Which kits / hybrid kits should I start assembling?

[vonmarshall]

Hi all

 

Long time lurker here.

 

My original plan was to work in 7mm or even G1 and I have some lovely stock and kits in these scales, but we are moving house soon and I will have a much smaller garden to play with and have decided that I will have a lot more fun with 4mm. As such I am going to be selling them and starting to build my 4mm stock.

 

I am building a nice long loop to sit back and watch the trains go by, so my first criteria is that I want to have robust, smooth, consistent chassis / bogies and running characteristics. This has made me mull over trying to modify / use the best RTR coach chassis I can find. In my head, a modern well made RTR should theoretically be truer than any home made folded brass bogie. Or am I being niaive?

 

My interests are rather particular and I am building up several rakes of carriages to represent the 1929/1930 era and will be including lots of 70' stock and interesting restaurant cars. I am also keen on high detail where practical and with the sort of toplights and even concertina coaches I want to run, I know I need to work with the range of kits and brass parts that seem readily available from companies like CPL and Worsely.

 

I am a very experienced modeller and comfortable working with a soldering iron and multimedia kits, but I am new to coach kit building. I have read all the books and feel ready to go.

 

So if you were me, what would you do? Is there a RTR coach chassis / bogies that are particularly well rated from a running point of view that I should utilise and are there any kit / side manufacturers that you would particularly recommend?

 

Thanks for any input and ideas.

 

[Steamport Southport]

Comet is the best place to start IMHO. Good instructions and literally fall together.

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/

 

I would avoid messing about with RTR parts if you can help it. You certainly won't be getting anything suitable for a 70 foot coach as a RTR chassis.

 

Have a look at the instructions here. Just to give you an idea what's involved.

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/carriage/w4ak/

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/carriage/uw1/

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/carriage/gwr-9ft-plate-bogies-bw3/

 

 

 

Jason

[Brassey]

Brassmasters do some nice torsion spring bogies. 

[The Johnster]

12 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Comet is the best place to start IMHO. Good instructions and literally fall together

Seconded; if I can build one to a tolerable standard anyone can.  And there is a good range of GW types including concertinas and other 70 footers, at prices around the £50 level.  But don't discount RTR for bogies; Hornby's Collett 7' and Pressed Steel 8'6" wheelbase bogies are excellent.  I can also recommend Stafford Road Works on Shapeways for 3D prints of Dean 8'6" and 10', Americans, Fishbellies, and Colletts7' and 8'6".  These run very freely and reliably with Hornby or Bachmann coach wheels.

 

Hornby's current 57' Collett coaches are pretty good, and the chassis is probably good enough for types not in the range.

 

For an outdoor layout, there may be some value in the weight of whitemetal cast bogie sides.