Dapol LMS coach kits

[andrewk]

Firstly, I'm new to this so please bear with me and excuse the basic questions.
I've just ordered a few Dapol LMS coach kits (both 57' & 60').
1. What glue should I use?
2. Do the roofs require painting? If so then what is the correct colour and where do I find it?
3. Do the wheels require replacing? If so then with which wheel set?

[skyblue]

For these kits the glue I would use would be standard plastic cement, like Humbrol or Revell Cement (other brands of plastic cement are available ) Use this sparingly as it can cause a loss of detail if it gets onto mouldings like door handles. For the correct roof colour I would use Phoenix Precision Paints - here's a link to their LMS Roof Grey. I know that there are problems with having paints posted to you (I am sure that there must be a way round it though) so it might be best to buy these at a shop or exhibition. I believe that the coaches have plastic wheels (if my memory of a review of them is correct) so you might want to replace them with metal wheels,there's a link to the Alan Gibson website here - they have a catalogue and they probably do the correct type of wheels, but I'm not sure.

[6C]

You will need 14.1mm solid disk wheels for these coaches - Hornby do metal replacements in this size (pack/ref. r8218)

[stuartp]

You don't need glue at all. The 'kits' are actually a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) version of their RTR coaches.

The sides, floor and ends are moulded as a single piece, the chassis, windows and interior mouldings clip into this (I forget in which order, it's been a while since I took one to bits). On the corridor coaches the rubber gangways then push in from the inside, the roof then clips on to the top of the window mouldings and locks it all up solid. The bogies clip into the chassis on a couple of plastic pegs. It all sounds a bit flimsy but it isn't, it can be a job getting them apart again !

There were LMS and BR standard colours for roofs but they seem to have been a bit variable to say the least. Have a look at a good colour picture and see if you can find two the same shade ! I use Humbrol 165 Medium Sea Grey or similar for a newly painted (BR) roof, Humbrol 27 Sea Grey or 67 Tank Grey for a weathered one (with a wash of dusty sooty black over the top).

[Free_at_last]

It is only the roof vents that need gluing on.

[skyblue]

You don't need glue at all. The 'kits' are actually a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) version of their RTR coaches.

You may well be right but I have heard that while it is possible to make these kits without glue, they go together more easily if you do glue them. Having said that, not gluing them does allow you to dismantle them and add passengers etc. at a later date.

[stuartp]

You may well be right but I have heard that while it is possible to make these kits without glue, they go together more easily if you do glue them. Having said that, not gluing them does allow you to dismantle them and add passengers etc. at a later date.

Apart from the roof vents (thanks FAL, they should push fit but the tooling is getting a bit worn) the only time I've ever had to glue these in 30 years of messing about with them is when I sawed four of them into slices to make an articulated set. Yes, you can glue them up solid if you must but I suggest the OP doesn't unless there's a particular problem with something coming loose. Ordinary polystyrene cement will work fine on most of it, the roof vents are some sort of nylon or ABS so might need a drop of superglue.

[ChrisWV10]

You don't even need glue for the roof vents. They're quite a tight fit. Though for peace of mind by all means use a dab. I replaced the wheels with the metal Hornby ones. For a budget track filler these coaches are good value.

C

[Lysander]

If you do choose to glue these together, I'd suggest that you use a liquid glue like Plastic Magic, PlasWeld or MekPak. These are applied with a brush, sparingly, and the liquid glue is drawn by capillary action into the joint, resulting in a near-invisible fix. Polystyrene cement- in a tube - is stringy and messy, and too viscous. Frankly I'm amazed that it's still sold [but I'm sure that some swear by it].

Tony

[Bufferstop]

Have to agree on the value for money. I push fitted the roof vents then using a very fine brush touched a single drop of liquid poly on each vent. 12 Months on nothing has fallen apart. I did replace the wheels (Hornby 14mm coach wheels) but I ought to get around to painting the roofs. The body is self coloured but looks ok. The roofs do look a touch plastic and would benefit from a coat of paint. In service they varied from off-white when painted to filthy black after a few years with only the sides getting washed, choose any shade in between.

[andrewk]

Thanks for all the info and tips, getting impatient for the kits to arrive now.

[GeraldH]

I have some of the old Airfix/GMR versions of these coaches and they're very nice.

I try to avoid gluing roofs on my coaches. I've done this in the past and then had to get inside again. In my case the glazing came loose on a Triang coach and I more or less had to destroy the coach to get inside and fix it . You might decide later on that you want to put some passengers inside; or a passenger comes loose and needs to be refixed.

[Lysander]

The body is self coloured but looks ok. The roofs do look a touch plastic and would benefit from a coat of paint.

Self-coloured plastic is often improved considerably with a flash-over of satin or matt varnish - it adds lustre and deepens the colour. The roofs could just be sprayed with Halfords' rattle-can matt black, and then weathered lightly with weathering powders or dry-brushing. 100% improvement.

Tony

[6C]

The roofs could just be sprayed with Halfords' rattle-can matt black.
Tony

Eek not matt black (at least not for these LMS/LMR Staniers) roofs - they seemed to have been painted in a variety of lighter colours - from silver, white and 'primer' grey, with grey being in the majority.

Tamiya grey primer is what I have used and gives a reasonable dark grey.....

[Lysander]

Ex-works maybe, as GWR coaches were white. But a month or two of running would soon see that off and produce, through shades, a filthy, sooty black colour. Matt black, toned down with weathering powders looks quite realistic with streaks of brown and grey.

Tony