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Coopercraft business put up for sale


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41 minutes ago, Blue Max said:

There was also the East Anglian and the Hook Continental coach sets that were issued as limited edition runs under either the Kirk or Mailcoach ranges.


Don’t expect these will ever come back on the market

 

 

East Anglian is available from Isinglass, not sure about the Hook or any other boat trains.

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19 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

No mention of ... the loco kits (which I assume are long dead as I've never seen one apart from a B12 on the Wright Writes thread). I believe there was also an GER F3 2-4-2T.

 

They must have sold in tiny numbers.   I have (and have completed) one of the B12 kits - only 3 are known to have been built.  It was by some margin the worst loco kit I have ever tackled.

 

I have met a chap who had one of the F3 kits but hadn't started it (and wouldn't part with it).   Paul Dunn did look at reviving it, to the extent that he supplied a test etch for the chassis which I built for him and sent feedback, but that was the last I ever heard about it.  I do still have the chassis and once I can get it round curves it may serve as the basis for an F3.

 

 

Edited by jwealleans
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Nice to hear that the Coopercraft models will eventually return, the kits were easy to build and for their day had a fairly decent level of detail, for many GWR modellers they were a fantastic source for building authentic rolling stock that could be easily kitbashed into other variants using the ABS or later MJT range of parts.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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1 hour ago, GWR8700 said:

Great news!

I hope the Blacksmith range has a future too. A lot of good stuff in there too

I do wonder if the liquidation of the etcher will have killed that off (not to mention the horrific mess the range must currently be in given Coopercraft had never got the range in order after they acquired it.)  

Would actually be quite interested in having a crack at it, but I suspect my valuation of whats left and Coopercraft's would be wildly different.

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I note that on Cambrian's website, it mentions acquiring the 4mm vehicle and lineside ranges as well as the wagons. I hope that means the CC moulded station and signal box lettering sets will return. 

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I've just received an email from H&A Models advising that:

 

"Coopercraft

The much sought after Cooper-Craft range has been acquired by Cambrian Model Rail.  This includes the 4mm wagon, vehicle and lineside moulds along with the 16mm wagon and lineside moulds. Graham has informed us that they will require some work to get them back in production but he hopes to have some models available as early as next month."

 

Colin

 

 

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  • 2 months later...
On 11/12/2022 at 23:05, Nile said:

Something has happened, see http://www.cooper-craft.co.uk/

 

"Cambrian Model Rail Limited have now completed the purchase of the Cooper Craft Moulds. As part of the purchase we also have the rights to the Cooper Craft brand and the Website."

That's great news! It does mean I have a hope of getting two mk1 BCKs to complete my kitbuilt rake. And it's great to see the range has (possibly) been saved so let's hang in there and see what improvements can be made. I still need to get a Kirk Maunsell Brake third plus some wheels (I'm going to be buying loads of wheels in the near future, it seems) and I cam get building. It's nice to read some good news about the Coopercraft range finally though as they clearly were decent kits in their day. I actually found my mk1 FK which I built 20 years ago and started dismantling it to strip down and rebuild. I think that can populate a carriage siding or something. 

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On 13/01/2023 at 23:52, LL1060 said:

I note that on Cambrian's website, it mentions acquiring the 4mm vehicle and lineside ranges as well as the wagons. I hope that means the CC moulded station and signal box lettering sets will return. 

 

I just checked Cambrian's website in relation to another thread, this is the current state of play:

 

https://www.cambrianmodelrail.co.uk/store/Cooper-Craft-c145572885

 

Good luck to them and hopefully they can restore the entire range. I've got the platelayers tools set scattered around my layout and have been asked numerous times who makes it. Those cattle wagons fetch a premium on eBay too.

 

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Just seen an ad in the May ‘23 RM that the 4mm Kirk, Mailcoach and Cooper Craft Mk1 coach kit ranges are now part of Phoenix Precision.

 

Looking at their website under 4mm products it looks like this is still a work in progress (like the tube train models that they acquired previously) so I’m not sure when the first kits will actually be available.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

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13 hours ago, The Evil Bus Driver said:

…. I still need to get a Kirk Maunsell Brake third plusxsomecwheels (I'm going to be buying loads of wheels in the near future, it seems) and I cam get building. 


Some if not all of the former Kirk Maunsell coach kits are already available under the delightfully original brand name “ExKirk”, and have been for some time. I’ve seen them on sale at several shows, and they’re on the Internet, though I don’t know if they’ve been advertised or reviews in the print media. 

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10 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Some if not all of the former Kirk Maunsell coach kits are already available under the delightfully original brand name “ExKirk”, and have been for some time. I’ve seen them on sale at several shows, and they’re on the Internet, though I don’t know if they’ve been advertised or reviews in the print media. 

Heh yes I availed myself of a few from Phoenix at Warley. They really do look good it has to be said. I was actually discussing them with Pete Waterman as well...

 

Oddly enough I found the remains of my Coopercraft FK and started dismantling it. It was mostly in the plastic pouch they came in plus a few extra parts in a box. Looks like I can put it back together although some of the glue might need redoing. I picked up a long box to put IPA in to strip it down. So that'll be next, get all the paint off and start reassembly. I'll put the interior on a piece of styrene strip to hold it all together and I'll do the seats with waterslide transfers printed with a moquette reduced to the approximate size on decal paper. I got the pics attached so a few of these might work. Being an FK I reckon the charcoal grey one is right. Got a CK to do as well  

download.jpeg

T01-swatch.png

s-l300.jpg

Edited by The Evil Bus Driver
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  • 3 months later...

I see that the permanent way trolleys have sold out, hardly surprising, I don't think that anyone else has made them and the originals go for quite a premium on eBay.

 

Luckily I've still got a small stash of them dating back to when I was still at school.

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