Hello from London UK

M

Michael [Blefuscu]

Registered
Hello,
I'm just taking a tentative step toward 'bigger trains' at the moment so I don't expect I'll be posting much. However, it feels rude to be reading the forum and not to say hello.

I do 3D design and printing and have been working on stuff around Hornsey/Finsbury Park at the end of the 1970's/ early 1980's in TT scale.
I had my sights on a loft layout but my hopes have been dashed. I was feeling a bit forlorn about this for a while.

Then I had a thought; if I'm not running any trains anyways- then it won't make much difference how big I design them. The thought was in part seeded by a modeller who asked me it I could slice up one of my carriage designs for a gauge 1 project.

For a bit of a change, I'm going to try modern era, to see if I can acquire a taste for it.

Anyways, that's what I'm up to. So far, I've ordered 6 little motors and a bunch of gears. And have the class 66 bogie frame roughed out. I have a bit of experience with RC trucks and crawlers so I think it's going to be fun.
 
Welcome to the forum Michael....
 
Welcome, Michael. Any progress will be avidly waited for, and pictures of said progress! Just beware of the humour! Whereabouts in London are you, roughly?
 
Note - If you are thinking of producing one, a Class 66 was manufactured by Aristocraft in the USA. It was scaled at 1:29 (rather than the more usual 10mm/1:32 for UK std gauge prototypes) and guaged for 45 mm. As it was a bit of an outlier in their range, that is/was otherwise US outline, it sold relatively poorly. Aristocraft were subsumed into the Bachmann brand by parent Co Kader a while back, with some of their range being reissued, though not the 66. These locos now sell for around £800 "pre loved".They have been bought in the US, UK and EU. The original complaint from owners was the lack of compatible rolling stock, only container wagons were available from Aristocraft. Could this be an entry point for your venture ? Max

www.hattons.co.uk

Aristocraft G Class 66 (2007)

Browse features and models produced from this tooling
www.hattons.co.uk www.hattons.co.uk
 
Thanks. I will take a close look at that.
I mostly model from photos and drawings, but another model in (nearly) the same scale is a good benchmark.

I had seen some gauge 1 65's online, but hadnt cime across this. I didn't expect one via the American market either. Maybe someone in Aristocraft had a connection with General Motors?

Commercial offerings, even preloved, are well out of my reach. So, in very truth, my search was not extensive.
 
Welcome to the Forum, Michael. As you may be aware by now, there are a range of approaches to our hobby: those who run prototypical timetables, freelance tailchasers, and modellers who don't run much at all. But we all enjoy what we do, and like seeing what each other gets up to, so do keep us updated on progress!
 
I spent years trawling around that part of North London when I first started to work for The Electricity Board (as was) and got to know it quite well. Not been back for years though.
 
Paul M said:
I spent years trawling around that part of North London when I first started to work for The Electricity Board (as was) and got to know it quite well. Not been back for years though.
Click to expand...
It's still pretty horrible in general, but we're between Lordship Rec and Downhills Park, which is relatively pleasant. We couldn't afford to stay in East Finchley, that's for sure.
 
Greetings from the tiny land of Europe, I hope you enjoy it here but ignore the doomsayers about the humour.

About that 66, perhaps take a look at eBay or similar if someone is selling a body only, just a thought.
 
Welcome aboard, Michael.
 
Hi, and welcome!

As others have said, the 66 (DRS, EWS, Malcolm Logistics freightliner colours to name a few) and intermodal wagons with containers. are the few items available in british modern image for g45 track, if the intent is to sell the stls then if you are not too far in it may be worth switching to something else.

Aristocraft went out of business around 2013, and their tooling is, I understand owned by Kader, but there has been no interest in reviving the models as far as I am aware.
 
Considering the price the Aristocraft 66's fetch...

I think there is a market out there?
Many of those offered, are in a sorry state, and even if only a decent replacement power-bogie was available, it would be a godsend. - Motors / gearboxes for the Aristocraft model, are like unicorn horns, and just as expensive.

PhilP.
 
PhilP said:
decent replacement power-bogie
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, to put together a replacement bogie, I would need to get my hands on the original.

craigwrdouglas2 said:
if the intent is to sell the stls then if you are not too far in it may be worth switching to something else.
Click to expand...

Selling the files is more of a byproduct, it's not a commercial venture. I make enough to keep me in filament and fasteners.

I enjoy modelling the things I want to, and never go in expecting there is any market. If there was, I expect the files would be ripped off in minutes.

The first locomotive I did was a Deltic - there must be Deltic's galore in every scale? It didn't detract from pouring over scores of photos of Deltics, to make my own bits of Deltic.

Getting the bogies working is also a big part of this. The gearboxes will be transferable to other models, so in some sense the initial choice of body is arbitrary.
 
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