HOW TO BUILD A CLASS 150/2 DMU IN ‘O’ GAUGE
EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW
Dave Lowery shares his wisdom while assembling a multi-media kit, featuring metal and resin parts.
PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVE LOWERY/JACQUES PORTAL
The quintessential item of rolling stock for any modern‐era layout has to be the Diesel Multiple Unit, or DMU as we like to call them. They’re a complete train in single or multiple cars, most commonly in two, three or four-car format.
It’s easy to see how they revolutionised the real railway, as they don’t require a run-round loop to get the power unit to the opposite end of the coaching stock, or a turntable to ensure the locomotive is pointing the right way. And the same is true for railway modellers. All you need to do is just drive it into the station and then drive it back out again – job’s a good ’un!
But, OK, they can be a little boring and, oh, all those seats! Imagine my excitement, therefore, when I was asked to build four of them. Yes, four complete sets. In ‘O’ gauge!
After a dose of smelling salts, I recovered from the initial trauma and realised that there was a silver lining to this commission: the DMUs were to be DCC-equipped. While that would entail a bit more work, the addition of lighting and sound units would give me something to play with. Indeed, the digital sound has turned these everyday units into real stars.