would have to be implied, and the end door (which would need to fit in the same space as the normal end doors) would have to be of a radically different design to fit the prototypes. Speaking of prototypes, no two Pullman coaches were the same, and brakes coaches were, if anything worse than most in their variations. Even finding something to base it on was difficult, with no decent photos from multiple angles of any one coach, so eventually I resigned myself to basing it on the old (and rather flawed) Hornby design, as this seemed to be all over Google. The Prototype: The LDD: I think the layout and details of the brake section are about there, but I'm really not happy with the end doors, and the guard's lookout may be scrapped before it gets built. Any suggestions and opinions on these would be greatly welcomed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinioncorp Posted July 4, 2015 (edited) My recommendation would be to make how it works for you. I think it's more important for it to be neat and clean than to be exactly matching the prototype. You said yourself that no two carriages were the same, so use this to your advantage to make the design fit the bricks, not the other way around. Having said that, I think it looks great! The door and the guards window look appropriate. I would however use panels instead of the brown frame windows, since the rest of the windows are flush with the body, they may stand out in a undesirable way. Edited July 4, 2015 by pinioncorp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted July 4, 2015 Having said that, I think it looks great! The door and the guards window look appropriate. I would however use panels instead of the brown frame windows, since the rest of the windows are flush with the body, they may stand out in a undesirable way. Hmm, that's true. I've also just noticed the two guard area windows aren't the same height, will have to sort that out, lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legoboy22 Posted July 5, 2015 Nice job!! I am looking forward to seeing it built.:) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redimus Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) Huzzah! We have finished Pullman! I'm now thinking about the next coach, but before ordering the parts, I've decided to have a second go at the brake end, not sure it's much more accurate, but I think it looks a little better than my first attempt (new version is the end on the left). Edited July 9, 2015 by Redimus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zephyr1934 Posted July 10, 2015 The Pullman car is looking great in real bricks (albeit a little lonely for more of it's kin, grin) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
