#6 Custom-built ScotRail Driving Brake Standard Open (DBSO) Coach - An Overview

I was asked about the custom-built ScotRail DBSO that I mentioned in another video, so I thought I'd produce a little video to give it an airing and talk a little bit about how I went about making it.

The unit is based on Hornby's Mk3e BSO coach. It's not a 'how-to' video per se, but I do cover many of the key elements of the build and explain the approach that I took to its construction, wiring and digital control.

Towards the end of the video, the DBSO is paired up with a Bachmann Class 47 in ScotRail livery featuring TTS sound (the Hornby chip having been modified for use with a 21-pin DCC ready locomotive).

Thank you very much for watching.

Please comment, like, share and subscribe!

[sardine]

Fabulous conversion. Looks absolutely magic.

[lordcondio]

Fantastic work!! Well done. All the extra electronic work, is beyond my capability, but great see how you have done yours. Your work on making new windows is stunning and gives a great result. I really like the Scotrail locos and DMU's, however have found they can be fairly expensive. I have been looking on Ebay for a cheaper Class 47 and DMU and plan to respray and add transfers etc to make my own. Will see how it goes. Thanks again for sharing.

[darrelldeltic]

That’s got to be the best Scotrail DBSO I’ve seen yet, can’t wait to see the whole rake running, I had a go with my limited skills using a Hurst conversion kit and put dcc lighting in too, looks okay from a distance, keep up the great updates, cheers Dazza

[jdcookiemonster]

Cracking job, blows mine out of the water. I really like the window frame details.

[GalgormHall]

Stunning work on the DBSO, it gives me a little more confidence when it comes to me doing my custom NIR Class 80 build. Looks like I need to get myself one of those cutters too, they look like the perfect tool for scratch and custom builds. I could do with it now to produce some circular discs for water towers I'm thinking of making! Thanks for sharing. Paul

[JAMESDEMU-RailwayModeller]

Brilliant video. Really enjoyed that.
Clearly you've spent a great deal of time and effort working on this model and it shows. Great stuff.

[BCamden]

Well this is an impressive result, and comparable to the Bachmann example at a third of the price.

[ukreallifeL]

omg this work is amazing it looking like it came out the factory

[itloon]

Well explained project - even though my layout is analogue, a lot can be done on the non-DCC side, so enjoyed this. Alan.

[JMACCSArmiesOfMiddleEarth]

Cheers for this tutorial I do need one of these!

[DJModelRailway]

Super duper project! Very nicely done even for a first time and even the detailing with weathering it does look very good! Look forward to seeing more in the future! Cheers :)

[onnomulder]

Excellent job!!! I'm amazed!! Onno.

[standclear]

Excellent conversion, do you sell these
dbso cutout details as kits, on your website?
as most of us cant afford the kit to produce them.
Regards 🙏🏼

[ukdieselandelectricrailway]

A very nice piece of work indeed!
The window frames are particularly nice!

You chose wisely with 9712, because most of the DBSO's had extra piping around the bogies on one side.

I have a number of Mk2e's that I'm going to convert into Mk2f's (simply because I'm not paying £50+ per coach on the Bachmann ones), as well as a few that will stay as Mk2e's.
Currently I have 33 of them, with another 11 more needed.

Generally speaking, Hornby's Mk2e is very good, however there are two glaring errors that I'll have to fix... something you may not have noticed.

1: The roof ventilators are far too wide... but you can get some 3D printed ones from Shapeways, so it's just a case of carving them off and fitting the 3D printed ones.

2: The chassis doesn't clip onto the body properly, so there's a distinct 'solebar' between the body and the chassis.... which shouldn't be there.
It can be fixed, but it requires a little surgery.

Also, the majority of the Mk2f's (including all the DBSO's) have a different Aircon pack to the Mk2e.
I've done a design for 3D Printing, so people will be able to convert their own coaches... although I haven't uploaded it to Shapeways yet.
Maybe you'll want one for your model?

Speaking of surgery, the photo at 2:52 of you chiselling off the window frames.
It looks like you dug into the body a bit at the top part of the window frame.
A modelling tip for you...
If you turn the chisel blade upside down, it will pare away any raised parts you're trying to remove, but won't dig in.

There's a couple of things missing on your model that you may wish to add... depending on which year you're modelling.

1: Bogie steps.
These are easy to make up from some thin brass strip (or sprue from etched nameplate) and thin plasticard.

2: From 1988, the DBSO's received radio pods on the roof above the cab.
If you're modelling before that, then there's no need.

[TONYNORTHEASTERN]

I see you haven't being going long, welcome to the model railway club on You Tube; I'm sure your channel will be the one to watch in the future, all the best Tony

[badwulfstudio]

Great work.... new to the channel and loving it.

[themidlandcompoundarchive]

Thanks for subscribing to my channel, seams like you've got some great content!

[clivecobbold]

Hi mate a every nice model of a scotrail Dbso I also buith a scotrail Dbso useing a airfix mk2d dso caoch with working head and tail lights 4 years a go now i model the BR west coast main line in the 1980s in and around lancaster station and heysham harbour and srranraer harbour in southwest Scotland with intercity boat day/night trains from stranraer harhour to London euston and glasgow central use br mk1 sealink livery and mk2 coaches train on the Glasgow central services i also run freght trains on my layout and intercity day/night sleeper trainers to and from London euston to Glasgow central i also have built two Br sealink carferryes out of wood for the harbour stations the duke of lancaster at heysham harbour and the Galloway princess at stranraer harhour stay safe and well mate Clive

[kirktonroadjunction]

Amazing job done there, I always considered tackling a custom DBSO until Bachmann announced they were producing one... Still waiting lol

[GWRailFan]

nice one :), I think you should do a whole network rail train that you see running mainlines today with there DBSO coaches (91) and there other coaches with the usual class 37 pushing it :) you do a really great job on theses :)