The LNER Encyclopedia

Mailcoach Tourist Stock been a total pain in the a@**@rr$$e but done as best as i can get them. The clear side design simply does'nt work you cannot get perfect lines on the window edges despite numerous attempts!!!!!!!!

Artic Twin and Buffet Car




Corridor Connections I used the paper concertina type



Artic Twin and Brake 3rd







MJT vents , battery boxes, vacumn tanks and etched door handles and handles add some detail

Mick

Despite your problems with the painting they look really good Mick. I have one of the observation cars to build at some point (nothing to go with it I hasten to add). I must concur with the MJT detailing they have been the making of my recent kits.

Ouch, really that bad? I hope there aren't similar problems with the Kirk Secondary stock I'm going to pick up...

Despite that, your coaches look great The MJT components really add more to the final product.

Hi
Its the daft idea of moulding the sides in clear plastic that is the problem , this applies to Tourist and Coronation Coaches only as far as I know. The Kirk Coaches are normal plastic sides.

Mick

Despite the problems you experienced, I think that you've done a wonderful job on these!

...if only someone did these in N gauge...

However, we need some pics of your A4 on this forum too!

Hi
There are pictures of one of my Hornby A4's on my Capercaillie thread

Mick

mick b wrote:Hi
Its the daft idea of moulding the sides in clear plastic that is the problem , this applies to Tourist and Coronation Coaches only as far as I know. The Kirk Coaches are normal plastic sides.

Mick

Ah, I can see how that would be a problem I have an article about building the Mailcoach Coronation Observation car from Model Rail (April - May 1999), but the is nothing relating to this particular problem, all they do is 'mask the windows thoroughly', and the picture shows that they are masked individually, something which I would imagine takes a lot of time and effort.

The idear for the use of the clear sides was to get over the flush glazing on these coaches but you have done a good job on the painting. I can understand the complantes on the Mailcoach kits but it would have been better to have done the same as on the Thompson deal full brake I will be looking into altering the molds or doing new ones with seperate glazing to give a flush look.

I am sure I have said it before, (sorry if I bore!!) but flush-cast windows idea works well enough in aircraft models. There of course used to be the the same nightmare seen here of hand painting or masking individual panes, but in recent years companies have started producing die-cut masking sets that simply peel and stick to the 'glass'.

If Mailcoach could find a way of making these (I wouldnt imagine they'd be too expensive to tool?) and including them in the kits, I am sure it would go a long way to solving the problem! I suppose the other, more expensive (and probably unrealisically so) option, would be a tampo-printed livery pre-printed onto the kit sides. That would make for a finish to rival any of the best rtr coaches, we can but dream!

These are handsome coaches and you have made a truly 'magazine cover shot' rake there. The lack of 'rounded' edges you see with vacuum formed glass, or a scale 12-inch deep recessed window frame must surely have been worth the effort???!!

Will

Thank you for that idear Will I will look into that idear and see if I can supply them with all the Mailcoach Kits that I produce.

Hello and welcome Industrial!
Its great for us modellers to have the manufacturers willing to get involved.Assuming you are one of the outfit that produces the Kirk range may I say how impressed I am with your helpfulness anytime I've placed an order,the ready availability of extra parts etc,top service!
Rob

Yes I took over Cooper-Craft on the 21st April and that included the Kirk LNER and the Mailcoach range as well I came across this forum by chance and it seams a good place for people to air there views over different subjects and criticism as long as it is constructive so the manufactures can inprove the range of kits. What about some of you modelers doing reviews of new ready to run and kits so as other modelers know what they are bying and have they got enough skills to build them well, as some of the members are doing a form of this now with look what I am building.

Hi Industrial
As you can see I have built these coaches and have already made some suitable comment!!.
They really are poor kits the fit of most items is poor to very poor , there are hardly any aids to location to assist in lining up the parts, the roofs are grossly over thick and simply do not match up to the end profiles.
The parts supplied are poorly modelled in detail and indeed I have used only the main bodies and roofs and added detail parts for vents and underframes.
The bogies suffer simply because they are too light . I have added sheet lead to the inside of the bogies where possible, but there is little space. I considered whitemetal replacements but with 6 Coaches this was simply becoming too expensive to justify for the quality of the kit parts I actually used
The main problem is as mentioned already is the flush glazing, due to the design they are a nightmare to paint. I doubt if a die cut mask would be viable as I doubt if you could prevent paint creep under the edges especially on the toplights which are very tiny .
I believe the design is quite old and the glazing sections suffer with numerous imperfections as a result . They are therefore flawed at the start before any of above applies.
I had some Coronation kits as well but after the Tourists they were sold on EBay as I had had enough.
I think a new modeller would be put off buying further kits if these happended to be a first purchase. I have made models for many years and they nearly defeated me!!
What is need are new moulds to the same standard as Cooper Craft which are superb in comparison.
I wish you luck with you new venture and look forward to some "new" kits hopefully LNER

Mick

Hi, I gave up completely on the tourist stock and the coronation set,I masked swore and tried again,it cost me a fortune,and I threw them away in disgust,until something is done about the horrible side's ,I wont consider them .
the cooper craft coaches however are another matter and I have several full rakes that look beautiful behind a N2 or other such loco.If Im right bill bedford has etches for both of the tourist and coronation sets,so you can get them if you want to

Hi
Coopercraft Coaches ??? do you mean the ex Ian Kirk kits?
Bill Bedford never used his sides far tooooo "rich" for me.
There should be some Jubilee kits out ealy next year from a source. Let me know if you are interested and I will pass details when available.
Marc Models are doing the Jubilee soon as well see this months BRM

Mick