The AM/BJ/FJ end platform cars of the NSWGR

FJ 1782 as she appeared after conversion from an AM in 1952.  1782 was the only one of the three AMs fitted 
with "Dean" bogies to be converted to an FJ (Second Class), the other two became BJ (First Class).

As you can see from the above timeline the AM in overall Tuscan Red is totally spurious, though that livery is correct for some BJ/FJs towards the end of their lives.  I have seen photos of certain BJ/FJ still in Tuscan and Russet in the early 60s.  At least one BJ was all over Tuscan Red on July 4th, 1955. (P101, The Fifties, Decade of Change, John Stormont, NSWRTM, (1992).  There is also a photo in this book (p99) of an AM in Simple lined Tuscan and Russet.  Also in Steam in the Sixties (NSWRTM, 1994) P101 is a photo of the BJ with Dean bogies in the overall Tuscan red livery,  with rebuilt sides, taken in 1961.  Sadly, like most recent RTM publications the captions are laughably inadequate and often inaccurate, but the photos are wonderful.  As far as I know, (I havn't seen any photos to the contrary) The BJ/FJs in overall Tuscan Red were always fully lined.  i.e. thick yellow line below window sill, thin line above windows, thin lines around panels on end.  Some may have had the simple lining (one thick line below window sill, no top line and no lining on ends) or no lining at all but, as I said, I havn't seen any photos.  Getting back to the model, to be completely accurate, if you want an AM the model would have to be repainted in Tuscan and Russet, or fully lined Russet and Tuscan Red, for a pre-war version.  BJ/FJs can be simple lined Tuscan and Russet, (except for the 2 converted in 1930, which could be fully lined Russet and Tuscan Red) or left as they are with the repainting of the bottom yellow line to full width of the belt rail.  The lining style of the bought model is actually more appropriate for the Tuscan and Russet style than the overall red style, as the bottom line is a thin one, right for Tuscan and Russet, rather than the correct full width style.  I did paint the samples correctly, but the factory got it wrong.  Further on the number, AM 1782, this was one of the three fitted with "Dean" bogies, not the 2ADs that the rest of the class had, and therefore both the number and the livery is incorrect for the AM. 

My model of AM 1782 in Post-war Tuscan and Russet as she appeared before being converted to an FJ in 1952.

I usually just glue them on with liquid cement, which seem to work quite well.  I have , in the past, drilled and tapped right through the end platform, used a plastic Kaydee bolt, and then filled, sanded and cleaned up the upper surface to disguise the end of the bolt.  Unless the models are subjected to a lot of rough handling just glueing the couplers seems to be enough, even on LF where my models get quite a lot of handling in the fiddle yards.  I have had the occasional failure, but this is usually at the junction between the box and the box lid.  I realise that a lot of modellers prefer to paint their models before attaching couplers, but I always attach my couplers firmly before painting, and  providing the paint is thinly applied and the couplers properly lubricated, I have had few problems.  This is especially important on LF as most of the operations are shunting orientated, so the couplers have to work properly, which they do about 98% of the time.