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Tempted by Italian models - now with added baggage.


Neil

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Buongiorno.

 

Having recently returned from Italy, I was sufficiently intrigued by these Italeri wagon kits spotted on e-bay to order a pair.

 

post-6793-0-49446300-1371983317.jpg

 

So far it's been a very pleasant experience putting the first of the kits together. Whilst not quite as foolproof as an Aifix kit it's well up there with Parkside for ease of assembly, quality of fit and delicacy of moulding.

 

post-6793-0-39770700-1371983391.jpg

 

However as the sides and eds are mitred joints without any other form of location it is possible to introduce some dimensional drift. The gap between brakeman's platform and the buffer beam reveals how I managed to err. Two short sections of 1mm square plastic strip have filled this gap and should be undetectable once painted.

 

post-6793-0-44551200-1371983855.jpg

 

Underneath I've substituted metal wheels for the plastic ones included with the kit and fixrd brass bearings to suit in the axleguard assemblies. Unlike every UK wagon kit I've built the axleguards and brake shoes assemble from two separate mouldings which then plug individually into oblong slots in the floor. This makes bearing set up a doddle as the dry run is self supporting. The dimensional drift also manifested itself with the separate solebars being too short; further pieces of plastic section has been grafted in. I suspect that the solebars may have been a smidgeon too short anyway, but until I make another van avoiding the drift I won't be able to say definitively so.

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..... Do the kits include decals as I imagine that's be difficult to source outside Italy.

 

 

 

 

Yes they do Nick, they have alternatives for two eras; 1945 -1867 and 1968 -1985. I guess that by careful cutting it would be possible to alter the given sets to a wider range of numbers allowing multiple wagons of the same type.

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I think I've got one of these, but mine seem to come from a different source - see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/892-west-end-workbench/?p=536871

 for a look

 

the source was http://www.duegieditrice.it/kit/ I guess produced by Italieri?

 

alcoalbe's flickr site has a number of Italian wagon photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcoalbe/5858249564/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcoalbe/sets/72157626296398927/with/5858250654/

 

Jon

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I think I've got one of these, but mine seem to come from a different source - see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/892-west-end-workbench/?p=536871

 for a look

 

the source was http://www.duegieditrice.it/kit/ I guess produced by Italieri?

 

alcoalbe's flickr site has a number of Italian wagon photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcoalbe/5858249564/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcoalbe/sets/72157626296398927/with/5858250654/

 

Jon

 

Yes I'd noticed that the same kits offered by Italeri (and some more) seemed to be available in different packaging from Italy. I'd wondered which concern originated the kits, and am intrigued by the availability of the TTM examples at Warley. Could I ask if they were from a UK supplier, as it might save me quite a bit in postal charges. Also a thank you for the directions to alcoalbre's flickr site; I could see myself spending quite some time there.

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Yes I'd noticed that the same kits offered by Italeri (and some more) seemed to be available in different packaging from Italy. I'd wondered which concern originated the kits, and am intrigued by the availability of the TTM examples at Warley. Could I ask if they were from a UK supplier, as it might save me quite a bit in postal charges. Also a thank you for the directions to alcoalbre's flickr site; I could see myself spending quite some time there.

 

I think he was behind the Italian railway society stand - I had the sense to put his email address in the box with the wagon - I'll PM rather than put it up here fore the spambots to harvest.

 

Jon

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Well I've filled in the bits that showed where I went wrong, and finished attaching all the fiddly bits included in the kit. Doing so my appreciation of the kit has grown. Despite the fineness of the moulded detailing parts and their consequent small attachment points everything fitted where it should and with a good deal of security. The jury's still out on the solebar length, but the rest of the kit was bang on.

 

post-6793-0-06313800-1372087258.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As the van neared completion an idea formed about converting an unloved but cheap Piko German guards/baggage van into an Italian equivalent. The idea was sparked off by the discovery of such a van as a free to download card kit. When comparing the printout with the Piko model it was apparent that the basic dimensions were about right though the Piko van would need shortening to suit. The first job was to file and sand all the detail off the sides, fill in the window apertures,  fill and sand back again. Here's where I'm at with this project at the moment.

 

post-6793-0-15892400-1372185550.jpg

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I'm fascinated by the Locomotiva Gr.600 vertical boiler 0-4-2. What was it used for? It's got a date of 1907 on the kit, so could I get away with scaling it up to 4mm, and building a working one in EM to run on a GWR BLT? :sungum:

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The one that intrigues me is the Carro V, it looks like a pent roofed van with a tar tank  between the two ends. Has anybody any idea of its purpose?

 

From this it would appear to be a water carrier.

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I'm fascinated by the Locomotiva Gr.600 vertical boiler 0-4-2. What was it used for? It's got a date of 1907 on the kit, so could I get away with scaling it up to 4mm, and building a working one in EM to run on a GWR BLT? :sungum:

 

With the help of google I'm fairly happy to say that it would be a steam baggage railcar, and yes why ever not.

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Neil, I'm italian and i'm a very modest italian modeller.

I've always admired your layouts and your books!!

whath about something similar to Carlton Metals in italian style?

 

by the way, italian baggage railcars were a disaster! they were retired from service and transformed in small shunting loco (group 800, lasting to the '60sties) or in heating vehicles during the twenties.

 

 

Regards

 

Antonio Federici

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Neil, I'm italian and i'm a very modest italian modeller.

I've always admired your layouts and your books!!

whath about something similar to Carlton Metals in italian style?

 

by the way, italian baggage railcars were a disaster! they were retired from service and transformed in small shunting loco (group 800, lasting to the '60sties) or in heating vehicles during the twenties.

 

 

Regards

 

Antonio Federici

 

Hello Antonio, I think you may have mistaken me for my friend Neil Ripley (the builder of Carlton Metals) it isn't the first time this has happened and I always take it as a compliment as he's a far more prolific model maker than I will ever be.

 

I assume that this is one of the converted baggage railcars after transformation to a shunting engine.

 

Is Morfa going to double for the Italian Riviera? I'm intreagued Neil! Will you be having plug-in overhead? :sungum:

 

Tempting, but no. However I could see myself building an Italian micro layout, I have a Lima D445 heading my way from Bologna and inspiration from some old postcard views of the lake front sidings at Desenzano. Though the sidings were relocated in 1955 away from the square to the newer part of the port in 1955 and the branch itself closed in 1969 I would be happy to assume it was kept open for longer though I do have another more fanciful scheme to relocate the facilities to Sirmione. Who knows what will happen?

 

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Thanks for that Jonathan, I'm not sure they will be of immediate use, but it's certainly something to bear in mind depending on how ambitious my stock building programme becomes.

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A couple of developments to report on, both captured in the same photo. First up was the arrival of a parcel from Italy containing a Lima FS  D455 loco.

 

post-6793-0-47879800-1372618793.jpg

 

Secondly, more work has been done on the baggage van, shortened body and chassis, and a roof section spliced in to replace the guards birdcage lookout.

 

 

 

 

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Not a huge amount has happened over the last week as I've been busy with other things, but I have started to pierce holes in the side of the baggage van. Though I haven't taken photos of the process used I can tell you that it involves applying double sided tape to the rear of the free download baggage van sides, mounting the printed side on the van marking through with ruler and sharp knife before peeling off the printout. Holes were drilled inboard of the corners then joined using an abrasive disc in my pendant drill. Final finishing to the cut line was achieved the hard way using files and sanding sticks.

 

post-6793-0-65685500-1373291971.jpg

 

You may notice that I've only done one side so far. As the hole is big and the remaining body side under the aperture small and delicate I'll be fitting the door before moving onto the other side. I'll be using a different technique to sort out the windows, more on this later.

 

 

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I'm pleased to say that a bit more cutting, sticking and filing has brought one side of the baggage van up to the state seen here.

 

post-6793-0-50360100-1373725538.jpg

 

As the door on the other side has been completed I'm happy to believe that I'm past half way, even though very little has yet been done to the ends. It does feel as though I'm on the homeward leg.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Well past half way now that both sides have the basics complete.

 

post-6793-0-15202800-1374792119.jpg

 

My attention has now turned to the ends, with window positions being altered and new ones pierced into the blank (wider) end. A pair of corridor connections were fabricated off model and have now been installed. Though the basic shape is about there, lots of detail remains to be done.

 

 

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  • 5 months later...
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Fantastic find Jon, there's even an end of the baggage van peeking into one end of one of the shots. At the moment most of my energies have been focused on resin casting and a 009 micro layout, but spare time to daydream has been occupied by thoughts of something Italian.

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