Easy-build coach kits in 7mm

[ozzyo]

Hello all,

 

we are looking to build a layout based around the Scottish borders in approx 1986 (banger blue). The problem is that we have started to get the coaches together from J.L.T.R.T. for the Mk1 rakes but they have now been with-drawn for some up dates.

 

So we have a few questions that we would like to ask.

1] How well do the Easy-build compare to the J.L.T.R.T. for looks and size?

2] do they stand out if they are in a mixed rake?

 

This maybe the start of the questions, so if any one would like to post any photos of the two makes next to each other we would appreciate them.

 

TFAH

 

OzzyO.

 

PS. I have posted this in the Q&A section as well.

[Western Star]

Hi Paul,

 

There are a couple of answers to this question...  or rather answers to some questions:-

 

* how do they compare above the solebar?

* how do they compare below the solebar?

* how do they compare on the inside?

 

What follows is my take after spending several months doing the same thing as you....  and taking into consideration the total cost per coach.

 

So how do they compare above the solebar?  I feel that the EZ sides are neater / thinner / smoother than the JLTRT sides.  EZ roofs ought to be neater than JLTRT as, like the sides, the roof is an extrusion - however the join between end and roof leaves a lot to be desired and this is the downside of an EZ body.  As to details, if you want Mk.1s circa 1986 in Scotland then you shall have to be thinking about coaches with metal window frames and body corrosion strips to the door pillars...  EZ offers etched window frames which look good as do the EZ door hinges (two etch parts per hinge).  On the other hand, I think that the JLTRT door furniture / grab handles / commode handles are superior to the EZ way (which is etch).

 

And below the solebar?  If you can cope with the ABS mouldings and extrusions for the underframe girders then this can look better than the JLTRT castings.  EZ bogies are ABS mouldings and acceptable - just be sure to ask for the steel bogie pivot plate if you are going with Commonwealth bogies.  EZ provides an etch for the dynamo support and trimmer...  which I think looks better than the JLTRT version.  However, the JLTRT dynamo looks better than the EZ version.  EZ battery boxes are acceptable, the EZ regulator cradle / regulator box / fuse box pass muster - substitute JLTRT castings for a cleaner / more 3D appearance.  The EZ vacuum cylinder is not as nice in appearance as the JLTRT version (just be sure to use the cylinder from the GUV kit rather than that which was supplied with the passenger coaches).

 

Interiors?  JLTRT is "complete" whereas EZ coach comes without an interior - EZ offers an interior kit as an extra.  I do not like the shape of EZ seats and I shall have to make some masters for resin castings.  I do not like the EZ TSO / SO partitions as the glazing dimensions are distorted by the height of the seats.

 

Look at the CPL range for some of the fittings to go on the end of the body (emergency alram gear / RCH coach lighting plugs).

 

 

For my money - and this is what we are doing - the combination of EZ kit plus JLTRT castings with home made partitions gives a decent result.  I took one done as described to an S7 meeting last year and the general consensus was that the coach "looked like a Mk.1" - a good enough response from my peers in the S7 world.

 

If you are interested I can let you have a more detailed list of what "add-ons" I have bought to go with an EZ body.

[pwr]

Have you considered the Modern Motive Power coaches by David Parkin

 

 

https://www.djparkins.com/home.php?cat=317

 

These are reckoned to be the most detailed 7mm kits

 

Paul R

[deltic17]

As someone who has recently sold their Heljan Mk1's due to the shape/tumblehome I would be interested if someone could supply some pictures of Easybuild/JLTRT/MMP as discussed above. Heljan really should have cleaned up in this market but they somewhat missed the target in my eyes.

[ozzyo]

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/111741-easy-build-mk1-coaches-in-7mm/?p=2325842

 

The above is a link to the same question in modelling questions hint and tips.

 

OzzyO.

[ozzyo]

As someone who has recently sold their Heljan Mk1's due to the shape/tumblehome I would be interested if someone could supply some pictures of Easybuild/JLTRT/MMP as discussed above. Heljan really should have cleaned up in this market but they somewhat missed the target in my eyes.

 

Hello deltic17,

 

if this works this link should take you to a photo of some EB Mk1s http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/111741-easy-build-mk1-coaches-in-7mm/?p=2325842

 

OzzyO.

PS Heljan got the Mk1 profile so wrong on the mail line stock but got the GUVs right

[ozzyo]

Have you considered the Modern Motive Power coaches by David Parkin

 

 

https://www.djparkins.com/home.php?cat=317

 

These are reckoned to be the most detailed 7mm kits

 

Paul R

 

Hello Paul R,

 

it would be nice to use the MMP kits but we're looking at something like this 2 up and down trains of 4 coaches each and maybe a special train of 8-10 coaches so may be 26 coaches. So it's the time taken to build the stock that has to be taken into account and also the prices.

MMP £264 X 26 = £6864,

JLTRT £225 X 26 = £5850

EB £160 X 26 = £4160

 

OzzyO.

[pwr]

Yes I take your point!

 

Paul R

[ozzyo]

Hi Paul,

 

There are a couple of answers to this question...  or rather answers to some questions:-

 

If you are interested I can let you have a more detailed list of what "add-ons" I have bought to go with an EZ body.

 

 

Hello Graham,

 

I would very much like to see a list of "add-ons" that you have used on your EZ builds.

 

Also do you have any idea of the time to build the following kits,

MMP Mk1s,

JLTRT Mk1s,

EZ Mk1s,

 

TFAH,

 

OzzyO.

 

PS. one thing that I did not take into account when I was doing the price comparison was that the EZ coaches come complete with wheels.

[Boris]

MMP coaches will take you weeks if not months as there are works of art, literally if it is on the real thing it is on the model, but you need to be a very good modeller to get the most out of them.  If you search for MMP GUV you can see photos of the one I built which will give you some idea of the level of detail, you can even get the doors to work for heavens sake!

 

JLTRT and EZ will take about the same length of time to make up.  Go for the seperate window frames for the EZ ones because otherwise you get the top lights cast into the glazing and picking 16 windows out is a total ball ache, detail wise EZ are good beneath the solebar and ok inside, with a bit more work you can get a nice interior as well.  Tidying up the gap where the roof meets the vest end is a down side on the EZ ones but its not a complete deal breaker (I think there's one of those on my workbench thread too), the bogie detail leaves a bit to be desired on the EZ ones, they are a little too basic for my liking but then again you can make up some brake rodding and dynamo belts.

[ozzyo]

 Tidying up the gap where the roof meets the vest end is a down side on the EZ ones but its not a complete deal breaker (I think there's one of those on my workbench thread too), the bogie detail leaves a bit to be desired on the EZ ones, they are a little too basic for my liking but then again you can make up some brake rodding and dynamo belts.

 

Hello Boris,

 

we did see a 7mm layout this year with some Mk1 coaches on it and they did have a gap (of approx. 1mm) between the roof and the coach ends, it was on all of the coaches. We just put it down to bad building of the coaches!

 

So is this the problem that you are referring to. If so is it due to the coach sides being too tail or the ends being to short? Or a bit of both?

 

On a exhibition layout sometimes the lack  of detail below the running plate (sorry going back to loco building) can be OK, some of the brake gear will have to be in place, but we could replace the bogies to get most of that.

 

I'll have a look to see if I can find your build thread on the Mk1s.

 

Thanks,

 

OzzyO.

[deltic17]

Just one other question on this - what do people feel about the Bachmann Brassworks coaches in comparison to Easybuild,JLTRT etc - obviously there is no interior - I would be going for Blue & Grey - does anyone know if the separately obtainable Easybuild window frames fit into the Bachmann Brassworks windows - hopefully Yes!!!

[Western Star]

I would very much like to see a list of "add-ons" that you have used on your EZ builds.

Hello Paul,

 

The following is an extract from a WT topic about castings for 7mm Mk.1s...

 

{quote}

 

I was asked about which fittings were from EZ... which from JLTRT... and which from other suppliers. We have replaced some of the EZ offerings as the quality / accuracy is not as good as comparable items from JLTRT, or we have added parts where the part is not supplied with the EZ kit (parts shown in italics). So here is a list of what bits-n-bobs Peter and I are using with the basic EZ bodyshell.

 

From CPL:-

 

Passenger Communication gear (the "butterfly" and vacuum valve on one end of a coach)

 

From EZ:-

 

Dynamo and dynamo bracket;

Battery boxes;

V-hangers for brake cross-shaft (although I expect to modify the hanger for the bracket which is mounted on a truss angle)

 

Brass etches for corridor screens on compartment coaches.

Brass etch for parcels cage.

From JLTRT Mk.1 kits:-

 

RCH electrical cables and covers;

Passenger Door handles;

Water tank filler and pipes;

Guard's compartment fittings;

Water tank overflow;

Fire extinguisher;

 

Buckeye couplings (although re-visiting this for coupling Mk.1s together, Kadees looking likely)

Steam Heat / Vacuum Brake pipes;

 

Regulator Cradle / Regulator / Fusebox;

Distribution Fusebox;

Vacuum Cylinder from JLTRT GUV kit;

Vacuum Cylinder Trunnions from GUV kit;

 

From JLTRT Mk.2 kits (only for Mk.1s which are dual braked and / or dual heat):-

Brake Distributor and the spirax air valve;

Buffer Beam Air Brake & Main Reservoir pipes and valves.

Air Brake Cylinders / Actuators.

Main Air Reservoir.

ETH cables, connectors and sockets

 

The parts from JLTRT Mk.2 kits are required because our models are to represent dual brake / dual heat Mk.1s in the late 1980s era.

 

Why GUV fittings? Interesting question... the vacuum brake cylinders in the JLTRT Mk.1 passenger coach kits are of the "rivetted" cylinder whereas the equivalent in the GUV kit is the "welded" cylinder and we feel that the welded cylinder is more appropriate to our "period".

Why change the vacuum cylinders at all? Partly because the JLTRT offering is a better representation than the EZ part. Partly because the EZ part has fixed trunnions and hence, as supplied, the part represents a vacuum cylinder in the "on" position. Partly because the EZ part has "welded" trunnions as per early Mk.1 builds whereas the JLTRT trunnions represent the "bolted" trunnion of later Mk.1 builds. Overall, the JLTRT separate trunnions allow us to represent the prototype with a better appearance than the EZ alternatives.   Use the vac cyl trunnions from the same kit as the vac cylinder...

 

So whilst the above seems to be a long list there are still some Mk.1 carriage fittings that are not available from the trade - or if you know different then please provide details. For example:-

 

Emergency charging / lighting socket;

ETH distribution fusebox;

Sheep's Head drain for steam heating pipe;

WC outlet pipe.

 

{end quote}

 

Since I wrote the original post to the WT topic I have had a re-think on some aspects of the interiors.  I feel that the EZ seats are too tall and too "upright" for the Mk.1 style of seating - both compartment and open stock - so I think that we shall be casting our own.  The EZ interior kits provide "laser cut" plastic for partitions and the quality of our kit is poor...  the edges are "melted" and the windows (of open partitions) are not big enough (probably linked to the height of the seats which are too tall).   I am experimenting with a Silhouette Cameo to cut new vestibule and saloon partitions).

 

regards, Graham