157 replies to this topic

[Hugh Flynn]

Hi

Just to let you know of my venture into 00 gauge RTR model railways with my first wagon a SPA

I visited China in January and everything is in place with manufacturer, Cad design will be completed this month (had to wait until now in case Bachmann wanted to do it)

First livery will be Rail freight with mould being geared up for other variations/colours.

My minimum order will be 2000 models in two numbers

I will keep you posted as project goes along


Hugh

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 

Edited by Hugh Flynn, 09 October 2011 - 17:15 .

[steveb860]

Nice one Hugh, Look forward to this
Good luck with it

Steve

[jim s-w]

Hi Hugh

Is it too late to change it? It's not exactly filling the gap as this wagon is already available from Cambrian and it's a pretty simple kit to build. I can't see the point of this tbh when there are so many wagons out there that really are unavailable.

I'd love to support your venture but with a fleet of these already and another dozen or so to build I won't be, I suspect a lot of people are in the same boat tbh.

Cheers

Jim

[rus578]

great news for me ill be ordering
dont have the time or skill to make up kits.

[Fat Controller]

Do you think you might do the variant with the modified sides used for rod-coil traffic (SKA?)? Over the years, I've done a fair few of the Cambrian ones, but attempts to do the angle-iron sides and stanchions have defeated me.

[James]

What sort of price will we be looking at?

[jim s-w]

I think there's a sea urchin option too. Some of these may ace been converted to runners as well.

Will they have 26mm axles? Will p4 wheels drop in and will they have some form of suspension built in? Finally will they have brake gear (bachmanns ab wagons don't)

Hth

Jim

[James]

jim s-w, on 06 March 2011 - 12:32 , said:

Will they have 26mm axles? Will p4 wheels drop in and will they have some form of suspension built in? Finally will they have brake gear (bachmanns ab wagons don't

You're thinking the same things as me Jim!

I need a fleet of probably fifteen to twenty SPAs, so I'm very interested to see how usable this one is. I've made a start on three Cambrian based wagons, so this will provide an interesting comparison - time being a key element in it all for me this time.

[Pugsley]

Good luck with the venture, Hugh, I hope it goes well for you. The SPA isn't for me, unfortunately, but I look forward to seeing what other gaps you fill in the future!

[(The) Youth]

Will the hood be available seperatly so I can retro fit it to my cambrian SPAs

Simon

[Hugh Flynn]

hi all

thanks for comments to answer some questions no i don't think its a bad wagon to start with as said?

It is a small wagon that will be ideal on small layout or run as a rake on larger layouts

first the wagon is in lots of colours - rail freight/network rail/load haul/trans rail/distribution/Balfour beatty/dutch/ews then with hood as Cardiff rod mill two hood variations
SDA with stanchions and SKA with angle irons,

And if you look through wish list this wagon has been mentioned a few times so i reckon i am filling the gap for some?


Yes there is a Cambrian kit but i want to offer a wagon with extra detail finished up to a high standard.

yes i want to look at at doing a model to take P4 wheels.

i have to do batches of 2000 (1000 each number) so my plan is for 2 runs of SPA then will announce my next new wagon then Cardiff rod mill wagons.

Looking at cost spa £13-14 with hood £14-16 if all goes well?

All photos with kind permission of Paul Bartlett

Hugh

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 
• 

[Fat Controller]

You can put me down for a couple of SKAs, Paul. How about some SPVs next?

[James]

Hugh Flynn, on 06 March 2011 - 19:23 , said:

yes i want to look at at doing a model to take P4 wheels.

Silly question but I'd love to see the model be able to take Bill Bedford W irons without the need for major surgery! If this is achieved, I and many other D&E modellers will be very happy!

Hugh Flynn, on 06 March 2011 - 19:23 , said:

Looking at cost spa £13-14 with hood £14-16 if all goes well?

Doesn't sound too bad that!

[BR Blue]

Best of luck with this. i will definitely be ordering quite a few of the various variants. The Cardiff Rod Mill ones would be brilliant.

[charliepetty]

Good news Hugh, but be carefull! Bachmann tend to do the CAD drawings for both 00 & N (Saving time & cost)then normally announce the 4mm first followed by a 2mm. This time we have the 2mm SPA first. I would try to find out their intentions before spending lots of hard cash on a 4mm SPA.
Godfrey at Replica has again been screwed on his chassis & MLV project, don't know what he has done to Bachmann, but it will cost him dearly!!

Charlie

[Hugh Flynn]

Hi Charlie

yes i know you are right i think Bachmann might do this wagon in a few years but that could be said about any thing that runs on the railways.

The list on loco,s is getting smaller so wagons might be the way forward in a couple of years.

Yes i bet Replica is cheesed off.

i know i am looking at wagon being here in 6-9 months well before next years announcement an want my wagon as good as anything they could produce.

Hugh

[Ben A]

Hello Hugh,

Good luck with your project.

FWIW I have heard it said that Bachmann planned simultaneous Class 14s in N and OO but chose to launch only the N version when they saw the Heljan/Hattons model at tooling stage.

The N SPAs are only a couple of months from market, but I suspect any OO SPA is further away. If you can show a tooled plastic prototype within the next couple of months it may be you can forestall any rivals...

Ben A.

[Hugh Flynn]

hi

Yes you are right n gauge only a few months away but 00 would be next year now and lets be honest most new items are 12-18 months after?

Short boring story late 2008 i had drawings for FNA costings from factory and waiting for permission from DRS yes they give it to Bachmann
Yes its coming and looking great i wont knock,them but this was 18 months ago? and dont exactly know date it will be delivered for sale.

Do you just keep putting things off i am no threat to them just a small fish in a large pond

This has been my hobby since at school and every penny into this project is my own savings so i want it to work all money made will go straight
back into my next project. And yes i know exactly the next wagon?

Hugh

[Glorious NSE]

Hi Hugh, I wish you well on your project, I certainly hope it works out for you.

A few more potential options for you - livery-wise you can add Satlink which seems to be quite a popular one these days:
http://ukrailrolling...t/p1663066.html
http://ukrailrolling.../p47146214.html

Some SPA were "converted" to ZCA "Sea Hare" which had welded up doors and a flat floor - loadhaul and dutch liveries on those.
http://ukrailrolling.../p14387703.html
http://ukrailrolling.../p14387712.html

And as Jim says there was a Sea Urchin batch done from SPA donors under EWS as well, this kind of thing (although there are variations) - seems to retain the ends but with new solid sides and again a flat floor.
http://ukrailrolling.../p35935680.html

[bcnPete]

Good for you and good luck with it Hugh

[finelines]

I completely understand the frustration you express in your post. As a producer of kits I am a keen watcher of the big boys like Ben and Charlie. They have both given you good advice, I will put it more bluntly, I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole!

You are quite right you are no danger to them, but they are a big danger to your savings! For the likes of you and me the hobby is an emotional thing, to them their business is making money. They happen to do it by producing models of railways, so if rolling over us will make a profit they'll do it.

Reading their intentions is on a par with the ancients reading the runes. The 00 model missing from the catalogue could be for any reason from something totally trivial through to it being one of the rabits to be pulled out of the hat at the open day. Up to date modelling is a particular minefield because the number of prototypes are shrinking yearly and they are locked in a slow motion battle above our heads for supremecy.

I will end with the old but relevant joke. If you want to make a small fortune out of model railways, start with a large one!

Roger

[Hugh Flynn]

Thanks for comments and info Martyn

What i would like is a couple of respected RM web wagon modellers willing to look at pre production samples when they are delivered just to see what they think and give it the once over.

So anyone interested let me know.

Hugh

[deltic79]

Excellent news Hugh. And at a good price point too.

Best wishes with the project and expect to hear from me with a decent sized order when things are closer to production.

Just to add to Glorious' post of suggestions, wasn't there also an SHA conversion for strip coil? Think this may have just been modified by adding a few coil cradles to the wagon floor but stand to be corrected.

Out of interest, does anyone know what routes SHAs used to work?

[deltic79]

In fact just found the following which (assuming it's accurate) provides a nice history of these wagons --> linky

[Fat Controller]

deltic79, on 07 March 2011 - 10:41 , said:

Excellent news Hugh. And at a good price point too.

Best wishes with the project and expect to hear from me with a decent sized order when things are closer to production.

Just to add to Glorious' post of suggestions, wasn't there also an SHA conversion for strip coil? Think this may have just been modified by adding a few coil cradles to the wagon floor but stand to be corrected.

Out of interest, does anyone know what routes SHAs used to work?

The SHA was used for coil traffic from Ravenscraig to Trostre, I believe, replacing the SAA/B, which had an inauspicious career. The mods consisted of a locker at one end (not sure what this held, with three spigots to locate the coils 'eye-to-sky'.
The wagons which recieved the ex-BAA coil cradles weren't re-coded, curiously.
The pig-iron mods would be simple- two pieces of wood, one along the inside of each side at a 45º angle. These were found in a number of locations, Pensnett being one.