Hello,
As a newbie to narrow gauge modelling, I was just wondering on people's opinions as to what would be "suitable" stock for a colonial Central American / Caribbean area layout.
I have been looking at these from Shapeways; http://www.shapeways.com/model/1626489/009-small-closed-coach-twin-balcony.html?materialId=60 (http://www.shapeways.com/model/1626489/009-small-closed-coach-twin-balcony.html?materialId=60)
I am just not sure if they would be right or not (obviously modified to make it look a bit older with gas lamps etc).
I would like to have an FR style curly roofed brake van but i don't think i could justify that!
I'd suggest you go for a Chivers Finelines tramway coach which is based on a prototype from the Innisfail Tramway in Australia. It's very crisply moulded and will give a much better surface finish than a 3d print.
http://parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_CHIVERS_FINELINES.html
The problem with a curly roof van, or a similarly identifiable item of stock, is that they'll always be associated with the line they were designed for. You may be better off choosing something more generic in appearance, or kit bashing something. But, it's your trainset, so if you want one then that's enough justification to get one :)
Innisfail - did your spell checker play up, Tom?
Here is a photo of the vehicle.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Foddphotos%2Fimg_8035.jpg&hash=91f5335f16c471fa17247150d3cedf5cf92019fc)
Ahh that looks quite good. What bogies has that got underneath it Ted?
Thanks, Ross. They are the bogies that come with the kit. I believe they are standard Chivers bogies.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Foddphotos%2Fp7253409.jpg&hash=e2c19105e4158536078fa0e09353e96694f2ce78)
Quote from: tedp on August 19, 2014, 19:24
Innisfail - did your spell checker play up, Tom?
Apparently so, Ted. That'll teach me to post from my phone and not re-read what I'd typed...
They look like quite a nice coach to get, I might need to look at modifying them as i think it may be worth me starting off with a few brake coaches to begin with.
You could try the Vale of Rheidol brake van and keep things simple ;)
Another suggestion (if you are not fazed by brass kits) would be to have a trawl through the Wprsley Works website. He does a number of kits for South African 2' gauge stock and some Indian 2'6" gauge coaches (Kalka-Shimla). Other possible candidates would be the Welshpool & Llanfair and the Leek & Manifold coaches which were designed (to varying degrees) by ER Calthrop who also had a hand in some of the Carribian (Jamaica?) narrow gauge. Wprsley also do some of the Decauville built stock that would have been used all over the world.
If plastic is more your thing then in addition to the Chivers Innisfail kit (and using the Dundas VofR break is inspired Tom) the Ashover coaches might be an idea, especially if modified with open balconies.
Ahh thanks for the suggestions guys, I will have a look at them.
Plastic or resin would be my preferred materials. I don't mind having a go at wood kits either, but I am not so confident with metal kits, I don't feel my soldering skills would be up to the task, otherwise I wouldn't hestiate to get one of the Worsley works kits, I did have a look at the Decauville stock and it looks very nice and quite appropriate especially as I am planning to get a Chris Ward Pechot-Bourdon as one of my locos.
Mind you painting any kit to try and make it look like it's really Mahogany might be a bit of a beast of a job!
As my total layout space is "only" 5ft by 2ft I am trying to keep the stock reasonably compact so the L&M stuff might dominate the layout a bit as I was under the impression they were about 40ft or so long, its why I am also trying to avoid using modified versions of the L&B coaches from Peco as they would be too long as well. Tempting as it is to buy the brake coach and chop it down to a more managable length (say a scale 20ft or so).
The PD kit for the semi-open Festiniog coach 37/38 (DM22) is a very compact vehicle which can be modified to include a brake compt.
No glazing required and would not look out of place trundling through a tropical plantation.
I have sucessfully built Worsely Works kits/aids using glue alone, although I do posess a 'soddering iron' :-)
Ahh I hadn't considered that one, I was looking at the PD model of FfR No.10, I might use the open sided one instead though, it does look a lot more "colonial". Just need to work out a way of giving it a brake compartment.
I did have a look at the Worsley DHR coaches as well, they look lovely just out of my period by about 80 years or more!
I supposed I could always get them in the future as "modern image" stock to run behind a preserved small engine.
I found my first coach on Shapeways in the end thanks to looking at some of Tebee's items.
It should be arriving between the 9th and 11th so photos coming once I get it!