Carter Brother's Coach

When the Carter Bro's Coach kit arrived. I immediately saw that the kit represents terrific potential for a beautiful model. Kudos to Rick Raively and David Fletcher for for a much-needed kit at a reasonable price.


After wearing my fingernails out peeling the paper from all the plastic pieces, I decided to build the seats first (as suggested in the miniclass.) When I dry-fitted a set together, however, something seemed to be missing. The seat just didn't look substantial enough. So I rummaged around in my scrap pile and found some styrene to add to the armrests to "beef" them up a little.


Using Evergreen's Item No. 135 .030 x .100 inch (0.75 x 2.5 mm) strips, I welded a horizontal piece to the top of each laser-cut armrest to form an inverted "L" shape, pointing outwards - with one edge of the strip flush with the inside. I found that it helps to "pre-curve" the strip over the side of a paint bottle before applying. Once they were dry, I trimmed 'em to length.


I painted the arm supports to suggest cast iron. Now they look like something I could sit in comfortably on a long trip.


Here's a couple of shots from the back. To make the wear marks in the seats, I sanded to create depressions and some light dry-brushing with a tan color. On the seat bases, before assembly and air-brushing on the base color, I scribed lines parallel to the edges on each side with a steel rule and a #11 blade. They helped me get a nice straight line when I painted the edges freehand. the interior also needs figures and other items (stove, freight, baggage, etc.) since they will be inside the car and kinda hard to see, I didn't give them the attention to detail that I usually give more visible ones. Nevertheless, I think they'll look fine when glimpsed through the windows.


I don't know what that guy is smokin'... but, to paraphrase the lady in the movie, "I'll have what he's having."


Some ranchers on their way to the cattle market.


The baggage compartment crew.


The next thing I tackled (admittedly out-of-sequence) were the trucks.




I removed the talgo-mount coupler arms because I intend to have sill-mounted couplers.


I had already gotten a 24" wheelset from Ozark Miniatures on David's recommendation so I was ready to build 'em up completely.


The only thing extra I did was add wood grain to the brake beams by dragging a razor saw in a wavy motion over 'em and a rod to the inside center to suggest the brake rigging. The NBW's are also from Ozark Miniatures.


I also painted a black triangle on the sides of the leaf-springs to simulate the correct shape.


Here's some closeups of the brake hangers.


To prepare the trucks after all the "cosmetic surgery" (removing the coupler arms and adding the brake beams) was to scrub them down using Floquil Polly Scale "Plastic Prep" (#546007) with an old toothbrush. It's supposed to remove all the mold release silicone, grease, etc. It also makes the plastic "static and dust free."
Next, a good washing with detergent and hot water. Once dry, I sprayed them with Rust-oleum Painter's Touch "Sandable Primer" from a rattle can.

I've decided to build this coach entirely out of sequence (don't ask me why) - from the ground up, so to speak. The chassis is now complete except for paint and weathering. Here's an overall shot, next I'll break down some of the steps needed to get it this far next.


Detailing The Trucks

I added safety chains and a washer on the top of the truck bolster as a spacer and to serve as a metal bearing plate.


The chains and hooks are from Ozark Miniatures and the eyebolts are from the model ship dept. of my hobby store. All chemically blackened.


Here's one installed and hooked up

Mounting The Trucks

To mount the trucks securely, I used my drill press to enlarge the existing hole in the car bolster (which we're looking at now, upside down) about halfway into it and inserted a length of 1/4" brass tubing.


The brass tube section extends just slightly more than the combined depth of the truck bolster and bearing plate.


This self-tapping screw head is just a bit bigger than the tube diameter. It's driven snug into the remaining plastic at the bottom of the tube and the excess is cut off and filed smooth at the level of the coach floor on the other side.


Here's the truck mounted on the chassis. It's free to turn, but doesn't have much "wobble" to it because of the length of the brass mounting post and screw head overlap keeps it tight to the bolster, but without binding.

Underside Details

I decided that since hardly anyone ever sees the underside, I wasn't going to install complete brake rigging just provide enough to "suggest" that it's there. I did scribe in the bottom floor planks - again, don't ask me why.


Here's how I did the truss rods, queenposts and turnbuckles.


This shows both more "suggested" brake rigging and how I mounted the Kadee #830 couplers and draft gear.

The Platforms

Since this is going to be a "free-lance" version of a Carter Brothers-esque passenger car, I feel free to embellish it and add stuff regardless of prototype. I decided to add step-irons even though the plans don't call for 'em. (I just kinda like the way they look - good 'nuff reason, I s'pose.) As you can see, I'm a great believer in the use of Squadron "Green Stuff" to cover a mulitude of sins.


This kit is certainly not one of the "shake-the-box" variety. It's the next closest thing to scratch building - David and Rick have just spared us the drudgery of precision planning, cutting and scribing the plastic parts. The rest of it is pretty much up to the modeler. Here's an example - the brake staff bracket on the underside of the platform ends.


Here's the other end, after priming.


The brake wheel and ratchet and pawl castings are again from Ozark Miniatures. The railings were made up per the instructions, but with an extra stanchion added in the middle and a safety chain in between. I used bits of telescoping tubing at the bottoms of the stanchions to simulate cast iron supports. If I had some little tiny brass washers, I would've put them down first, at the bottom.


Again, after priming. More shots of the end results (pun definitely intended) before and after priming:






(BTW, the gladhands are from Hartford Products.)


Now it's on to building the sides and roof and installing interior details and passengers. I have now completed (again, except for paint and weathering) all four sides.


I pretty much followed David's instructions (albeit out of sequence) without many deviations or modifications. I thought I'd post some pix for you to see what it looks like when it's all put together - more-or-less as called for in the MasterClass. These shots should be self-explanitory, but if anyone has any questions, I'll be glad to try to answer them.


Notice the outside truss rod end bolts (Grandt Line 1/2" Scale ".100 Hex Nut on .250 Round Cast Iron Washer" Item #3912) that will come out just above the platform steps.








The door knob is a blob of two-part epoxy JB Weld applied over a pinhead stuck through a small hole drilled in the lock plate.


To install the Grandt Line NBWs, I beveled the inside of the laser-cut holes with a ball-shaped Dremel grinding bit, "welded" the plastic casting into it from the inside, then sanded the back flush when it was completely dry.
Next step is to glue all the sides together - nice and square so the whole assembly fits on the chassis, and then finish the corners. Then, on to the roof.

The Body and Corners

The walls have come together and the corners have been finished...


not exactly to David's specifications, but I like the way they came out.


Here's an alternative to those of you who can't find large quarter-round strips and/or don't want to try to sand a square one down.


I used Evergreen Item #227 7/32" (5.5mm) Tube embedded in Squadron "Green Stuff" instead of quarter-round strip. Once dry, the green stuff is sanded flush with the ends of the wall and the side of the tube to provide a smooth transition. The radius of the curved corner is tighter this way but at least it's smooth and even. The letterboard (fascia) and window sill trim have been curved around from the sides and are continued on the ends.


Here's how the outside truss rod NBWs appear above the platform steps.

Securing the Body

I did follow David's instructions on securing the body to the chassis. (Couldn't think of a better way..


I had to recess the bolt heads so the truck safety chains could be hooked up. (Plus, they don't show this way.) You can also see the bottom of my corner construction method, using styrene tube.


Here's the same thing from another angle at the other end of the car.

The Roof Begins - Installing the Rafters

Done exactly as per instructions. I used a machinist's steel square with a 4 inch blade to keep the rafters perpendicular to the floor while the glue set.


These are very handy items. You can get them from Micro-Mark (Item Number: 10118) for about $11.75. They're great for making sure things are square.

The roof is complete, ready for the tarpaper (masking tape) covering. It wasn't as hard to do as I thought it would be. The only real problem I had was when I went to bend the curved roof ends, I used too much heat (left 'em in the oven too long) and they kinda shrank a little. You can see in the following pix how I had to add some filler strips to the eaves to get them to match up with the middle roof panels.


The Duckbills
Here are some shots of the duckbill ends. It really makes for a distinctive roofline. I used Squadron Green Stuff and lots of sanding to make a smooth transition from the clerestory to the roof.

On the long side pieces of the roof, I didn't bend them, at least, not with heat. All I did was "weld" the long side of the (flat, unbent) side roof panels to the top of the rafters, just under the clearstory clerestory sides. (At that point, they were sticking straight out horizontally, like wings.) Once that cured - overnight - I manualy bent the eaves down to the car sides after putting glue on the the rafters and car sides. I then used as many small clamps as I could to hold everything in place until the glue set - again, overnight, to be safe. The required curve in the roof is gentle enough to allow this to work.
I did the same thing for the clearstory clerestory roof, as well. I glued one long side of the flat roof piece to one side of the clearstory clerestory, let that dry, then glued the other side and held it down again with small spring clamps. Since that piece is only 1mm thick, it's even easier to bend.
With this method you can avoid the use of heat and its attendant dangers of charring and shrinkage altogether. All it takes is good glue, plenty of small spring clamps, and patience. I hope it will work as well for you as it did for me. Good luck.


The clearstory clerestory ends, because of their compound curves, I had to do a little differently. I first glued (welded) them in place down the straight part of the center support - again as flat pieces. Once that set, I did the same thing again, first down lateraly to meet the clearstory clerestory roof at the center, then one side at a time longitudinaly down to the edges. I made sure that the smaller parts, closest to the clearstory clerestory roof, were bent so that their curvatures matched up. Then the larger parts on the other end going down to the main roof - first one side down to the edge, then t'other. Finally, I held down the little laser-cut "fingers" with a clamp and glued them. David designed the parts exactly right - they look a little weird when glued to only one side before they are bent into shape, but once they are, they fit perfectly.


The trick is not to lose patience. Be sure to wait until one side is completly set and "welded" before pushing down the other side and clamping it in place. Glue only enough of the piece necessary to attach it securely to one side, letting the rest float free. The natural springiness of the plastic will create a nice, even curve, conforming to the rafters and other supports beneath. (I'm sorry I didn't think to take pictures of this process to show you.)
I suppose, if I had thought of it in time, I could have done the main roof end pieces the same way. That's the way I'll do the roof of the combine next, to be sure.



The Platform Roof Underside

I scribed in the individual boards and added styrene strips to the eaves to give me something for the tarpaper to roll over from above and butt up against.

The Stove

I'm going to use this potbelly stove from Western Scale Models (1:20.3 scale Kit MF-74 - about twelve bucks) to heat my coach. All I added was the flue damper handle and a sheet-iron base for it to stand on.

The Tarpaper Roof
The tarpaper roof covering has been applied and the body is now complete and ready for priming and painting (except for the clerestory vents, which are to be added after painting.)

If you want more info, on how I did the tar paper click here for the tutorial in my "How-to" section


Here's my Carter Bro's duckbill coach pulling into Rico Station.


Once again, I'd like to thank and congratulate David Fletcher and Rick Raively for making this wonderful kit happen. Well done, guys - I can't remember when I've had so much fun building a model. I also want to give credit to Stan Cedarleaf for the great custom decals.