1/32 New Wagon Kits

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I've previously tried to contact David by email. I've talked to him in general at exhibitions. Neither elicited any what you might call "enthusiasm". Having failed to receive any reply to my nth email I phoned. I had a really good response, and his staff are amazing and amazingly well informed, particularly the lady or ladies who answer the phone. I spoke to David at length about a project to use one of the milk wagon underframes for a planned ro-rail milk tanker. He spent a lot of time working out what I'd need and identifying the parts.

Unfortunately David doesn't "do" emails. He says that he doesn't have time. I've also had a "deep and meaningful" conversation with him about Slaters insulated hornguides, as the new type are simply not adjustable. I couldn't change David's mind about the suitability of the new version but he offered to produce a batch of the old version if I could get enough people interested which, in my view, was a positive reaction. That fell by the wayside because there is an alternative available now.

Now, maybe it shouldn't be so but that's the way of things and I, personally, am very grateful that we have Slaters for all they do for us. That's not to say that everything is fine and dandy because it's not, but it must be worth a phone call if there's an issue to address. If that fails I'll climb back inside my bubble and not say another word.

I wish I could offer some suggestion about your Slaters build but it's not a prototype or model about which I have any knowledge or experience. This is a frustrating experience, I'm sure, and I'll be interested to hear how a phone call goes.

Brian
 

Sarah Winfield

Active Member
Unfortunately, not everyone is confident at talking on the telephone and I for one find it extremely difficult to put my explanations or requests for help across.

Notwithstanding that it is extremely rude to just ignore a plea for assistance with something appertaining to a bought and paid for expensive Slaters kit.

I still haven't completed either kit and they are not a good advert for Slaters models.

Sarah
 

Mwfanwy

New Member
Hi again Sarah, still no response from Slaters. I shan't use them ever again!
I'm going to make a new chassis out of brass channel and have a go at new running gear from Peter Korzillius. If I decide I still want a rake of milk tanks I will scratch build them. I suspect it will be like beating myself with nettles all winter.....
Take care .........Mwfanwy
 

Marc Dobson

Western Thunderer
Up date on the new range. I have just completed the design for 2 types of LYR 1 plank opens, North Staffs 1 plank, Furness 1 plank, LNWR 1 plank and a LNWR 2 plank. just need to prove the axle guards. I'm hoping to have the first prototypes ready by the end of November in time for charismas.

Marc
 

Sarah Winfield

Active Member
Hi Mwfanwy. I am afraid I had to order some sets Slaters wagon wheels not knowing who also supplies Gauge 1 wheels. They are for some Ken West kits I am building and quite enjoying them too.

Sarah
 

Marc Dobson

Western Thunderer
Well I thought I would dig this old thread out and update everyone on what has been happening in the last 18 month.
for a year with the lack of shows not a lot but in the last few months the opposite is true. I have been re drawing a few of our 7mm kits so that they can be produced on my 3D printer. This has give me the opportunity to make them available in more scales. Before people panic I'm drawing them in 1/32 then shrinking them down to 7mm, S, 4mm and HO. So the following are now available of my website www.pregroupingrailways.com
  • PGR32-08 Furness Railway/LMS/BR 2 plank slate wagon
  • PGR32-09 Midland Railway/LMS/BR 4 box bunker coal/road stone wagon
  • PGR32-12 Midland Railway/LMS/BR Shunters truck
  • PGR32-15 North Staff/LMS 1plank open
  • PGR32-17A/B/C SDJR/Midland Railway/LSWR/LMS/SR 5 plank (3 versions)
  • PGR32-19 North British Railway/LNER/BR 1 plank open
  • PGR32-27 Furness/LNWR/Cambrian/North Staffs single bolster
  • PGR32-39 Furness Railway/LMS/BR 10/12ton brake van
  • PGR32-40 Furness Railway/LMS/BR Medium Cattle van
  • PGR32-41A/B Cambrian Railways/GWR 2 plank open (2 versions)
  • PGR32-42 Great North of Scotland Railway/LNER Cattle van
  • PGR32-46A/B/C North British Railway/LNER/BR 3 plank open (3 versions)
  • PGR32-60A/B SDJR/Midland railway/LSWR 2 plank open (2 Versions)
  • PGR32-65A/B/C/D Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway/LMS/BR 1 plank open/single bolster (4 versions)
  • PGR32-69A/B North Eastern Railway/LNER/BR C2 4 plank open (2 versions)
  • PGR32-70 Caledonian Railway/Highland railway/LMS Sheep wagon
  • PGR32-71 Midland Railway/LMS Manure Wagon
  • PGR32-76A/B SDJR/LMS Peat wagon (2 Versions)
  • PGR32-80 Great Northern Railway/LNER/BR 4 plank open
  • PGR32-93A/B/C North British/LNER/BR 4 plank (3 versions)
  • PGR32-116 Mid-Wales Railway/Cambrian Railways 6t brake van
  • PGR32-119 Furness Railway/LMS 1 plank open
  • PGR32-121 LNWR/LMS 1plank open
  • PGR32-122 LNWR /LMS 2 plank open
Also in the pipeline

  • LBSCR 4 plank coal
  • LBSCR single bolster
  • Maryport and Carlisle 3 plank open
  • M&GNJR 3 plank drop side
  • PGR32-11 SDJR 6 plank
  • PGR32-21 SDJR box van
  • PGR32-72 SDJR Large Cattle van
  • PGR32-89 SDJR 10t brake van
  • PGR32-111 SDJR/Midland/LSWR 3 plank drop side
These are currently only 3D printed bodies. I'm working on etches for compensation units, brakes etch.

Marc Dobson
Pre-Grouping Railways
www.pregroupingrailways.com
 

lankytank

Western Thunderer
Marc - Any chance of pushing these up to Gauge 3 (1:22.6)? I'd be very interested in a number of your L&Y D1, 1 plank wagons, of various variations. Even if it's only the bodies.
 

David Halfpenny

Western Thunderer
This could be a Game Changer, Marc :)
Does 'These are currently only 3D printed bodies' apply to all of them, or just the final column, please?
 

Marc Dobson

Western Thunderer
All of them are, at the moment, just bodies with the exception of the Bunker coal wagon and the shunters truck as they have the axle boxes as part of the print. Some bodies have buffer guides as part of the print. I have all the axle boxes/springs and buffer guides/heads which I can print as separate parts but the 7mm ones fit on brass axle guards which would need to be etched. I'm working on these along with brakes for them all.
You will see what I mean when you shunters truck gets to you I will put in a set of printed buffer heads so you can pass judgment.

Marc
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Interesting developments Marc, I hope you get lots of interest, nay, sales even.

I shall have a look through and may well treat myself. Although the S&D stuff is the obvious choice for someone in Bath, I have built a few of them already and somehow feel the need for something a bit more "exotic", Furness or Cambrian I suspect....

Anyway, good luck with it all and let us know how you get on!

Simon
 

Sleeper Agent

Active Member
I will see if I can fit them on to the printer's built plate.
Marc
I'd be interested in certain stock for G3 too if viable, particularly of the FR variety. Speaking of would there any chance of enlarging the Ashbury 4-wheeled coaches as well? I've found these early builds quite difficult to research tbh so your kit notes are a boon. Being too lightly built to suit vacuum brake modifications I think some lasted till around 1925 as workman coaches and W. Hardin Osborne mentions they were repainted in a plain brick red but I've never come across a photo of either design on Cumbrian or Cambrian metals. Are there any particular publications or archives that you could recommend?

Regards
Steve
 

Marc Dobson

Western Thunderer
H Steve,
There is a out side chance that I could do the wagons but the coaches in one piece will not fit on the build plate. However as a series of parts I could do that so you could assemble each side from parts.

The evidence I have is that they were fitted with vac brakes both the Metropolitan, outside framed ones and the Ashbury ones. I have some photos, of the the Met coaches showing the supports ad screw holes where the vac pipes were fixed to the end. I have photos of the Ashbury ones in GWR livery in 1925 and fitted with vac brakes so if the Cambrian ones were capable of being vac braked then the Furness ones would have been. Also I have a series of LMS photos that show a line of the Met ones in barrow yard taken in 1925, when the Furness Passenger tanks were repainted in their new LMS livery.

Marc
 

Marc Dobson

Western Thunderer
Just put a G3 LYR 1 plank through the production software. To quote the Duke of Wellington " I was a close run thing!". millimetres to spare. If I took the buffers off it might give a little more room for a taller wagon. 15ft long wagons will fit nicely 16ft are a squeeze. Looking on how long it will take to print one I would say you are looking some where around £90 for a wagon body.

Marc
 

lankytank

Western Thunderer
OK, Marc, hmmmmm, a ‘little’ bit more than I was expecting (my Yorkshire blood coming to the fore). As they say in all the best R&D departments ‘back to the drawing board......’. Thanks for having a go, though.
 

Marc Dobson

Western Thunderer
It comes down to cost of manufacturing them. They take 14 hours to print and in the same time I can make 6 7mm wagons. They take the same time and amount of material as our 7mm coaches.
Marc
 

Sleeper Agent

Active Member
Hi Marc, thanks for the info. The drawings in Rush's Furness Locomotives and Rolling Stock and Hardin's 1966 Railway Modeller article do show them with vac pipes but you're probably right about their compatibility. Think I've blurred them with James Ramsden 1892 report about them straining from the increased braking forces, as likely he's referencing the older 4-wheelers that were re-bodied by S J Claye (don't think any of the match box coaches by Joseph Wright & Sons and Metropolitan were fitted as they seem to of been scrapped, grounded or repurposed for engineering trains).
Anyhoo yes I'd be happy enough to assemble the compartments and headstocks if you're game for it.

Concerning the wagons could you clarify about what you said about the buffers? I'm under the impression they are separate to the bodies and inserted afterwards. Do you mean the buffer beams & frames?
 
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Marc Dobson

Western Thunderer
The buffer heads are separate but in some cases the buffer shanks/guide castings are part of the body. I can remove these and supply then as a separate printed item leaving a hole in the head stocks for them. It basically shortens the length of the wagon.
As for the coaches leave it with me and I will see how bigger chunks I can split them into.

Marc
 

Sleeper Agent

Active Member
Think I'm with you on the buffer front. It might be best to just stick with the Ashburys for now but of the low wagons I'd be interested in a Midland/LMS bunker coal/road stone PGR-09 (with or without the four boxes).

Steve
 
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