What are these 7mm narrow gauge kits?

[TEAMYAKIMA]

I've been tasked with selling some 7mm narrow gauge coach kits/parts on ebay on behalf of Twickenham & District MRC - can anyone tell me anything about these please? Make? Prototype?

 

 

As you can see there are two types. One is pre-painted sides with very faint relief which defines doors and panelling. The other is some kind of relatively basic plastic moulding.

 

BTW if you're interested in buying them, they're on ebay now.

[Marshall5]

The top ones look like the Glyn Valley Tramway ones from Peco ex Stephen Poole. The bottom ones look like Talyllyn but, sorry, don't have a clue who produced those parts.

Ray.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Marshall5

[sir douglas]

i agree that the top ones look like glyn valley but i think the bottom ones are from the minicraft vulcan set, based on the size, style and the cut outs in the corners for the bufferbeams and they dont look right for the Talyllyn Brown marshalls

 

like this but just the one in the middle with the door handles & hinges cut off

https://www.flickr.com/photos/66472189@N04/29305080784/in/album-72157669641868770/

[Greengiant]

The bottom ones look very similar to Ian Kirk coach side parts, at least the colour of the plastic does.
Do you have photos of the rears and the sides, it may give some clues?

Martin

Edited February 4, 2018 by Greengiant

[BernardTPM]

The printed sides are definitely the Stephen Poole version. The current Peco 7mm kits are only loosely GVT (though of course they now do a 'proper' RTR version in 009). The bottom one is the three compartment coach from the Gakken/Minicraft "Vulcan 1872" kit. There's a loco and three coaches in the kit, a two compartment brake, a saloon and that three compartment coach.

Edited February 4, 2018 by BernardTPM

[TEAMYAKIMA]

The printed sides are definitely the Stephen Poole version. The current Peco 7mm kits are only loosely GVT (though of course they now do a 'proper' RTR version in 009). The bottom one is the three compartment coach from the Gakken/Minicraft "Vulcan 1872" kit. There's a loco and three coaches in the kit, a two compartment brake, a saloon and that three compartment coach.

 

Hello Bernard

 

Thank you for this info, but the more I look into this the more they appear to be a 'home-made' kit - as whilst very similar to the Minicraft kit the ends are not identical and looking at the backs they definitely have a home-made look.

 

 

 

Just to make sure about the Stephen Poole kit I have attached a better photo .........

 

[BernardTPM]

Ah, from the back it's clear those are cast resin copies of the Gakken/Minicraft coach parts, made in a simple, open back mould, hence the slight curve catching the light at the edges. The dorr handles and grabrails apear to have been neatly removed, I assume because whoever made them wanted free-standing detail for these parts.

 

The sides are definitely from the Stephen Poole kits though it's quite likely they were done by the same printers who did the PC Models, Mopok and Cavendish (N gauge coach) kits and Brackenborough bus sides.

Edited February 5, 2018 by BernardTPM

[sir douglas]

they likely cut the handles off and made moulds from them to cast copies

[Phil Traxson]

The resin sides and ends are pre 1996 (when I took over) Portwynnstay Models castings based on modified Gakken coach sides and ends. I went on to modify them further and turn them into a complete coach kits with chassis wheels and seating. At the time the Minicraft  complete train kits were in one of there many hibernations and not expected to be available again, they have resurfaced and disappeared again several times since. Any castings I made do not have the cusp on the back as I use a different method  of casting than the original owner of the business.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Phil Traxson
More info

[Metropolitan H]

Just for fun, the following picture shows my pair of 40 year old Gakken (more recently Minicraft) coaches - running on Peco Wonderful wagon W irons & axleboxes. I never did make up the saloon type vehicle.

 

Here is the brake vehicle with my modified loco from the same kit - the 4-4-0T "Richard" - and a home-made Southwold Railway van from placticard on a card whitemetal wagon underframe.

 

 

Regards

Chris H

[Phil Traxson]

11 hours ago, Metropolitan H said:

Just for fun, the following picture shows my pair of 40 year old Gakken (more recently Minicraft) coaches - running on Peco Wonderful wagon W irons & axleboxes. I never did make up the saloon type vehicle.

 

Here is the brake vehicle with my modified loco from the same kit - the 4-4-0T "Richard" - and a home-made Southwold Railway van from placticard on a card whitemetal wagon underframe.

 

 

Regards

Chris H

What chassis is under the loco please?

[Metropolitan H]

Phil,

 

It is a homemade 4-4-0 with 1/16 inch brass frames running on Romford wheels and extended axles / outside cranks. Fitted with a ECM type 3 motor and Romford gears driving the trailing axle - it has 2 sets of 2 diodes (opposite polarities in parallel) in series with the motor - so you can stop it creeping when the PWM control is supposedly "Off".

 

Footplate and outside frames etc are all plasticard while the upper works are adapted from the Gakken kit.

 

Still runs well following a very light lubrication. Most recent operation has been on "Worton Court".

 

Regards

Chris H