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Metropolitan Railway Coaches


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Hello

 

Ive been reading around on here I'm aware there are a few companies and individuals who make Met Coaches I'm

 

Im looking at the Ashbury set on the Bluebell, I found online a set of 3 which is apparently the set they used to run in being a Chesham Set and that kit being done by London Road Models.

 

As there are 4 on the Bluebell... ones currently in London, Are there any other kit suppliers who do the Met Ashbury coaches either in set or in singles? Seeing as Im looking at 4 not 3.

 

any help always appreciated thank you.

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London Road Models only do them as a set of three as that is how the artwork and production tool was produced. AFAIK they were commissioned by a customer and he wanted a set of three to represent the original formation.

 

http://www.scalefour.org/londonroad/metcarriages.html

 

See also http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53380-can-you-tell-what-it-is-yet/  post #6

 

 

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Thanks LNWR modeller, i'm already aware of these kits, as these were the ones i was looking at, as you have already confirmed what i know available in only a 3 coach set. And also the wrong style, as the ones im look for is ones without the vents or large windows at either end.
 So these are not right for what i am looking for.... surprised they haven't been produced either privately or by a company, a i keep coming across posts asking where to get them.

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Sales of etched kits are quite small, so unless a manufacturer is confident that he can recover his investment and make some money (probably over a five year span), then it's not worth doing.

 

There is also a big gap between how popular a model appears to be when it isn't available, and how many people will actually get out their wallet when it is on the market.

 

I think that the Bluebell coaches are restored to a different condition than they were in when they started the project. I believe the LRM kits represent the pre-restored condition. The door vents look the same but the large driving compartment windows were replaced with the narrow guards windows.

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Absolutly agree on that, as Im producing bits and pieces not for the model market but for guitars and things, so research and an idea of how many orders and getting deals to supply certain builders is key before going forward, and ordering a supply from China ect...

 

On the Bluebell Coaches they were I believe restored to when first built, they turned up on the line in the 60's as per what the LRM kits are producing but when restored they went back to the original built condition no vents in the brake smaller slit windows...

 

shame they are not available... may have to look at bodging something.

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Some years ago I acquired an etched composite Ashbury coach kit off ebay, so they are about, if you can find them.  I think the maker was called Keith Thomas, and I very much doubt if he is still making them, although he may have subsequently operated under another name.

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Are you sure the 4th coach is also an Ashbury?

 

I say that because the last vehicle in your photo seems to have a slightly different profile, higher bottoms to the windows, footboard at a different height and possibly different bogies

 

If the Chesham set was 3 car, it might make sense if the extra coach was something different which the Bluebell acquired from somewhere else

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The first photo was taken in 2005 when the 4th was out of service having a re-varnish or possibly being finished off.

Believe the LBSCR 4 wheel 1st class coah was on the end on the top photo

 

Looking at the info there are 3 Ashbury coaches... the other one.. making the 4 coach set, 412 Composite (Built by Cravens, 1900)but arrived with the 3, and all 4 were or still called the Chesham set.... so i hear that 3 is the normal... so i guess in a what the name is slightly wrong Chesham set plus 1 maybe...

Problem is there are no present day kits that do them as they were built, which is unfortuneate.

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Some years ago I acquired an etched composite Ashbury coach kit off ebay, so they are about, if you can find them.  I think the maker was called Keith Thomas, and I very much doubt if he is still making them, although he may have subsequently operated under another name.

 

 

Hello Nick, yes came across the name on my search, over the past year or 2, sadly not found any information on what happened or if they are produced under a different name... guess i just have to keep looking or just wait.

 

Keith Thomas was the person that originally developed the Met Ashbury coach kits which became part of the LRM range. The tools are now the property of LRM so it's possible that he was selling a kit out of his own collection.

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Not sure if you're aware of the Portfolio photo of a set of 3 models, built by Clive Croome shown in MRJ No.9 page 183. It doesn't appear in the MRJ index, well its mentioned under page 181 of that issue, but doesn't get its own index listing.

 

Probably doesn't help you much, since its presumably not the current format, you're looking for.

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I think really, i will have to abandon looking for kits of these as theres none really around or being produced... unless I sit down and look at 3D printing them... which i don't really have time to do such a thing, plus I hate CAD haha, much more comfortable with a pencil and paper.

 

anyway never mind.

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Possible but looked in to this last year... and it wouldn't be possible in my view plus... i really don't want to cut up £120's of coaches and make an error... if they were cheaper then sure, looked in to resin ones and chopping them down.. but again things are in the wrong place, so again wouldn't be possible. Ive done alot of adapting... espcially with one particular coach which took 2 years to dream up a solution. But if something pops up... or something suitable comes along then i may reconsider it.

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The first photo was taken in 2005 when the 4th was out of service having a re-varnish or possibly being finished off.

Believe the LBSCR 4 wheel 1st class coah was on the end on the top photo

 

Looking at the info there are 3 Ashbury coaches... the other one.. making the 4 coach set, 412 Composite (Built by Cravens, 1900)but arrived with the 3, and all 4 were or still called the Chesham set.... so i hear that 3 is the normal... so i guess in a what the name is slightly wrong Chesham set plus 1 maybe...

Problem is there are no present day kits that do them as they were built, which is unfortuneate.

 

 

In extremis , is it worth building a model of the LBSCR 4 wheeler in the first photo? That would still give you an authentic Bluebell 4 car set, and dodge round the problem

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There is a set of the LRM Met Ashbury coaches on ebay, but split into separate items e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350697818926?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

The seller is clearly a trader and has a slightly optimistic view on prices. The opening price plus postage makes the three kits slightly dearer than buying new from LRM, but then he seems to have the same price for all the etched bogie coach kits on his site.

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Yes indeed optimistic....
but then if he posts them as seperate items... it drives the price up... if a bid war breaks out and someone wants the whole set... then they will go for silly money... or you just end up with one coach.
 Thanks for the link, I think Ive sort of chosen a route to go down, may have a crack at this 3D modelling / 3D printing, seen a few examples here, and on several groups on Facebook, and a number of them are willing to help which is nice, and also check it over before doing the printing, which is very good.

Thanks for your help everyone.

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I've only ever seen one set of Ashburys on that well known auction site.  Looked reasonably well made and went for £205 + p/p a couple of years ago if I recall (though the high bidder probably put a higher bid in). 

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  • 2 months later...

Hello yes Ive heard some rumors as well, but was told it was highly unlikely, I do know some London Underground locos have been looked at by a RTR manufacturer, not saying who, but sadly no coaches...

I have stopped the 3D stuff at this present moment in time, due to struggling with it... was never great at using it, I generally dislike using CAD, but it certainly is the way forward with 3D printers, and some of the great results I have seen certainly prove it... Problem is I'm stuck so cannot continue.

CompositeAssembly412-1.jpg

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