Large Scale Central

Beating the Boredom - NENG Short Combine Kit

While I am waiting for some cooler weather to try my Ford Canyon Red on the Emily coach, I dragged out a “kit” for a 26’ coach made originally by Ted Stinson of Northeast Narrow Gauge. Ted passed a few years ago, and my kit must be 10-15 yrs old. He was the guy who did the plans that were given away in GR Magazine in the early 2000’s.

I checked my ‘plans’ file and found not only his original plan for the combine, but also the plans for the interiors of his 26’ ‘shortie’ coaches. Interestingly, while the kit has the same plans in it. my one-piece fold-out plan has construction instructions, which the kit does not!!

Anyway, I’m not going to post detailed step-by-step build instructions, as these kits are few and far between. But a few photos and interesting issues that occurred might be of interest.

Having made or modified several coaches in the past 10 years, I had a pretty good idea what was what. I had some 1/4 round wood left over from a prior coach, so that got used on the corners instead of the square supplied. I used the square stock to reinforce the inside of the corners.

The scale wood supplied is a bit rough, and even after sanding it looks rough. The previous owner had actually started to build it, and had used scribed siding for the end platforms, instead of the 1/4" planking supplied, and the steps use cardstock for the sides and he had used card for the steps - and glued them in the wrong place - so I had to rebuild those pieces.

I poked around inside my bags of leftover wooden parts and found 1/2 the parts for 6 seats so I made do and left off the arms on the wall side.

Much more insteresting are the trucks, which have whitemetal castings and a wood frame. I was extremely dubious about the dimensions involved, as gluing the wooden frame doesn’t make it easy to correct the width, etc. As it turned out, the bolster was wider than the ends so that needed ‘adjusting’.

I painted the wheels black as I spray everything and prefer not to get paint on the rim/treads. The sides have to be glued and pinned to the sides, so this pic shows the tools - a ‘drift’ was essential (flat ended round chisel-type device, for hitting nailheads when you can’t get a hammer at them?) Pre-drilling most of the holes was also advisable.

Then, after I installed the wheels, I found they hit the bolster, so (as you can see above,) I had to cut some clearance for them. Finally, they were all together, with plastic spacer washers to keep the wheels centered and away from the sideframes.

I put them on the track and got a nasty shock. The wheels didn’t fit the track.

Somewhere along the line they had been squeezed. I should have checked the back-to-back before installing them, sigh, so they had to come out and be spread a little. Now it runs nicely, and then I found some “square wire” as Ted calls it, which is strap for the underside of the sodeframes, so I’ll have to come up with a jig or similar for making 4 pieces. I have some nails left, so I think I will "bolt’ them underneath the end beams.

Always nice to see a fellow modeler’s models and what they are working on, keep up the good work, running that combine on your layout will give you hours of enjoyment, good job.

trainman

At least you are building it on top a kitchen counter and not on the washing machine…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

running that combine on your layout will give you hours of enjoyment

As I don’t have a layout, that seems unlikely! But thanks for the thought.

building it on top a kitchen counter

Naw, I’m building it in the Pantry. The kitchen counter was just a place with light to take the photo. (The pantry is pretty big - about 9’x4’ 6", and has sturdy shelves built in. SWMBO offered it to me as a workshop. With a few modifications it does great. see attached.)

A little more progress while I wait for a good paint day (maybe tomorrow for primer.) I test fit the completed and re-gauged trucks - this thing is a real shortie.

I glued in the window frames, doors, and added a bathroom. The seats are painted and ready to install. A stove was found in my leftovers box from coach builds, along with an extra window as I only had 7 in the kit. (As an aside, the NENG kit is basswood, so the 1/16th thick windows are very fragile. My wooden kit - probably the Carter Bros - is 1/16th plywood, which is much stronger.)

I figured I would add the end rails on the body before painting, and I made a little jog to make the holes.

The rails are also leftovers, from an Accucraft coach I think. A little thinner than the supplied rod. The body is now done and will get a grey primer and green semi-gloss on the outside. I found a can of caramel (light brown) that will do for the interior walls - I might paint the floor dark brown, but In my experience you can hardly see it.

Wow Pete, that is really great

Dennis

Nice work so far. Looks just the right size for my layout! I want it!

A cooler day so a bit of paint. This is one coat of gloss Hunter Green on top of the grey primer. The inside is warm caramel (!)

Most of the bits are done, like the baggage steps and the end railings, and just need attaching. The roof is slow as it needs a lot of fiddling.

Jim - it’s all yours if you want it. What RR name shall I put on the side?

OK, now I know you are joshing me, Pete.

But if you aren’t, how much? Durango & Jasper. I have decals…

Jim Rowson said:

OK, now I know you are joshing me, Pete.

But if you aren’t, how much? Durango & Jasper. I have decals…

No joshing. I’ll send you a PM.

Pete Thornton said:

A cooler day so a bit of paint. This is one coat of gloss Hunter Green on top of the grey primer. The inside is warm caramel (!)

OR&L colors!

Eric Mueller said:

Pete Thornton said:

A cooler day so a bit of paint. This is one coat of gloss Hunter Green on top of the grey primer. The inside is warm caramel (!)

OR&L colors!

Unfortunately it is going to get a final coat of satin Hunt Club green, which is a shade darker and more like Pullman green.

I got back from my trip to the Poconos and the weather is still cooperating, so more paint and progress. The stove is Accucraft from a J&S coach, and I made the chairs from leftovers.

The paint was a bit garish, so I dug in my stash and found some “Hunt Club Green” satin which went on very nicely. I did sand down the paint with a little wet 320 emory which helped.

The end rails and grabs are on (also ex-Accucraft) and I am slowly making the roof. As NENG only gave me some flat 1/16th basswood, it has to be glued on the curved ribs and left for 24 hours to set properly.

There’s the clerestory getting its wings glued on. The big lump on each end is a partially shaped balsa block that I have to curve to match the roof. As the clerestory is painted and will need to be masked, I’ll probably glue in the windows before painting the roof.

Moving right along, the roof is now fitted and the clerestory shaped. I had to add small bits on the ends to make it look right - the curves are cross-grain strips that bend nicely, and break easily. This is before:

And after. Ted’s instructions say to fill with spackling (!) I think I will use plastic wood or similar.

That looks fiddly…

Jim Rowson said:

That looks fiddly…

Define fiddly

Fiddly == getting all those curves juuuuuuuust right. Fiddly.

Actually, it wasn’t too bad. The balsa blocks are shaped on top and bottom to almost the right curve, and they are the correct width. The sides of the clerestory are also cut (though you have to make a second piece the same curve to add width.)

Here’s the ancient “Surform” shaper dug out of the bottom of the toolbox for the first time for 20+ years.

The underside is final-shaped using a layer of sandpaper on the roof and rubbing the roof into it. There is going to be a layer of roof covering (probably wide masking tape) over all this to hide the blemishes!

Nice work! Great instructional steps and photos of how and what you have achieved.

OK. So it was fiddly doing the roof covering. But we got it done and masked off the body, and here it is enjoying the sun while the paint dries.