“New” tourist coaches for the Quinton Line

[chris m01]

The Quinton Line used to run four Steel Coil Cars but the industry on the line that used the cars closed some years back. These cars have been left to rust at the end of a siding for the last few years.
Well I hand built some Steel Coil Cars about ten years ago but they have spent the last few years sitting on a shelf in the shed.

Meanwhile the Quinton Line has found the heritage side of the business has become more popular of recent years and are now short of coaching stock for peak summer services.
I’ve found myself running more passenger services recently.

As always funds are tight so it was decided to convert the Steel Coil Cars to open tourist coaches.
Ok - I want more coaches but don’t want to spend a lot of dosh.

 

[chris m01]

This is the last remaining Steel Coil Car looking forlorn.

 

[chris m01]

One of the cars has been stripped bare ready for new coachwork.



It was made from a spare piece of laminate flooring with a bit of timber strengthening and a couple of either LGB or Bachmann bogies. This one appears to have one bogie from each manufacturer.

 

[chris m01]

Two conversions have been almost completed. They need a little tidying up but will look ok at garden viewing distances. I’ve tried to make them robust enough to cope with my two year old grandson’s love of the garden railway.


The test train. I’ve noticed heritage railways in the USA often have open coaches and include a caboose (or two) in the train.


Overview


Entrance steps.


The volunteer testers on this first run came all the way from China by plane at a very reasonable price. Excluding the figures the total cost of converting all four wagons will be less than £40.

 

[chris m01]

 

[Riograndad]

They will do very nicely,really look the part,well done that man

 

[Paul M]

They look good

 

[Gavin Sowry]

Ah, the regular crowd of train riders.... couple of them are riding my Cable Car on the Taita Gorge Railway, as we write.

 

[Zerogee]

Ah, the regular crowd of train riders.... couple of them are riding my Cable Car on the Taita Gorge Railway, as we write.

Yep, that bunch gets everywhere.....

Jon.

 

[TLR]

Just like the open wagons on the Bristol harbour railway and the East anglian Rail Museum Percy set for their Thomas events.

Shaun