Newbie questions on wagon kits

[LNERJP]

Hi All

 

Although not strictly 2mm (I may build them in N-gauge, but wasn't sure where else I could post question and get a good response).

 

I normally build in O gauge, but fancy testing my eyesight in n-gauge for a bit of a change.

 

I'm looking to build some modern wagons BAA,BBA, OTA, POA and searching on google I find there used to be kits from Chivers, but now seem to be unavailable, is that the case?

 

Stephen Harris does some etched kits but these are to 2mm scale, how do these compare to normal N-gauge stock, is the difference that noticeable?

 

Other options are N-gauge society kits, but I would have to join and I only want to dip a toe in at the moment.

 

Any other suggestions for modern wagons?

 

Cheers

JP

[D869]

Stephen Harris' kits are excellent. As you say they are 2mm scale. That is a 3% size difference from British 'N'. Unless you have an identical vehicle to 2 1/16 mm scale alongside then you are unlikely to notice... and with wagons I suspect you'd be pushed to tell even if you did have two identical ones.

 

The Association shop also does a number of BR era wagons... it just depends how 'modern' is your idea of 'modern'.

 

http://2mm.org.uk/products/shops.php?shop_num=2

 

You will also need some 2-027 wheels from the shop to go under your kits - these are 'N' profile but have the right axle length for the kits.

[justin1985]

12 hours ago, LNERJP said:

 

I'm looking to build some modern wagons BAA,BBA, OTA, POA and searching on google I find there used to be kits from Chivers, but now seem to be unavailable, is that the case?

 

 

My understanding was that Roger Chivers who designed the kits retired, and his sons took on retailing them for several years (as "Slimrails" I think?) But recently they decided to call it a day. Unfortunately that probably means no future prospects for these kits - perhaps unless the moulds end up being bought by the NGS, who seem to increasingly be the only people distributing N gauge kits. They've absorbed various other plastic kit ranges as producers have retired etc - including Parkwood and some of the old TPM kits (the bogie iron ore tippler has just been reintroduced as an NGS kit).

 

12 hours ago, LNERJP said:

Other options are N-gauge society kits, but I would have to join and I only want to dip a toe in at the moment.

 

Any other suggestions for modern wagons?

 

I know what you mean, plus most of the kits are perpetually out of stock, or disappear within days when they do come into stock! But, in terms of plastic kits, they are practically the only options in N, other than the basic PECO snap together kits, which aren't exactly modern.

 

BH Enterprises do a small range of etched kits that might be interesting, they're mainly shot down from 1980s vintage 4mm kits - John Grey I think? So they tend to take a bit of work to assemble!

 

Another option would be to look at what's available on Shapeways - perhaps finishing and painting a 3D print is basically the modern equivalent to kit building for a lot of N gauge wagons, especially?

 

Justin

 

Justin

[LNERJP]

Thank you for your replies.

 

Looks like my options are n-gauge society  kits or Stephen Harris, either of which require me to join a group, which I am hesitant to do at the moment as I just want to give n-gauge/2mm a bit off a "go".

 

I think a year or two back at a exhibition I bought one of the 2mm association taster kits for a 16 ton mineral wagon, and then put it away in the modelling cupboard/black hole, so I must have been feeling the urge to try something smaller than O gauge for a while, think I'll have to rummage in my cupboard and give that a go.

 

Cheers

JP

[Caley Jim]

I would suggest that these 'taster kits' are the way to go if you want to dip a toe in 2FS.  Many people have, as a result of trying one, found the water much to their liking!

 

Jim

[Graham R]

Stephen’s kits are available to anyone as far as I’m aware, you don’t have to be a 2mmSA member. See his listing and contact details here. They are beautifully designed kits in my view, but they are detailed and require decent soldering skills to produce a clean result. There is no shame in learning on the job, as my many early attempts show!  Of course there is no reason to join the 2mmSA unless you want to, but you get a very nice magazine, access to the Association shops, and if you choose to, support from the area groups. £20 to try it out for a year is not a big risk ...

 

regards

Graham

[Nigelcliffe]

15 hours ago, Graham R said:

Stephen’s kits are available to anyone as far as I’m aware, you don’t have to be a 2mmSA member. See his listing and contact details here. ……….

 

Yes, but there are bits needed from elsewhere:  wheels, top hat bearings, buffers, vacuum cylinders, couplings.  
The wheels will need to be on 12.25mm axles, which are available from the 2mm Scale Association shop (in both N gauge profile and 2mm Finescale, but members only), and I think nowhere else.   I doubt anyone other than the Association has top hat bearings to the 2mm drawings.  Buffers and other details may be available elsewhere.

 

Stephen Harris' kit designs are superb. 

 

- Nigel

 

 

[Graham R]

Hi Nigel, you're right, I did not stop to think about the small matter of wheelsets . Nick Tilston seems to stock pinpoint bearings (item 23818, not sure about the profile) and a range of buffers. I suppose it would be feasible to make 12.25mm axles from rod to accept wheels from modern commercial N wheelsets. Easier just to join the 2mmSA. But the OP was a request for modern rolling stock kits and Stephen's range reflects his own interest of the 1970s, so may not be the answer in any case.

 

regards

Graham

[Izzy]

If it's just to try the scale out for size then perhaps a couple of the Peco-Parkside N gauge kits would suffice. They do grampus and clam which might be acceptable and are complete with wheels. A lot of the wagons in the OP's post are available in N from Farish I think. Obviously I would recommend 2FS over N standards in the longer term and they could be retro-fitted with 2mm wheels if taken any further.

 

Izzy

[LNERJP]

Well today I delved into my black hole and found my starter kit, and after 1.5 hours I ended up with this.

 

Which I'm really happy with, it sits perfectly flat on a piece of glass and rolls really well. I cut some holes in the sides as most of the 16t minerals left by the late 80's where used as engineers spoil wagons, my holes are a bit rough as even my smallest needle file won't fit to clean up the hole, but then the holes where petty rough in real life. My O gauge size soldering tip must be about 8mm which has made things a bit tricky and I think soldering the strengthening ribs on the solebar is beyond me I might have to resort to glue at that point.

 

Would I be right in assuming that this is a Stephen Harris kit? If it is I would like to try some more, I know it's only £20 to join the group, but I am already a member of 6 other groups/societies and if you add up the £20 here and £20 there it does start to add up, might have to drop one of the others.

 

Thank you all for your help.

JP

[Nigelcliffe]

9 minutes ago, LNERJP said:

Well today I delved into my black hole and found my starter kit, and after 1.5 hours I ended up with this.

 

 

Which I'm really happy with, it sits perfectly flat on a piece of glass and rolls really well...……………..

My O gauge size soldering tip must be about 8mm which has made things a bit tricky and I think soldering the strengthening ribs on the solebar is beyond me I might have to resort to glue at that point.

 

Would I be right in assuming that this is a Stephen Harris kit? If it is I would like to try some more, I know it's only £20 to join the group, but I am already a member of 6 other groups/societies and if you add up the £20 here and £20 there it does start to add up, might have to drop one of the others.

 

No, not a Stephen Harris design.    And it appears to be missing the brakes.

 

Stephen's mineral wagon is more detailed, but far more work to build, it has an etched body as well as underframe, made up in multiple layers to produce the strapping, ribs, hinges, etc...  Assembled well, Stephen's version makes the moulded version look fairly crude.  Depends if you want a handful for close inspection, or a large number for long trains.   

Soldering, yes a slightly smaller tip will help, but otherwise lots of power (watts) is good for soldering.  I use a 50W soldering station. 

[2mm Andy]

This is the Stephen Harris 16t mineral wagon kit;

 

As Nigel mentions, it's an all-etched kit (rather than the plastic body that the 'taster' kit uses. If you like soldering, it's an absolute joy to put together (like a lot of Stephen's newer kits - some of the older designs are not quite so refined, but still build into nice models)

 

regards,

 

Andy

Edited June 8, 2020 by 2mm Andy

[D869]

2 hours ago, LNERJP said:

Would I be right in assuming that this is a Stephen Harris kit? If it is I would like to try some more, I know it's only £20 to join the group, but I am already a member of 6 other groups/societies and if you add up the £20 here and £20 there it does start to add up, might have to drop one of the others.

 

 

You have the 16T kit from the Association - plastic body and etched chassis. Personally I'm a fan of this kit and have built several of them in different variations (top doors or not, bottom doors or not, different brake designs etc.). I generally scrape the insides of the sides to taper them a bit so that the top edges look thinner and add some 5 thou plastikard fillets on tops of the corners to complete the corner strengtheners.

 

The slots in the sides are a nice touch.

 

I'm not 100% sure about their later condition but I suspect you should probably delete the tiebars between the axleboxes. The chassis that comes with the Association kit covers several options including vac fitted china clay opens, hence the tiebars and 4 brake shoes when you probably only need two for a 16 tonner... but again check what the later survivors looked like because I'm more au fait with their earlier condition.