Original page created on 19/03/2023; updated on 25/07/2024.
Hornby-Jouef A4Dtux generator van coach.
Observation
These coaches look better overall than the LS Models, particularly the width of the TEE strip and the height of the toilet windows.
However, they have many approximations:
- mechanical: leaning coaches, excessive axle clearance;
- aesthetics: wrong gangways, no lower gangway ledge in reality, simplistic interior fittings;
When you want to improve the appearance or assemble the detail parts, difficulties appear:
- no accommodation for electric heating jumpers;
- most of the steps cannot be fitted if you want to drive on less than 900 mm radii. Some are overstocked, others are missing;
- some suspension parts (shock absorber attachments) cannot be easily fixed, or block the rotation of the bogies;
- dismantling is not always easy, especially because glue has crept in between the chassis and the glazing;
- the marking plates come off.
Dismantling
Generally speaking, disassembling is quite easy, but there can be exceptions. I had difficulties with the A4Dtux coach, whose chassis was occasionally glued on the windows. In this case, you should not force the windows, but locate the spot as precisely as possible to remove the glue with a cutter blade for example.
Cosmetic improvements
Let’s first look at the aesthetic improvements that can be made.
Installation of 660 V jumpers
On these coaches, there are actually two types of jumpers. On the one hand, there are the classic 1500 V heating jumpers (mark ① on the photo), supplied in parts but without any mounting location. On the other hand, the specific jumpers for TEE coaches whose air conditioning is supplied by the generator van. The latter cables are three-phase 660 V (mark ② on the photo). They can be identified by the fact that they are much larger than the others. You can see the three cables partially joined by a common sheath.
- 1500 V heating jumper
- Three-phase 660 V cable
- Gangway plate,
compare to HJ model.
The 660 V jumpers are simply primed on the Jouef coaches. Because of their size, I will use telephone wire, external dia. 0.9 mm, core ⌀ 0.5 mm.
Sections of 25 mm, stripped at each end for about 2.5 mm, are prepared. After removing the buffer, I drill two ⌀ 0.5 holes at the jumper stumps of the coaches, 1.5 mm apart, the second one a little back. It will be even better to remove the stumps in question, as suggested by Renato on the forum. I will do it on the last coach I bought (see below).
The operations can be done on the disassembled chassis, it’s more convenient, but also on the whole coach, like the A4Dtux that I didn’t manage to disassemble at first. More in pictures.
Drilling on the undismantled coach
Result.
Preparing the electric jumpers.
The stripped ends are inserted into the holes.
A little matt paint still needs to be applied, especially to hide the copper that is sometimes still visible.
Installation of the 1500 V jumpers
In the previous photo, you can see that the 1500 V jumper is placed just behind the very thin sheet metal of the body. On the model, the sheet metal return is obviously thicker. This is where the fixing point will be drilled. The pin is 0.9 mm in diameter.
I first mark the location, at sight 1.5 mm from the top edge with a 0.5 mm drill bit; I then enlarge to 0.7, then 0.8, and finally 0.9, all this to avoid an unfortunate slippage.
View of the mounted jumper after the black marker has been applied.
Click for a closer look at the end of the coach.