'Tis a time for kit building & dreaming of running live steam trains in the eternal sunshine of our imagination...
Anyway, I have persuaded Ken West, who normally does very good value 10mm laser cut bodyline wagon kits, to do a 1/32nd bodyline kit of a GWR 4 wheel Syphon C, costing only £29 . It is going together well & the side wooden overlays look great.
I have also ordered a 1/32nd scale SR 4 wheel 32' PMV kit from Cliff Barker, also laser cut with more underframe detail, at £45.
The idea is to run these behind locos at the head of trains to introduce some variety & regional colour to trains that would otherwise be just rakes of the very good value G1mCo/Accucraft BR Mark Ones.
As another kit maker said to me yesterday, the loco kits, apart from Aster, are made in 10mm, so people want coaches in 10mm to run behind them. With more rtr locos, mainly expresses, in 1/32nd, demand is increasing for coaches in 1/32nd to run behind them. He also said that the practical difference between 1/32nd & 10 mm was around 1/2 mm in 1 foot. Therefore sourcing smaller items to run underneath my 4 wheel coach solebars should not be a big problem, scratchbuilding other parts where necessary. ( There is also a view that with garden railways, whether 16mm which I also model, or Gauge One, 'If you can't see it at six feet distance, don't worry too much about it , just do your best, if you want to live to make, run & enjoy a garden railway in your own lifetime!' )
May all WT readers get the Xmas presents they deserve.
Steve