Modern Traction Kits

[Halvarras]

15 minutes ago, 47164 said:

the former was very good for its time and one of colins better offerings.

 

 

Yes, I remember the windscreen castings (which IIRC were integral with the nose top) being particularly neat, which helped ensure the 'face' looked right. Well, acceptable....!

Looks like somebody has flush-glazed the Mainline model the laborious way. I was always in awe of anyone doing this to a Lima 3-car Class 117 DMU 🤪!

[kevinlms]

On 26/08/2022 at 09:05, Halvarras said:

 

Always thought it was odd that when they first joined the OO market both Airfix and Mainline used black on the underframes of their green Class 31 and Class 45 diesels respectively and brown on the blue versions. I wonder what prompted it, and whether it was purely coincidence that both new manufacturers did this. One would have thought that moulding all underframes and bogie frames in black would have saved a bit of money and simplified assembly and parts holdings.....

Given the quantities made by both manufacturers, such that you could buy both classes brand new for years afterwards, the cost of moulding both in two colours, was next to nothing.

[andyman7]

5 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Given the quantities made by both manufacturers, such that you could buy both classes brand new for years afterwards, the cost of moulding both in two colours, was next to nothing.

Very true, the productions runs would have been in the tens of thousands compared to low '000s for most models these days

[roythebus1]

I'm sure I had a MTK 45 or 46 and a class 25 at one stage, maybe early 1970s. the Peak had an odd motor bogie arrangement, with the X04 driving a huge gear wheel onto a layshaft which also had a huge gear wheel. I suppose it could be built with the gear wheels either way, one would gove fat running, the other slightly slower running as they were of different sizes.

 

I also had one of their 3-car DMUs as used on the Gatwick-Reading services. This had a Lima DMU motor bogie and gave good service on the MRC's New Annington layout. 

 

I wish I'd kept one or more of the 1938 tube stock etches he made, they were truly awful!

[hayfield]

3 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

I'm sure I had a MTK 45 or 46 and a class 25 at one stage, maybe early 1970s. the Peak had an odd motor bogie arrangement, with the X04 driving a huge gear wheel onto a layshaft which also had a huge gear wheel. I suppose it could be built with the gear wheels either way, one would gove fat running, the other slightly slower running as they were of different sizes.

 

 

 

The infamous MTK motor bogie, did they ever work ?

[Clive Mortimore]

31 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

The infamous MTK motor bogie, did they ever work ?

Hi John

 

They do, I have a class 47 with two MTK bogies. When I first bought it the motors were wired up so it went the opposite way to my other locos. I coupled it up with a Heljan 47 (which are known for their pulling ability) so both locos were either side of a section break. I put some volts through the track and the MTK loco pulled the Heljan one backwards.

[97406]

What a super thread! I remember MTK kits and even managed 1 car from their Class 304 EMU kit. Sadly it’s long gone! 

I’d argue the Peak has the windscreens closer than one of the forthcoming RTR models.

[andyman7]

2 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

The infamous MTK motor bogie, did they ever work ?

 

1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi John

 

They do, I have a class 47 with two MTK bogies. When I first bought it the motors were wired up so it went the opposite way to my other locos. I coupled it up with a Heljan 47 (which are known for their pulling ability) so both locos were either side of a section break. I put some volts through the track and the MTK loco pulled the Heljan one backwards.

The early issue class 47 and 'Peak' kits came with K's sourced motor bogies, driving on the outer wheels (excluding the Class 45 pony truck); the centre wheels were cast 'dummies' that sat clear of the running rail. These were sold as 'complete' kits - they even included a decal sheet.

 

Later the kits were sold without motor parts or wheels but MTK marketed a motor bogie kit designed for use with an XO4 or Romford Bulldog - this is the one with the layshaft and gear wheel. The GW Railcar that I kicked this thread off with has one of those, and it sort of just about works, but not smoothly or reliably! The majority of Bo-Bo MTK locos I have come across instead tend to use twin Triang motor bogies, with cosmetic sideframes added. 

 

As the variety of RTR increased it became more and more common to use suitable RTR motor bogies or chassis to power MTK kits (which at least tended to ensure that they worked), and I have a Class 44 kit marketed as body only stating specifically that it is designed for use with the Mainline chassis. I do plan to build that one as it features the unique grille carried only by D9-D10 (44009/10).

[ianwales]

22 hours ago, andyman7 said:

 

 I have a Class 44 kit marketed as body only stating specifically that it is designed for use with the Mainline chassis. I do plan to build that one as it features the unique grille carried only by D9-D10 (44009/10).

 

Be Careful which one you want to do as 44009 had a class 45 nose with centre headcode box at one end

[andyman7]

1 hour ago, ianwales said:

 

Be Careful which one you want to do as 44009 had a class 45 nose with centre headcode box at one end

The great thing with MTK kits is the interchangeable noses so if I can find the right one 44009 is a possibility

[RANGERS]

11 minutes ago, andyman7 said:

The great thing with MTK kits is the interchangeable noses so if I can find the right one 44009 is a possibility

D9 also had the odd pattern side grilles along with D10  

[47164]

Hi Andyman , do I take it that your blue 47 has had some fettling on the cab front windows ? As they look a vast improvement v/s the standard casting…. Current looking at one I picked up yesterday in comparison.

[andyman7]

43 minutes ago, 47164 said:

Hi Andyman , do I take it that your blue 47 has had some fettling on the cab front windows ? As they look a vast improvement v/s the standard casting…. Current looking at one I picked up yesterday in comparison.

Yes, I think it has, it also has flush glazing done the hard way with clear material cut to size to fit within the frames. Not my work, I just refurbished it by re-attaching bits that had fallen off.

[47164]

Never ceases to amaze me the number of kits that surface/ survive, my 47  has never had the parts opened from the original wrapping and has the original water slide transfers.. however the AC electrics do seem more elusive and command high prices.

 

[roythebus1]

at the Folkestone MRC exhibition today, one of the stalls had some unmade kits, one was am MTK box saying it was a coach. But that was crossed out and hand-written with Q1 over the lid. I never knew MTK made a Q1.

 

I didn't bother enquiring further! Several other traders had things like wills finecast etched chassis for the R1 and Tri-ang 0-6-0.

[Steamport Southport]

16 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

at the Folkestone MRC exhibition today, one of the stalls had some unmade kits, one was am MTK box saying it was a coach. But that was crossed out and hand-written with Q1 over the lid. I never knew MTK made a Q1.

 

I didn't bother enquiring further! Several other traders had things like wills finecast etched chassis for the R1 and Tri-ang 0-6-0.

 

They didn't as far as I know. I thought the only steam outline model they made was the BR 5MT 4-6-0.

 

If it was very cheap I would expect it to be the Q Kits version which was dreadful. Avoid unless you are a completist or collecting them.

 

I do have a vague recollection that Q Kits were somehow related to MTK though.

 

 

Other Q1s 

Keyser/Nucast

PDK which had its origins in Crownline

The SEF Q1 is the Little Engines version (would love to know what happened to the other LE kits)

 

 

 

Jason

[MarkC]

3 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

They didn't as far as I know. I thought the only steam outline model they made was the BR 5MT 4-6-0.

 

If it was very cheap I would expect it to be the Q Kits version which was dreadful. Avoid unless you are a completist or collecting them.

 

I do have a vague recollection that Q Kits were somehow related to MTK though.

 

 

Other Q1s 

Keyser/Nucast

PDK which had its origins in Crownline

The SEF Q1 is the Little Engines version (would love to know what happened to the other LE kits)

 

 

 

Jason

Q Kits... *shudders*

(Wanders off to lie down in a darkened room)

 

As for the Little Engines range - I'd like to know too. OK, they were of their time, but their NER Pacific tanks would sell well, I'm sure. I've got one of their A6s as an eBay rescue - on its own it looks great, but placed next to one of Arthur Kimber's A6s, there are differences. Their A8 is nice too; again, placed next to another maker's model, in this case DJH, there are differences too. I wouldn't like to say which is more accurate, but I suspect that if a 52F A8 was compared as well, it would be different again - and probably more correct. I've also got an A7 kit in the roundtuit pile, bought for a layout that never actually got built. It's no good for my present layout, but as it's eating no meat, as it were, it can stay there for now...

 

Mark

[andyman7]

4 minutes ago, MarkC said:

Q Kits... *shudders*

(Wanders off to lie down in a darkened room)

 

As for the Little Engines range - I'd like to know too. OK, they were of their time, but their NER Pacific tanks would sell well, I'm sure. I've got one of their A6s as an eBay rescue - on its own it looks great, but placed next to one of Arthur Kimber's A6s, there are differences. Their A8 is nice too; again, placed next to another maker's model, in this case DJH, there are differences too. I wouldn't like to say which is more accurate, but I suspect that if a 52F A8 was compared as well, it would be different again - and probably more correct. I've also got an A7 kit in the roundtuit pile, bought for a layout that never actually got built. It's no good for my present layout, but as it's eating no meat, as it were, it can stay there for now...

 

Mark

I have an unmade Q kits DP2 in my chamber of horrors. Back in the 80s it seemed so easy - one piece resin cast bodyshell! How hard can it be? But open the box....

[pete_mcfarlane]

Q Kits moved on to whitemetal/brass at one stage. I bought their 10,000 on the back of a quite nice looking build of the resin kit in BRM, only for a collection of iffy metal bits to turn up. The noses were asym3in the best traditions of D&E kits. 

 

One of these days I'll finish it as an amusement. 

[Michael Edge]

No connection between MTK (Colin Massingham) and Q kits (Mike Cole), as far as I remember Mike changed from resin to white metal because he became allergic to the former material.

[tebee]

8 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

They didn't as far as I know. I thought the only steam outline model they made was the BR 5MT 4-6-0.

 

......

They also made a number of G scale steam outline models 

[roythebus1]

I've got a Finecast Q1fitted with a Portescap mechanism, runs well but not quite finished! As soon as I bought that, Hornby brought out their version! I've got a K's Q1 in bits somewhere.

 

Meanwhile, Ive stripped down my MTK Cravens parcel car for a rebuild. Working out the best way to proceed. Maybe fit a separate roof (Tri-ang) so I can paint the body and then glaze it, or undercoat body, glaze it, mask windows and paint it? Any suggestions?? I't got a Lima motor bogie which will be fitted with different wheels.

[Halvarras]

On 03/10/2022 at 16:12, andyman7 said:

I have an unmade Q kits DP2 in my chamber of horrors. Back in the 80s it seemed so easy - one piece resin cast bodyshell! How hard can it be? But open the box....

 

There was an issue of Rail Enthusiast (or maybe RAIL by then) when it had some back pages dedicated to modelling, where somebody had made a pretty good job of building D604 'Cossack' from a Q Kit. Trouble was it took him over 200 hours to achieve - with a one-piece bodyshell?! 😮 IIRC there was some mention of a banana......

[crackedmember]

On 03/10/2022 at 15:54, Steamport Southport said:

 

They didn't as far as I know. I thought the only steam outline model they made was the BR 5MT 4-6-0.

 

If it was very cheap I would expect it to be the Q Kits version which was dreadful. Avoid unless you are a completist or collecting them.

 

I do have a vague recollection that Q Kits were somehow related to MTK though.

 

 

Other Q1s 

Keyser/Nucast

PDK which had its origins in Crownline

The SEF Q1 is the Little Engines version (would love to know what happened to the other LE kits)

 

 

 

Jason

 

On 03/10/2022 at 15:54, Steamport Southport said:

 

They didn't as far as I know. I thought the only steam outline model they made was the BR 5MT 4-6-0.

 

If it was very cheap I would expect it to be the Q Kits version which was dreadful. Avoid unless you are a completist or collecting them.

 

I do have a vague recollection that Q Kits were somehow related to MTK though.

 

 

Other Q1s 

Keyser/Nucast

PDK which had its origins in Crownline

The SEF Q1 is the Little Engines version (would love to know what happened to the other LE kits)

 

 

 

Jason

They also made kits for the 4MT 2-6-0,  3MT 2-6-0   and 3MT 2-6-2T

and at least 2BR standard tender kits.

Clive

[mike hughes]

On 03/10/2022 at 15:54, Steamport Southport said:

 

They didn't as far as I know. I thought the only steam outline model they made was the BR 5MT 4-6-0.

 

If it was very cheap I would expect it to be the Q Kits version which was dreadful. Avoid unless you are a completist or collecting them.

 

I do have a vague recollection that Q Kits were somehow related to MTK though.

 

 

Other Q1s 

Keyser/Nucast

PDK which had its origins in Crownline

The SEF Q1 is the Little Engines version (would love to know what happened to the other LE kits)

 

 

 

Jason

For the O gauge there's a fair bit more for the steam

BR

Std class 4 tank, Std class 4 2-6-0, Britannia, 9F (poss inc Crosti) - Looks like Colin planned the Std class 3 tank

 

SR

Q, Q1, West Country/BoB - both original and rebuilt - Colin had done some moulds including parts for the School

 

LMS

Ivatt class 2 2-6-0 and the tank version, 5MT and 8F - think Colin planned a streamlined Duchess

 

LNER

A4, J15 and E4 - Looks like Colin had planned a B1, B12 and A3

 

GWR

Colin had planned a Castle

 

WD

2-8-0 and 2-10-0

 

Can't think of any other O gauge steam but had seen a smokebox door in Gauge 1

 

Michael

Edited October 6, 2022 by mike hughes
Thought of more