16 mm Gauge Modelers

[Matloughe]

lol,
Well if i had to choose i'd choose 32mm to be honest as i find that it is more interesting prototype-wise.

but then again i suppose that is my personal choice, lol.

[JonPotter]

It just depends. LGB coaches can be purchased for as low as £10 on eBay - and after a couple of hours work can look very Biritsh indeed - just a little bit of kit bashing required.

That's the main advantage of 45mm - but many use 32mm (mainly because people want things like the Ffestiniog models, many of which are 32mm only) so there are are advantages for 32mm too.

Really it's down to personal choice, as you say

[saddletank]

LGB coaches can be purchased for as low as £10 on eBay

Not in recent weeks! I've had my eye on them. LGB stuff at the moment goes for almost the same price new - and often more - on e-Bay!

Seems to be an LGB buying mania on there at the moment.

You're better off buying 32mm kits or Accucraft RTR freight wagoons new in the current e-Bay crazy climate.

[JonPotter]

Blimey! I turned down a rake of 3 LGB coaches for £27 on eBay a couple of months back. Wish I'd got them now! Then again we don't need any more stock I suppose

[sp762]

Sorry to bump this... I finally finished my IP Simplex kit! 12 months procrastination followed by five days work (on and off.) Running in next weekend so will post a photo if anyone's interested.

My next plan is to see how cheaply I can build accurate 2' rolling stock to go with it, mainly using found objects. Right now it looks like all I will need to buy is wheelsets, axleboxes and buffers - although I just met a man with a lathe, so I might be able to whittle that list down a bit.

I reckon I will get 4 'B' open wagons for about UKP12-15. Less if I can figure out how to build axleboxes myself. 32mm is fun!

Cheers,

Mike

[MuzTrem]

Great news Mike, I'd definately be interested to see pics

[JonPotter]

Excellent news, a pic would be great!

You can pic up complete kits (Coopercraft, Binnie etc) for around £7 a wagon all inclusive.

For kit building, axleboxes for around £3 at cheapest and wheelsets about the same. Wheelsets can easily be done on the lathe, as can buffers. For creating axleboxes yourself you would really need to cast them in whitemetal. I suppose you could cast them in resin (can get a kit for little under £100 IIRC) and the moulds would last for plenty of uses once done. I doubt that that will prove economical, though!

[sp762]

Yes, some of Mr Binnie's tippers are flying across as we speak - with some curly spoke wheels. No prizes for guessing what I'm building - (hint look in the file library) The most expensive bits seem to be axleboxes (at 5 quid a set) and buffers, Everything else I'm building from scrap timber and pins - plus sheet metal from my last brew kit.

I hope to have a rake of wagons (1 each A, B & C) for under thirty quid - plus some tippers (another 21 poonds.) I might look at casting axleboxes, because the brandbright ones are the closest to what I'm after and they aren't quite right - but that's for another day.

And of course, I'm saving up for a steamer... aren't we all.

Oh - and I need to lay some track...

[JonPotter]

Excellent news Mike. Got any steamers in mind?

[MuzTrem]

Incidentally, 16mm modellers amongst you might be interested in this forum:

http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/index.php

(Not that I'm trying to drive people away from UKTS or anything, but there is some useful info on there! )

[sp762]

Excellent news Mike. Got any steamers in mind?

Um. I'd really like an Accucraft Baldwin... failing that, I'm planning on buying a 'Billy' Kit.

[JonPotter]

Good choices, although I have no experience of either of these particular locos first hand I own locos by both manufacturers and they are excellent.