Modern Traction Kits

[leezer3]

On 08/12/2023 at 11:48, 47164 said:

It’s good to see the constant stream of MTK kits appearing on the well known auction site, and perhaps a shame that Phoenix Precision who now own all the various moulds of Colins efforts ,don’t release any items, but I can appreciate why they haven’t.

I would agree that the HST prototype was probably the Genesis offering, being just the cabs , which do look the part when married up to either Lima off Hornby bodies, and I wonder who now owns the Genesis range.

 

 

 

Very possibly.

 

I'll note that having dug into it a bit, they actually produced the whole thing as solid whitemetal first before dropping to just the cabs.

 

Exactly what it was will be lost to the mists of time unless someone on here picked the thing up :P

[Darius43]

Got a few more MTK products waiting in the wings…

 

 

 

 

 

Plus this one.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[Re6/6]

Soldering to that thick brass was a nightmare! I had to use a gas flame to get sufficient heat. Originally it was just the wrapper with no ends or other bits so they were all scratchbuilt.

 

 

 

[Wagonmaster]

On 12/12/2023 at 06:40, Darius43 said:

Got a few more MTK products waiting in the wings…

 

 

 

 

 

Plus this one.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

Well that's a good selection to be getting on with! Is that a Class 505 emu I spotted? They just made it to Corporate Blue livery. Bottom photo looks like C69 or C77 stock?

 

Good luck with those.

[MarkC]

That's a seriously impressive roundtuit pile, Darius 👍

 

Mark

[Halvarras]

This morning three seldom-seen MTK N gauge DMU 'Converta Kits' are for grabs at Elaine's Trains - Classes 118, 119 & 122 motor/trailer:

 

https://elaines-trains.co.uk/index.php?pg=new

 

For N gaugers who enjoy a considerable challenge!😁

[andyman7]

OK not MTK but this was a modern traction kit back in the late 70s/early 80s, a Jidenco Class 50. This was a brass kit that despite its not-quite-right cab front 'face' I really rather like. This one was acquired already built with Lima 'Deltic' bogies (close enough even if a bit underscale ); I had to finish off the decoration but this is a worthy addition to my classic 70s kit builds

[Richard_A]

On 17/12/2023 at 22:49, andyman7 said:

OK not MTK but this was a modern traction kit back in the late 70s/early 80s, a Jidenco Class 50. This was a brass kit that despite its not-quite-right cab front 'face' I really rather like. This one was acquired already built with Lima 'Deltic' bogies (close enough even if a bit underscale ); I had to finish off the decoration but this is a worthy addition to my classic 70s kit builds

I started one of these, but didn't like the white metal sections so it's back in it's box, while I figure out how to graft sections from a lima class 50 that I ruined trying to make a super deltic. 

[Darius43]

MTK Class 506 completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[hayfield]

47 minutes ago, Darius43 said:

MTK Class 506 completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

 

Darius

 

A stunning bit of modelling, especially once the make of kit is taken into account

[kevinlms]

2 hours ago, Darius43 said:

MTK Class 506 completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Interesting 1st photo, as the pantograph appeared at first glance to be at right angles, but it's an optical illusion.

 

Nice model.

[Enterprisingwestern]

21 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Interesting 1st photo, as the pantograph appeared at first glance to be at right angles, but it's an optical illusion.

 

Nice model.

 

Well it is MTK!

 

Mike.

[Darius43]

21 hours ago, kevinlms said:

but it's an optical illusion.

Or is it..?

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Edited December 27, 2023 by Darius43

[roythebus1]

Must be an optical illusion, it's MTK and finished!!

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, roythebus1 said:

Must be an optical illusion, it's MTK and finished!!

I think @Darius43 may have successfully completed more MTK kits than every other modeller who ever purchased one, combined.

[andyman7]

This isn't as good as any of @Darius43 's builds and has taken much longer to put right but of note is that the second-ever MTK project I acquired has finally been sorted. This came to me in an auction lot pre-Covid, a 4-REP built in classic MTK style with door shut line transfers etc, brush painted with a gloss varnish. As acquired the BFK was a mess as the chassis was cut up from Lima components and used class 33 bogies. I guess most would have chucked it in the bin but I like a challenge. The REPs of course had the driving ends powered on both bogies, so I bit the bullet and bought a Replica motorised 63' chassis with the aim of motorising one of the driving ends. Bogies for both Driving coaches came from Hornby VEP spares, the sideframes only for the powered vehicle and the complete bogies at the other end. The 'recovered' aluminium floor from the end that took the Replica chassis was used to create a floor for the BFK. Replica B5 bogies were used for the Buffet and BFK.

It was nearly all done when I realised that the BFK vehicle was wrong for a REP - the kit seems to have included a Mk1 BFK shell but on the REP the BFKs were rebuilt from Mk1 CKs so have a different door arrangement. I happened to have a spare MTK BG shell that could be cut to provide the altered windows and door. Trying to piece together a bodyside using MTK aluminium parts is a nightmare, it's nothing like as straightforward as Kitmaster or Triang plastic sides. It's just as well that the whole kit had a bit of 'patina' and that Mk1s are more compatible with filler and general bodging but eventually I was able to sort the shell and interior so that it was the correct pattern.

The MTK cast ends definitely don't quite hit the mark - had they been raw castings I would have had a go at improving the 'face' but they were built and painted so left alone.  The whole unit got a complete set of new number as the originals were in the wrong place but the other markings are vintage MTK or SMTS. And at least with the Replica mechanism it runs properly! 

[Darius43]

That is a very nice recovery - especially the cut and shut on the BFK.  To quote Eric Morecambe: “You can’t see the join”.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[br2975]

On 26/12/2023 at 08:56, Darius43 said:

MTK Class 506 completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

.

Excellent.

.

And, I saw that set at Reddish, 52 years ago today !

.

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

7 hours ago, andyman7 said:

This isn't as good as any of @Darius43 's builds and has taken much longer to put right but of note is that the second-ever MTK project I acquired has finally been sorted. This came to me in an auction lot pre-Covid, a 4-REP built in classic MTK style with door shut line transfers etc, brush painted with a gloss varnish. As acquired the BFK was a mess as the chassis was cut up from Lima components and used class 33 bogies. I guess most would have chucked it in the bin but I like a challenge. The REPs of course had the driving ends powered on both bogies, so I bit the bullet and bought a Replica motorised 63' chassis with the aim of motorising one of the driving ends. Bogies for both Driving coaches came from Hornby VEP spares, the sideframes only for the powered vehicle and the complete bogies at the other end. The 'recovered' aluminium floor from the end that took the Replica chassis was used to create a floor for the BFK. Replica B5 bogies were used for the Buffet and BFK.

It was nearly all done when I realised that the BFK vehicle was wrong for a REP - the kit seems to have included a Mk1 BFK shell but on the REP the BFKs were rebuilt from Mk1 CKs so have a different door arrangement. I happened to have a spare MTK BG shell that could be cut to provide the altered windows and door. Trying to piece together a bodyside using MTK aluminium parts is a nightmare, it's nothing like as straightforward as Kitmaster or Triang plastic sides. It's just as well that the whole kit had a bit of 'patina' and that Mk1s are more compatible with filler and general bodging but eventually I was able to sort the shell and interior so that it was the correct pattern.

The MTK cast ends definitely don't quite hit the mark - had they been raw castings I would have had a go at improving the 'face' but they were built and painted so left alone.  The whole unit got a complete set of new number as the originals were in the wrong place but the other markings are vintage MTK or SMTS. And at least with the Replica mechanism it runs properly! 

 

Very nice, can't beat a Bournemouth Deltic!

 

Mike.

[47164]

 I see a well known auction site has 3 potential restoration projects on offer, 2 class 47’s and a class 40.

[stewartingram]

Would help if "the well known auction site" was named. Was it ebay? No harm in saying that.

[kevinlms]

3 hours ago, stewartingram said:

Would help if "the well known auction site" was named. Was it ebay? No harm in saying that.

Or even links so would be interested persons could find them!

[Northmoor]

4 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Or even links so would be interested persons could find them!

It's not difficult to type "MTK kit" into the eBay search bar is it?  And if it wasn't on eBay, how much time has it cost you?

[97406]

Google found this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325891832419

Links to a built 40 and the 47s are available off the above page.

 

 

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

It's not difficult to type "MTK kit" into the eBay search bar is it?  And if it wasn't on eBay, how much time has it cost you?

Personally I'm not interested, so irrelevant to me.

 

However if someone has posted in this group that such items are available, they have obviously seen them and know where they are, so why not make it convenient for everyone? Others seem to manage this difficult task!

 

Much better than a bland "the well known auction site", which is just plain pathetic!