Cooper-craft

[Compound2632]

Just now, 41516 said:

Well, 6 as tooled by CC as the two lots of Q1 were slightly different, were they not?

 

My admittedly limited understanding is that the kit does not accurately represent either.

[41516]

Ah, is that the worst of both worlds for the builder or the best of both for the basher?

[drduncan]

It’s one of those 50/50 questions depending on whether you’re a glass half full or empty type, I suppose.

 

My own preference is often based on ignorance. If in ignorance I don’t realise the shortfalls in a kit and haven’t planned accordingly I find that it rapidly empties my glass, while knowledge, and if forewarned, makes a kit shortcoming a bashing delight!

Duncan

[Denbridge]

4 hours ago, Sjcm said:

I could be reading far too much into this but the stuff they don't own like the Kirk  and mailcoach products have been totally deleted from the website but the blacksmith products are still on there so y'know...

Nope. The tabs are there, but the content has all been removed.

[57xx]

6 hours ago, Siberian Snooper said:

It would be great if Cambrian can sort out some of faults with the W1/W5, before they re-release it, do any of the other kids have glaring errors?

 

Not sure about his kids, but most of the kits have errors on the brake gear.

[57xx]

2 hours ago, drduncan said:

Yes and the Brian Morgan parts were excellent; but they don’t seem to listed anywhere where non members have access, unless I’ve missed a link on a page somewhere.

 

Duncan

 

Have a look on ebay for the chassis kits and contact the seller, he might have other stuff available...

[Sjcm]

2 hours ago, Denbridge said:

Nope. The tabs are there, but the content has all been removed.

If you click on Kirk or mailcoach then there's nothing, but the others they have left up the sub-section picture menus which may mean they intend to use them? Could just be a coincidence and I don't know what it was like before they took over. Also they made a point of mentioning the products they haven't bought so you think they would have mentioned blacksmith maybe?

[melmerby]

10 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Hampshire Models,

 

6 hours ago, melmerby said:

They were at Warley this year (and previously) where I bought some Cambrian stuff.

No they weren't

I got confused with HAModels (H&A), which sell the same sort of stuff.

 

[57xx]

11 hours ago, 57xx said:

Not sure about his kids, but most of the kits have errors on the brake gear.

 

You've also the floors being way too high internally on the Opens, not a problem if you use a tarp or a load, but looks wrong for unloaded wagon.

[Compound2632]

3 hours ago, 57xx said:

You've also the floors being way too high internally on the Opens, not a problem if you use a tarp or a load, but looks wrong for unloaded wagon.

 

One could go on listing the defects but I don't think one would come to the conclusion that one would be better off without these kits, in the absence of an alternative. One could say much the same for the Slater's Midland kits, recently re-introduced by them. 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Compound2632

[Siberian Snooper]

16 hours ago, 57xx said:

 

Not sure about his kids, but most of the kits have errors on the brake gear.

 

Thanks for pointing out the errors of relying on predictive text. Now altered.

 

 

[RichardT]

21 hours ago, drduncan said:

My own preference is often based on ignorance. If in ignorance I don’t realise the shortfalls in a kit and haven’t planned accordingly I find that it rapidly empties my glass, while knowledge, and if forewarned, makes a kit shortcoming a bashing delight!

A perfect summation of the model railway research dilemma: does greater knowledge increase satisfaction with your hobby?

 

RichardT

Edited December 15, 2022 by RichardT
Adding a bit.

[wainwright1]

With regard to the Blacksmiths kits, assuming that the photo masters remain intact and undamaged the etched parts of the kits could be reproduced without too much difficulty. The problem will probably lie with the cast metal items principally for the bogies and underframe details. Do they have the moulds and/or masters for these which would allow new items to be cast ?

I would like some more of the SE&CR coach kits which are not available in other ranges.

 

Ray

 

I think that a couple of the SE&CR kits (possibly some others) were acquired from another range, but cannot remember their name. (Now, was it Mallard ?)

Edited December 15, 2022 by wainwright1
Correction

[Steamport Southport]

For clarity I was more thinking about them providing a new sprue or etch to correct the brake gear rather than completely retooling the models.

 

I'm pretty sure that many of us that already have some would purchase the parts to detail the ones we've already got. I personally must have about 30 of them knocking about.

 

 

Jason

[57xx]

6 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

One could go on listing the defects

 

One could, I was simply responding to an enquiry made about defects.

 

Quote

but I don't think one would come to the conclusion that one would be better off without these kits, in the absence of an alternative. 

 

Well that is an option I have often thought of, since you could say the best bits of the wagon kits are usually the 4 sides, maybe it could've been better for someone to start over. I have built a lot over time and still have half a dozen in the To Do box but I'm now at the stage of buying replacement chassis for them as I know a lot more about the prototypes than I did when I was 14.

[Siberian Snooper]

1 hour ago, wainwright1 said:

With regard to the Blacksmiths kits, assuming that the photo masters remain intact and undamaged the etched parts of the kits could be reproduced without too much difficulty. The problem will probably lie with the cast metal items principally for the bogies and underframe details. Do they have the moulds and/or masters for these which would allow new items to be cast ?

I would like some more of the SE&CR coach kits which are not available in other ranges.

 

Ray

 

I think that a couple of the SE&CR kits (possibly some others) were acquired from another range, but cannot remember their name. (Now, was it Mallard ?)

 

Paul Dunn, was only supplying etches, the last few times that I saw him at Railwells. For Southern castings, I would suggest you contact Roxey Mouldings, to see if they will supply suitable castings. For GW castings try Dart castings/ MJT.

 

 

[Compound2632]

52 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Paul Dunn, was only supplying etches, the last few times that I saw him at Railwells. 

 

How long ago was that? 

 

I formed the distinct impression that Paul Dunn never succeeded in making anything but was only selling off existing stock from the ranges he had bought. That was just from observation of his exhibition stand, probably last at ExpoEM in Bracknell in 2014. 

[41516]

1 hour ago, 57xx said:

I'm now at the stage of buying replacement chassis for them as I know a lot more about the prototypes than I did when I was 14.

 

Do the weaknesses in the CC kits help a secondary spend market elsewhere amongst the cottage industries that we'd be much poorer without?

 

I like making things, so having bare bones to build from doesn't matter to me. There are always cries of 'death of the hobby' in most of the model building pastimes, so having kits available for people to have a go with is always better than no kits to me.  There will always be a new generation of 14 year olds who need something cheaper than RTR to cut their teeth on.

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, 41516 said:

Do the weaknesses in the CC kits help a secondary spend market elsewhere amongst the cottage industries that we'd be much poorer without?

 

I wish it did but still nobody makes the swan-necked link lever.

[drduncan]

9 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I wish it did but still nobody makes the swan-necked link lever.

ABS did/do for 9ft w/b stock (but not for Dc1 w1 Carrie wagons) and they new owner is working to get the 4mm range back into production. I’m sureBill Bedford did an etch with the swan necked lever on - sold by Eileen’s Emporium, so that might be a dead end now.

Duncan

 

[Bucoops]

1 hour ago, drduncan said:

ABS did/do for 9ft w/b stock (but not for Dc1 w1 Carrie wagons) and they new owner is working to get the 4mm range back into production. I’m sureBill Bedford did an etch with the swan necked lever on - sold by Eileen’s Emporium, so that might be a dead end now.

Duncan

 

 

Anything here?

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/?ixwpst[pa_3_manufacturer][]=195&title=1&excerpt=1&content=1&categories=1&attributes=1&tags=1&sku=1&ixwpsf[taxonomy][product_cat][show]=set&ixwpsf[taxonomy][product_cat][multiple]=0&ixwpsf[taxonomy][product_cat][filter]=1&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_1_scale][show]=set&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_1_scale][multiple]=0&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_1_scale][filter]=1&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_2_railway_company][show]=set&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_2_railway_company][multiple]=0&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_2_railway_company][filter]=0&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_3_manufacturer][show]=set&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_3_manufacturer][multiple]=0&ixwpsf[taxonomy][pa_3_manufacturer][filter]=1

 

[Izzy]

15 hours ago, wainwright1 said:

With regard to the Blacksmiths kits, assuming that the photo masters remain intact and undamaged the etched parts of the kits could be reproduced without too much difficulty.

Going by the recent demise of PEC and the need for those previously using them to ‘remaster’ their tooling to suit other etchers - different sheet sizes - I would say that these days they are quite probably of little use.

[nigel newling]

Be wary of the BB DC3 brakegear etch. DC3 geometry uses a shallow V iron, resulting in the lower pushrod being almost horizontal and the upper being inclined at a steep angle.  CES920/4 has pushrods more suitable for Morton brakegear, being angled equally above and below a centreline passing through the axleboxes.

[Compound2632]

3 hours ago, drduncan said:

ABS did/do for 9ft w/b stock (but not for Dc1 w1 Carrie wagons) and they new owner is working to get the 4mm range back into production. I’m sureBill Bedford did an etch with the swan necked lever on - sold by Eileen’s Emporium, so that might be a dead end now.

 

I've done the ABS kit - or rather, refurbished one I was given second-hand - no complaints, and a bit of whitemetal heft helps when it's being used as an empty runner:

 

 

I've no personal experience of the BB DC1 etch but I'm told the swan-necked lever was the wrong length. I have bodged a representation from plastic strip etc.:

 

 

 

 

[41516]

1 hour ago, nigel newling said:

DC3 geometry uses a shallow V iron, resulting in the lower pushrod being almost horizontal and the upper being inclined at a steep angle.  CES920/4 has pushrods more suitable for Morton brakegear,

 

Thanks again to my slow rate of completion, I can demonstrate  for the audience. I did some bending on mine to flatten the lower pushrod. Not perfect, but better.  Standard RCH below. (Kirk van, Cambrian solebars and then Comet/MJT/LMS)

 

 

EDIT - The wheels line up better with the brakes when the van is not on the side and they are a chunky Dapol accomodation set anyway)

 

41 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

I've no personal experience of the BB DC1 etch but I'm told the swan-necked lever was the wrong length

 

Corrected in the V2.0 of the etch, I believe we were told in your thread Stephen

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by 41516