Osborn's Models New 3D Printed RTR N Scale Wagon Range - Toad and Catfish

[John M Upton]

Just seen these mentioned elsewhere:

 

ZEV Catfish Hopper

https://www.osbornsmodels.com/ocww-aln073-catfish-zev-br-civil-engineers-greyyellow-48691-p.asp

 

GWR Toad Brake Van:

https://www.osbornsmodels.com/ocww-aln072-20t-toad-brake-van--aa-20-gwr-68856-with-unpainted-goods-guard-54592-p.asp

 

First of a new range apparently but a little light on details.  Whilst I would be interested in the Catfish, I am wondering if they have metal or plastic wheels.  If plastic it will be a hard pass.

[Littlethorpe]

Hope they also offer the Catfish in black and/or indian red livery.

[Steven B]

And something else "fishy" at £27.95:

https://www.osbornsmodels.com/ocww-aln301-rtr--48927-p.asp

 

Steven B.

[John M Upton]

Fishy for an engineers wagon doesn't really narrow it down much!!!

[John M Upton]

After umming and ahhing about it for a few hours, I have decided to try a couple.  Apparently Osborn's like to use Peco plastic wheels specially moulded in brown plastic so they will have to go, fortunately I have spare Farish ones in my spares box.

[Benn]

4 hours ago, John M Upton said:

After umming and ahhing about it for a few hours, I have decided to try a couple.  Apparently Osborn's like to use Peco plastic wheels specially moulded in brown plastic so they will have to go, fortunately I have spare Farish ones in my spares box.

I'll look forward to seeing how you get on! I'd certainly be interested in a few in Black when they get round to them, to liven up my rake of Dogfish with a few differing body heights.

[No Decorum]

11 hours ago, John M Upton said:

After umming and ahhing about it for a few hours, I have decided to try a couple.  Apparently Osborn's like to use Peco plastic wheels specially moulded in brown plastic so they will have to go, fortunately I have spare Farish ones in my spares box.

If you don’t mind my mentioning, I have replaced plastic wheels with metal on 00 3D printed models. I have found them very fragile. Good luck!

[John M Upton]

To my extreme surprise, they arrived this morning.  I was not expecting them for a while.  Photos later all being well...

[03060]

43 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

To my extreme surprise, they arrived this morning.  I was not expecting them for a while.  Photos later all being well...

 

I only came across these last night by accident (comment on WOR email) and have ordered a couple, thanks to your comment I will be watching for my Postie like a hawk next week now !

 

Regards,

Ian.

[John M Upton]

Here we go...

 

They come in nice packaging but unfortunately seem to have spent their journey rattling around loose inside their boxes, fortunately they were undamaged:

 

A little more care with labelling would have made a better impression, one end was labelled for the Toad Brake Van!!:

 

Plonked out of the box straight onto the track:

 

Couplings are a bit all over the place, the NEM pockets have been 3d printed as part of the chassis and I am in two minds on this cursory examination as to whether it has been entirely succesful.

 

One wagon, close up portrait:

 

The underside showing off those horrible BROWN plastic wheels!!!

 

The control wheel, end handrails and interior are nicely done, especially for an N scale 3D print:

 

Those horrid wheels had to go though:

I mean, brown for goodness sakes!  It's like the interior of a 1970's British Leyland product...

Fortunately with care, these can be eased out and replaced with something a little more civilised, in this case Farish wagon wheel sets in metal:

 

Close up look at the decoration, the 3d printing process lines are not anywhere near as noticeable in person, the camera can be cruel sometimes:

I would be interested to hear how they did the markings though, they are a bit faint and they certainly are not transfers.

 

One thing they do need apart from decent wheels though is weight. replacing the wheels helps but for now a filling of ballast has been added.

 

Tomorrow, when I get a chance, they will go on a test run.

Edited September 4, 2022 by John M Upton

[03060]

51 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

 

I would be interested to hear how they did the markings though, they are a bit faint and they certainly are not transfers.

 

 

Mentioned in this review on WOR as being done by UV printing.

 

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/news/toad-brake-van-and-catfish-ballast-hopper-revealed-for-n

 

Thanks for the photos.

[osbornsmodels]

If anybody is interested we will have the brand new decorated samples of the new Peco wagons on show, (not for sale yet though as they will not be released until late September at the earliest). These have super thin bodies like the old Matheson ones.

[03060]

My first pair of Catfish arrived midweek but due to my shiftwork I've only just had chance to have a good look at them in daylight and give them a little run on my test track along with some other similar hopper wagons for comparison ie Dapol Dogfish and Farish Sealion.

 

I'm suitably impressed enough to guarantee that I will be ordering some more when different liveries appear, although I don't need many for my West Highland layout (still in the planning stage I'm afraid. I will also be trying to convert one or two into Mackerals at some point.

 

I wish Osborne Models every success with this and other new wagon ventures and a thankyou for providing me with another Engineers wagon type that I can tick off my list.

 

 

[Roy L S]

Here are my two Catfish picked up at TINGS. Maurice did say that they would be doing other liveries including black, but I was far too impatient to wait for those and decided to repaint myself. I have also weathered them using powders. Other small jobs done were to replace the Leyland brown plastic wheels with metal ones and add a load to each. These are cut down Dapol ones, and on the underside of them I have added a Peco weight meaning that if removed the hopper is all visible. A nice addition to break up my uniform rake of Dapol Dogfish and fit well with the EFE Sharks. I look forward to seeing what might come next 🙂