New to loco building

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jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: New to loco building

Post by jwealleans »

If you're looking to solder, then any brass kit is a good place to start. Soldering whitemetal is a bit harder to master, so brass is probably better as a first step.

Comet aren't a bad start but their LNER kits aren't the best; I'd go for an MJT one (from Dart Castings) if you want a better looking end result.

There are some - not many - brass wagon kits if you want to start on a smaller scale.

If you're concerned about fitting interiors, a brass BG is a straighforward way to go.
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NZRedBaron
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
Posts: 196
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:58 am

Re: New to loco building

Post by NZRedBaron »

jwealleans wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:12 am Comet aren't a bad start but their LNER kits aren't the best;
... I am disappointed, but not surprised, to hear this; I swear, you can't lift a rock in this hobby without finding at least seven different companies who make high quality kits for GWR rolling stock, while you're more likely to see kits for Isle of Man rolling stock than ones for LNER stock, let alone good quality LNER kits.

Seriously, at this rate, everyone on the forum would have to chip in to found our own business if we want proper LNER kits.
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: New to loco building

Post by jwealleans »

I've only built Comet kits for GWR rolling stock, but I wonder how many of those suppliers GWR afficionados would say are high quality?

I don't want to suggest they're bad, but there are better. MJT, RDEB, Worsley Works, Bill Bedford, Mike Trice again (3D printed), all produce or have produced kits from which you can make decent or better than decent carriages. D & S, Perseverance and Kemilway kits are not too hard to find and also produce decent kits. At the end of the day it's as much about the builder and the investment of effort as the kit itself.

Having built Comet and MJT carriages (the ranges overlap), I'd go MJT given the choice. If Comet do the sides for a particular diagram then combining those with MJT bits - especially the roof - improves the overall look of the model.

OP still hasn't said what area and era he's interested in, so all of this is still very generalised.
mick b
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: New to loco building

Post by mick b »

I tried Comet sides on a currrent Bachmann LNER Thompson Coach, they were at least 1mm undersize in height compared to the Bachmann sides .

I never went further with them, poor quality compared to MJT LNER sides e.g no holes for hinges provided, and sold them on.
john coffin
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
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Re: New to loco building

Post by john coffin »

Red Baron asks why it is easier to get GWR kits, well, the answer is simple basically a direct line from IWB to Collett, and
up beyond nationalisation. When the GWR took over other railways from 1923, they quickly got rid of the original stock
and bring in GWR standards.

However, the LNER was 6-7 railways much of which's stock lasted up to Nationalisation, thus kits get designed around
the interests of the designer, which means many fewer potential sales, because of the diversity.

Easy really.

Paul
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NZRedBaron
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
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Re: New to loco building

Post by NZRedBaron »

I'm just griping is all; I mean, as far as I could find, the only OO-gauge kits for LNER coaching stock I can find online are all expensive and fiddly brass kits well outside both my financial and constructional means; and what plastic kits I can find are invariably Ratio's GWR, Midland or LNWR stock.
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Atlantic 3279
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: New to loco building

Post by Atlantic 3279 »

I recognized the reality of the situation, and the fact that it was unlikely to change greatly, about forty years ago in my 'teens, appreciated that no amount of moaning was likely to solve the problem, and embarked instead upon an effort to develop my building skills, which certainly were not above the "reasonable assembly of a plastic aircraft kit" at the time. I wasn't born with model building skills, I had to learn them, and it didn't always go well, hence I have very limited sympathy for those who complain that they don't have the necessary skills and who expect somebody else to provide a convenient alternative.
Making your own models takes time, especially from scratch, but it does give you something to feel proud of, at least quietly. It can also be inexpensive if you choose the right materials and you don't count your (enjoyable?) construction time as an expense.
Most subjects, models and techniques covered in this thread are now listed in various categories on page1

Dec. 2018: Almost all images that disappeared from my own thread following loss of free remote hosting are now restored.
Hatfield Shed
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: New to loco building

Post by Hatfield Shed »

NZRedBaron wrote: Sat Sep 25, 2021 12:09 am ...the only OO-gauge kits for LNER coaching stock I can find online are all expensive and fiddly brass kits well outside both my financial and constructional means; and what plastic kits I can find are invariably Ratio's GWR, Midland or LNWR stock.
Availability in NZ is probably poor, but long term we have had the Ian Kirk range of plastic kits for LNER coaches. Currently out of production, but can still be found s/h, and very amenable to kit-bashing.

New producer of a rnage of 3D printed kits, Andy Edgson's Isinglass range:
https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13659
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