Modern Traction Kits

[Michael Edge]

I built the 7mm 2-6-4T, still had three quarters of the kit left when I had finished…

As I recall one tank was 6mm longer than the other one and I don’t think either were correct.

[mike hughes]

23 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

I built the 7mm 2-6-4T, still had three quarters of the kit left when I had finished…

As I recall one tank was 6mm longer than the other one and I don’t think either were correct.

I've no idea what Colin done to the moulds when the masters were the same length. Was it the Boiler barrel that you used by chance?

 

Michael

[roythebus1]

I know there's a lot of shrinkage on white metal castings, but 6mm difference on tanks is a bit much! BTW, the boilers on the prototype can expand up to a couple of inches so I've been told, maybe Colin was making his models follow the real thing? 

 

I just wish I'd have kept a couple of his 1938 tube stock etches, they were truly awful. I had 200 of them, only fit for scrap.

 

[Halvarras]

3 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

 

I just wish I'd have kept a couple of his 1938 tube stock etches, they were truly awful. I had 200 of them, only fit for scrap.

 

 

I had an MTK Class 140 kit (the prototype Nodding Donkey) at one point but sold it on as I had no use for it - it came as part of a job lot of stuff. Part of me still wonders if I should have (tried to) build it for posterity and the other part heaves a sigh of relief......

[Wagonmaster]

A bit late to this thread,  but brought back quite a few memories of 'building' some of them. I had a go at the Class 17 without success. The Class 59 actually turned out quite well, but weighed ton. The Bristol Railbus and Class 140 are some that I still run and do actually resemble the prototype, quite well in fact.

 

Colin did some Irish stuff and I certainly remember his 071 Class, B121, B141 and B181 classes  i didn't buy any, but opted for the Modern Irish Railways kits instead running on Athearn chassis.

 

It might have already been posted, but does anyone have a list of what Colon made in 4mm scale. A scan would be great if available.

 

[MartinA64]

Some years ago I bought my Dad, I think, an MTK 4-CIG emu as a Christmas present.  It cost him about 4 times what I paid for it to have it built.

Anyway, it got me to thinking then, and for the next 20 odd years, how hard can it be?

Now I have the time I have acquired a couple of the simpler MTK kits to see where it takes me.

 

Turns out I'm stuck on line 1 of the instructions. 

"Paint the inside of the body shell in col R.112". 

 

R112?  Humbrol Field Blue Matt is 112 but what does the R mean? Is it even referring to a humbrol colour, given it's age?

 

Can anyone shed any light for me please?

[41516]

It's the old Humbrol Authentic paint reference - HR112 Interior Paint Stone [BR Interior Paint Stone]

 

https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/authentics.htm

[47164]

Hi , back in May there was a thread on class 50’s , I have dug out an mtk example I picked  from eBay sometime back ..and still need to power it, it had been fitted with headlights which do work.

The photos compare it with the Lima offering, the mtk model has a better windscreen curve , the head code box is a bit too extended going back down the body but otherwise a good representation , and a vast improvement over the jedinco offering. Hope this is of interest!!

 

[hayfield]

2 hours ago, MartinA64 said:

Some years ago I bought my Dad, I think, an MTK 4-CIG emu as a Christmas present.  It cost him about 4 times what I paid for it to have it built.

Anyway, it got me to thinking then, and for the next 20 odd years, how hard can it be?

Now I have the time I have acquired a couple of the simpler MTK kits to see where it takes me.

 

Turns out I'm stuck on line 1 of the instructions. 

"Paint the inside of the body shell in col R.112". 

 

R112?  Humbrol Field Blue Matt is 112 but what does the R mean? Is it even referring to a humbrol colour, given it's age?

 

Can anyone shed any light for me please?

 

A a guess the R prefix may have been and earlier code to the HR railway code

[MartinA64]

Thanks 41516 and hayfield for your answers.

Makes perfect sense now.  Don't know why I didn't think of the humbrol authentics range.

A quick check seems that the equivalent these days is Revell 16 or Humbrol 94. Hopefully that will help someone else one day!

 

One of the kits I bought is a Gloucester parcels single DMU.  It needs a motor bogie.  I feel that the CAD software and 3D printer may come in useful here to mount a 1020D coreless motor.  

Wish me luck.

 

[47164]

Something to keep the thread alive. Finally pressing on with a 24/1 .. needs a little tweaking and needless to say the mtk glazing stand’s little Chance being suitable.

[Northmoor]

6 hours ago, 47164 said:

Something to keep the thread alive. Finally pressing on with a 24/1 .. needs a little tweaking and needless to say the mtk glazing stand’s little Chance being suitable.

Nice job - hopefully mine will turn out well, once I get to it (about #94) in the Round Tuit pile.  Was your roof panel significantly longer on one side than the other (and about 1/8th inch thick)?

[47164]

Oh yes a bit of filing on the roof , but that aside the overall face is good.  even if the cab side window frames are too square,  also trying a new filler product, Holts cataloy knifing putty,seems quite good and less hassle than isopon body filler. I will power it with Hornby 25 gubbins as my retailer had one going cheap. 
The result will look reasonably like a class 24 , unlike the car crash of the 47 , I have one to start and will try extreme etching window frames to try to improve the face.

[Captain Slough]

I'm in possession of a couple of MTK First-Gen DMUs (class 103, Class 129, and something else)  built to a decent standard by an unknown builder in the 1990s, all powered by either Lima Cl.117 or Hornby Cl.110 power bogies. Anyone want to see them?

 

Been in my possession since 1997/8, never actually run them. They came to light this week while I was sorting through my collection as it has to move from where its being stored.

[andyman7]

3 hours ago, Captain Slough said:

Anyone want to see them?

 

Yes please!

[Captain Slough]

Pics of some well-made MTK DMUs

[Captain Slough]

And the Cravens parcel car

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, Captain Slough said:

And the Cravens parcel car

 

Whilst with an un-jaundiced eye you would normally look at those and say the builder had done a not perfect but not a bad job on them, knowing their provenance he's made a brilliant job of them.

 

Mike.

[Captain Slough]

Yeah. The Cl.104 has lost its underframe on the nonpowered car sometime in its history, but thats easily fixed wiht a Hornby 110 chassis. Thinking of filing these 3 for sale possible after fixing that, as I dont have a need for them & not even 100% sure why I felt the need to buy them 25 years ago

[MarkC]

3 hours ago, Captain Slough said:

as I dont have a need for them & not even 100% sure why I felt the need to buy them 25 years ago

I suspect that many of us are guilty of that - I  certainly am - but I am actively trying to thin out my collection. Sometimes you have to be ruthless...

 

Mark

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

10 hours ago, Captain Slough said:

Yeah. The Cl.104 has lost its underframe on the nonpowered car sometime in its history, but thats easily fixed wiht a Hornby 110 chassis. Thinking of filing these 3 for sale possible after fixing that, as I dont have a need for them & not even 100% sure why I felt the need to buy them 25 years ago

 

I have NEVER done that!

 

Mike.

[roythebus1]

Meanwhile i'm still prssing on with my Carvans parcel car. the MTK kit had the standard Craven passenger stock end with destinations boxes, totally wrong for the parcel car. Easily cured with some low-melt solder and a file. Just waiting for some Black Beetle motors to arrive now.

[Captain Slough]

thats funny - mine doesnt have destination boxes, wonder if the builder did the same as you and removed them...or maybe Colin at MTK hadnt had his coffee the morning your kit was packed up.

[Captain Slough]

So my Cravens Class 129 and Park Royal 103 will be transferring off my local depot. If anyone has a need for first-gen DMU passenger and parcels stock with LMR numbers hit me up.

Both are powered by 1990s Hornby Ringfield motors which worked fine when they last ran in 1998. 103 has Lima trailing bogies.. and the unpowered car is missing glazing in the middle window of the cab. I didnt build these, whoever did was.. better than I ever was at modelling skills. They aren't perfect, they're MTK: Perfection is impossible.

 

Class 103 vehicles M50395 & M56150 were first allocated to Llandudno Junction in 1957 then in 1958 moved to Walsall Ryecroft, before a transfer to Chester in 1967 by which time they had yellow warning panels. Parcels car M55997 was briefly a Crewe vehicle before spending nearly all of the 1960s at Carlisle.  It later wore Departmental colours as Laboratory 9

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Captain Slough

[andyman7]

1 hour ago, Captain Slough said:

So my Cravens Class 129 and Park Royal 103 will be transferring off my local depot. If anyone has a need for first-gen DMU passenger and parcels stock with LMR numbers hit me up.

Both are powered by 1990s Hornby Ringfield motors which worked fine when they last ran in 1998. 103 has Lima trailing bogies.. and the unpowered car is missing glazing in the middle window of the cab. I didnt build these, whoever did was.. better than I ever was at modelling skills. They aren't perfect, they're MTK: Perfection is impossible.

Well depending on whether others want them, I could be interested in these too...