7mm Road Vehicles

[Heather Kay]

I'm glad to see a new company taking on the challenge. They seem a bit pricey, but the quality appears to be very good. A pity they also seem to be made overseas. There must be companies capable of making such items here in Blighty?

I'd like to see a bus too but certainly nothing so modern - the Leyland looks like a characterless box on wheels to those of us brought up on Bedford OBs and Bristol half-cabs etc.

Now, you see, while I agree with you, personally being a modeller of the steam age, a Leyland National has much more character than any of the buses you might see on the roads today. Besides, such a creature would be ideal for all the blue period layouts on the circuit now. It's the bus of the 1970s, frankly, and would place layouts set in the period firmly in their time - much as Austin Allegros and Morris Marinas do.

 

[daifly]

Now, you see, while I agree with you, personally being a modeller of the steam age, a Leyland National has much more character than any of the buses you might see on the roads today. Besides, such a creature would be ideal for all the blue period layouts on the circuit now. It's the bus of the 1970s, frankly, and would place layouts set in the period firmly in their time - much as Austin Allegros and Morris Marinas do.

No argument there, but you have now listed three reasons why, for me, I find the whole 70s period so dismal!

 

[Heather Kay]

No argument there, but you have now listed three reasons why, for me, I find the whole 70s period so dismal!

I grew up in the 1970s. It's a period I remember, so it ought to be ripe for me to model - yet I choose a period some years before I was born. I wonder why that is?

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I grew up in the 1970s. It's a period I remember, so it ought to be ripe for me to model - yet I choose a period some years before I was born. I wonder why that is?

In agreement with you there Heather, I was fourteen at the begining of the seventies but my interest lies with the forties and fifties, perhaps it was the music being played when I was a baby

Col.

 

[Colin M]

Peter Joy at http://www.goodsyardmodels.co.uk/ has asked for suggestions for RTP vehicles at
http://www.gauge0guild.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3199
- a link which will probably only work for G0G members.

Thanks! I've posted something there.

(For anyone else trying to check this out... You have to register seperatley for the forum. Your normal GOG website log-in doesn't work. I'm guessing it's hosted on a different server.)

Colin

 

[daifly]

I think I started to grow old in the 70s. Left college. Started working. Got married. Got a mortgage and other debts. Had a string of lousy cars.

Life has been kind. I'm still married to the same lucky woman, but the debts and lousy cars are behind me. I can now look back at the happy, carefree days of my youth with great affection. That I choose to model that period is no surprise at all.

 

[Jon Fitness]

That's about as near to a suitable sized Leyland National as you'll get at the moment! The irritatingly 1/50 scale resin kit from Marsden Models. Very nice but too ing small!
JF

 

[Colin M]

That's about as near to a suitable sized Leyland National as you'll get at the moment! The irritatingly 1/50 scale resin kit from Marsden Models. Very nice but too ing small!
JF

That does look very nice! I'll check it out. (I think you can get away with 1/50 vehicles if they stand alone, but no good for a LEV1 conversion though, the scale difference would be too obvious against the chassis, station platforms etc.)
Colin.

 

[Osgood]

If you haven't come across these folk before they do some lovely 1/48 metal and resin kits of period heavy trucks:

www.asam.co.uk

Again so frustrating that they are on the small side, but as mentioned above might do as distant background fillers?

 

[makhis]

I thought I'd post a couple or three of bodge photos of my dust cart to flatbed truck




Nothing exciting
I know the prop shaft is at the wrong Angle but side on it looks about right,

 

[40126]

Just been through my lads (formally mine) box of vehicles & found these ....







Steve

 

[40126]

& this... Just for DennisRS..



Steve

 

[Colin M]

1/43 Buses...!

This website is interesting... The St.Petersburg Tram Company... http://www.sptc-spb.ru/

1969 Daimler Fleetline looks to be the most modern model available.

They are based in Russia, but in the modern age of electronic communication and air mail this shouldn't pose a big issue. You have to email for prices. (There are some positive comments from a satisfied customer over there... 7mm buses? ).

Colin

 

[Heather Kay]

I once saw the St Petersburg stuff on display at a GOG Telford do. I seem to recall I needed first aid due to a fit of the vapours after seeing the prices for a single-decker.

I understand they are very nice models, hand built and all but they are, like the lovely offerings from Brooklin Models, aimed squarely at the collector not the cheapskate railway modeller. Sure, there will be some who can afford to buy one, but would they then want to weather it down to a realistic coat of grime?

I'd like to see such models available in kit form, for those of us without bottomless bank accounts and who like to build stuff to our own liking.

 

[Dave]

View attachment 18774
Steve

I had one of those bought for me one Christmas, probably 1973. I've still got the cab and wheels and I keep meaning to build a tipper body for it. It's no use on my layout but I think it'd be better off as a complete model rather than a chipped and scratched cab in a drawer.

Mind you, there's lots of other projects I'd get on with if I had the time. I've got a part-built Aveling Barford dumper like this one - http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7196820566_487c47bf52_z.jpg that I started scratchbuilding about 10 years ago too...

 

[Osgood]

Is the problem one of insufficient KITS, or insufficient MODELS I wonder? Just thinking that the die cast or fully assembled models of generally eastern origin are a completely different animal to the resin and metal kits such as the ex. Classic Commercials kits, or other kits of mainly etched content.

I guess the answer depends on why you are looking for the vehicles in the first place. How about working on the basis that anything is better than trying to scratch build? On the other hand it is fascinating see how some folk are adapting existing die casts to their own requirements - as near to scratch building as you can get.

Take for example buses, which must be the most appropriate accompaniments to a railway station scene. I would think that anyone able to extend their existing range of assembled 7mm models (yes I'm thinking Goodsyard Models here!) with a selection of 3 types - something like Bedford OB, '50s double decker and a later job - ought to be in a strong position to sell well in the market place. Would high fidelity kits, requiring considerable skills to build, do well enough to justify development? It will never be a big market and the interest is too diverse.

I've got a couple of the Goodsyard trucks coming, and a couple of CC kits ready to hack about to make specific vehicles (so many boxes now that my armchair is almost completely surrounded....). I'm really not sure what to make of the current offerings from 3D printing, I need to get to see these or bite the bullet and try one on for fit.

The 4mm boys are so incredibly lucky to have that vast range of truck components from 'the folk who advertise in MRJ' to draw upon! If only 7mm could be so well served.

 

[40126]

I had one of those bought for me one Christmas, probably 1973. I've still got the cab and wheels and I keep meaning to build a tipper body for it. It's no use on my layout but I think it'd be better off as a complete model rather than a chipped and scratched cab in a drawer.

Mind you, there's lots of other projects I'd get on with if I had the time. I've got a part-built Aveling Barford dumper like this one - http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7196820566_487c47bf52_z.jpg that I started scratchbuilding about 10 years ago too...

I dont know where the wheels are, Prob in the bottom of the box !!

Steve

 

[makhis]

The wheels I used wre Gibson 00 wagon wheels with rubber tyres fitted over the flange (cheap skate) but beggars can't always be choosers.

 

[Colin M]

I'm a bit stuck on the roadrunner crew lorry build.... I've managed to whittle a representation of the gearbox, but no matter how much I google I can't seem to find a photo that shows how much of it sticks out past the rear of the cab. If there are any lorry experts that have access to detail photos, and can share a lower rear cab view of a Leyland Roadrunner chassis, I'd be very much obliged. Thx. Colin

 

[Colin M]

Sorry, meant to post a progress pic too... managed to get some yellow paint sprayed this weekend...