TVR Driving Trailer Composite Bogie Carriage in 7mm

[Newport_rod]

I have had the following information from Derek Mundy

• A 7mm kit for the Taff Vale Railway Driving Trailer Composite Bogie Carriage (Bristol Carriage and Wagon Co. 1907) TVR Nos 78 and 79 is currently in production and I expect to have the first batch delivered after this week. It will be a short cut to scratch building the coach.
  The parts consist of all of the external bodywork, etched from one side in relief in .015” brass, broken down into sections so that both the tumblehome and the flat areas can be modelled as per prototype.
  
  All of the body components sit around a floor pan. Two 450mm lengths of brass solebar channel 6mm x 2mm are required and also brass 4mmx4mm transverse “I” beam for the queen posts. All of the supplied underframe plating is then hung from this.
  
  The parallel buffers which are so prominent are available from Lanky Kits as LMS loco buffers, in turned brass with steel heads. They will require the addition of 1’9” diam faces which are etched in the tooling. In other respects they are an exact match.
  
  A pair of 2ft dia gas cylinders with domed ends will need to be sourced and of course 3’7” diam wheels for the bogies.
  
  Postal address is 2 Lon Eirlys, Prestatyn LL19 9JZ.
  
  If an etching order for 5 units is collated then the price will be £90 + P&P. There would be a small added premium for one off orders.
  There are no plans to produce the item in 4mm scale.
  
  I would suggest that interested persons e mail me in the first instance at derekmundysignals@tiscali.co.uk with their intentions!

In addition etches for Fox patent bogies and castings for roof gas lamp tops, Vac cylinders and all of the bogie parts, such as TVR axleboxes and springs, centres, knife beam and semi elliptical spring ends. These will be available from Chris Basten of Dragon Models – please ask Chris (chrisbasten@fsmail.net) for details of availability and prices.

[signal demon]

The body work for the coach is away for painting and lining at present, but I attach a photo of the vehicle so far.
I am awaiting castings for the gas tank ends and lamp tops, from my masters, otherwise the coach is complete.
The 8ft Fox Bogies with Dragon Models are acceptable. They have TVR axleboxes etc but the side frames are deeper in the photos which I have, so purists may wish to source something else.
The one avail;able has a girder top frame whereas the photos show a plate frame. I am not sure if anyone produces the plate frame type. Both have the Fox patent suspension.
I have sourced resin cast seating for the interior and this is being made to order as we speak !
A brass roof can be obtained also, and I have a sample of the profile. I await a price for people to order, direct.

[0083]

Gents
Very impressed with the Auto trailer. I made a pair from the Trevor Charlton collection some years ago which were based on incorrect drawings that did not have the corridor end doors recessed.

Two queries please:
1 Are all three sets of doors recessed in the Derek Mundy production? It's not clear from the photo whether this is the case.
2 Is it the intention to also produce the matching TV353 354 (GW DIagram A35)? As the trailers always worked in pairs two of which were latterly allocated to Tondu.

[signal demon]

In reply to the query by 0083, the original cars as built, had tumblehome luggage compartments and plain ends.
Only the Guard/ driver at the front, and the middle doors were recessed.
Upon modification to corridor end, the luggage doors were also recessed.
The reason for recessing the doors was to allow them to open inwards, so they had to clear the floor !

[signal demon]

re the query on production of a matching trailer car, I am doubtful that there would be sufficient interest to warrant a further addition to the family, as it may prove un commercial. I am open to producing a set of parts on the same basis as the 7mm model, but in 4mm if I get enough interest to justify the cost of production.