This project is still ongoing but I ran into a snag that put it on hold. Here is what I have accomplished:
The passenger cars had incorrect window locations which I decided to ignore. However, the same could not be said for the frame skirts along the bottom of the coaches. The prototype cars had their skirting removed for easier maintenance, and I liked the flat line across the bottom of the car. However, I left the skirting on the very ends of the car because it hid the oversize couplers.
I considered using a Dremel and files, but a friend had a milling machine and he offered to help. We tried several techniques but what worked best was to come at it from the side and remove most of the material, and then take light finishing cuts along the bottom edge of the skirting to smooth it over. Some file work removed any remaining burrs.
The end result is below. I am very pleased with the visual transformation.
At this point I was trying to decide how to redesign the cars so that I could permanently attach the body and two ends together to make a solid unit for painting and still have a way to easily install the floor/underframe. The frames are supposed to slide into the cars, and then the ends are attached, but I was concerned that painting the ends separately would lead to unsightly gaps.
My first idea was to fill the frame channels with styrene strips that were 3/8" wide and 0.055" thick (0.040" + 0.015" glued together) using superglue gel. It worked, but I decided to take another approach so I later trimmed them off.
Instead, I laminated two pieces of 1/4" square styrene to make sections 1/4" x 1/2". These were epoxied inside the car above the channels to form a shelf to support the underframe. Extra pieces were added to create areas for the frame to screw into.
It turns out that the metal coach frames, once trimmed along the sides to remove the bent flanges, drop onto the styrene pads at the perfect height. I used a bandsaw to remove the flanges.
Turning my attention to the ends of the coaches, the non-vestibule ends had a large gap in the bulkhead doorway and it was possible to look inside the coach. This would result in seeing a whole lot of nothing. So, I had to fill the interior bulkhead with doors even if they weren't prototypically accurate. I wasn't in the mood to scratchbuild them, so I looked at some of the parts I had left over.
The extra vestibule end casting had a middle door that was cut out and then glued to a backer piece of styrene (with a hole cut in it for the window. I cut up the non-fitting Lionel end casting as well for the other door.
Then the new end door pieces were glued into the openings.
I also added some crossbracing as I noticed the sides were slowly bowing in at the ends. Normally the end castings would hold them in position, but the modified ones I was using weren't up to the task. Some 1/4" square styrene did the job.
I marked out eight holes per frame where I wanted the mounting screws to go and I drilled them out in my drill press. Then, I set the frame on the body and marked the center of the holes which were drilled through with a #43 bit. They were later tapped for 4-40 screws.
I reattached the trucks to the frames, which were now quite flimsy because the stiffening flanges on the edges had been removed. I also used blue tape on the inside to cover up all of the holes that weren't reused. This doesn't really do anything but it helped me keep track of the holes I still needed.
To complete the underframe I reattached some of the casting pieces that were originally installed on them. They slotted in on one end, and a single screw held it in place on the other end. The underframe casting does hide a few of the screws that attach the frame to the body so I will need to remove the underframe again for final installation.
Then, I washed the bodies with soap and water and sent them off to the painter. I used the same person who painted my RS3 so that the colors would match. He did a great job on them, but I ran into a snag with the tinted windows that has help this project up. More in the future.
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