16xx kit

[Marc Dobson]

Are there any 16xx kits out there, that are any good? I have been told that the 4mm rapido RTR loco is impossible to convert to P4.

 

[ullypug]

Nucast partners do a white metal kit with a bespoke chassis by Rummey models. I’ve one in the queue!

 

[Marc Dobson]

I've just googled Nucast Partners and it's come up with a blank. How do you get in touch with them?

 

[Bulldog3444]

Try calling Brian at Branchlines 01373 822231 as I think they market the 16xx kit including the etched chassis. I seem to recall that the reintroduction of this kit with the etched chassis was a joint initiative between Branchlines and Nucast.

Also, I believe that the Nucast range may have passed to South East Finecast.

Hope that helps,
Ian

 

[Bulldog3444]

I should also have mentioned that Branchlines will be at the EM Gauge Society AGM at Congresbury (near Weston super Mare) this Saturday 20 January. Looking at the information on Branchlines I can confirm they stock the reintroduced Nucast kits.

Ian

 

[PaxtonP4]

The Rapido 16XX has been converted to P4. see link: 16xx by Rapido from Model Rail - Scalefour Forum

 

[Charon]

It was a challenge and would've been much easier had I done things in the right order...."Playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order" as was famously once said!

The end result was that It performs very well.

 

[Marc Dobson]

I'm thinking building the kit is a less of a problem than trying to convert the RTR version.

 

[Captain Kernow]

I'm thinking building the kit is a less of a problem than trying to convert the RTR version.

After helping Charon with the latter stages of his conversion, I came to the same conclusion myself, especially having also built the NuCast Partners kit (albeit in OO).

 

[76043]

Can I ask if an EM conversion is any easier? I'd quite like one.
Cheers
Tony

 

[Phil O]

Try calling Brian at Branchlines 01373 822231 as I think they market the 16xx kit including the etched chassis. I seem to recall that the reintroduction of this kit with the etched chassis was a joint initiative between Branchlines and Nucast.

Also, I believe that the Nucast range may have passed to South East Finecast.

Hope that helps,
Ian

Ian,

Nucast Partners are, Brian at Branchlines, does the etched chassis, etc. But Dave formerly of SEFincast, does the castings. SEF is now with Squires of Bognor.

 

[Captain Kernow]

Can I ask if an EM conversion is any easier? I'd quite like one.
Cheers
Tony

If it involves a complete change of wheels and axles, then I would say that it will be no easier.

If you are contemplating simply pulling the OO wheels out to EM gauge, then perhaps that might work, but I don't know how much of the wheel will be left to grip the axle.

In either the P4 and the EM conversion, done the way that Charon did it, you will need to comprehensively rebuilt the (detachable) Rapido brake gear, as the rather thin brake hangers and shoes are moulded in some kind of plastic to OO specifications. In the end, I found a spare set of etches in my 'spares' box and soldered them up for Charon's 16XX, as this was easier than faffing around with the thin plastic stuff.

If you want to put a new chassis under the Rapido body, then it's a case of 'abandon hope all ye who enter here'...

Essentially, you will have to dismantle most of the individual body components and then cut the cast smokebox saddle/lower boiler/firebox piece into three parts and then somehow re-assemble the body components...

In the end, I sold my Rapido example.

Having recently built the original Cotswold body kit (which is what the new NuCast Partners kit is based on), plus the new NuCast Partners etched chassis, I can say categorically that I personally would find building the kit easier than messing around with the Rapido loco (that is on the assumption that I want to use the etched chassis).

If you want to do the conversion based on what Charon has done, then good luck to you. It's still quite a lot of work and, of course, you are entirely reliant on getting a good running Rapido example in the first place.

 

[timbowales]

Can I, as a tight fisted Yorkshire pensioner, say a big thank-you to all who have contributed to this thread. You have saved me a lot of money and hassle.
My modelling efforts are currently concentrated on the Llanelly/BPGV area as that is where I have retired to. I was contemplating buying one of the Model Rail 16xx models but, needing to convert it to EM, I won’t bother now
I’ll just get stuck into the three Nucast kits instead
Tim T

 

[Marc Dobson]

As the person who started the thread can I also echo Tim's comments.

 

[Phil O]

Hi Tim,

I have 3x 2021 kits on the go, one of which was an original that I got on the bay of fleas, this has proved to be the easiest to build so far, the 2nd pannier from Newscast Partners is proving to be a stubborn beast and has needed several dunks in the boiling water to allow more fetling. I found that the wheels were just kissing the running plate, I like you are building them to EM gauge. If your loco has splashers, this proved to be another area of concern. Finally the parts that make up the smokebox, boiler and firebox, plus the panniers need to fit together well, when I came to the cab and bunker, the gap for the cab door was down to 4mm, in a dry run, in that I had built the cab and bunker, but not soldered them to the running plate.

Have fun.

 

[Captain Kernow]

This is my (OO) 1628, built from the Cotswold body kit with the NuCast Partners chassis:

 

[LarryG]

I was fortunate in that I was sent a 16xx. It looks okay to me and runs well on DC. A 16xx was the very last 'GW' loco I ever saw in traffic. I was chatting to the porter in his room on the Wrexham GCR station when we went outside to watch the little engine plod past on a freight. I didn't realise just how small they were compared with the 57xx.

I remember friend Brian Brown of Westward Models casting a 16xx, so no doubt this passed to Ron Charlton at Cotswold models and then NuCast.

 

[DavidB]

Branchlines were at the EMGS AGM today. Brian does have both chassis and body kits for the 16xx, which, without looking it up he thought came to something like £115. That is not a price to hold him to!