QUOTE (Nick Holliday @ 4 Nov 2008, 18:26)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Not sure where you have been looking, as there are several manufacturers on the internet with excellent websites and good mail order service. It has to be said that there is a shortage of etched brass goods wagons
Just for clarity Nick my first sentence was "Trolling through the websites of etched brass manufacturer's of kits and the like and didn't notice many metal wagons."
I am just making sure I understand your first response correctly. Are you agreeing with my first sentence or offering other suggestions on where I could have looked?
QUOTE (Nick Holliday @ 4 Nov 2008, 18:26)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>- Chivers Finelines had a good range but they have stopped producing this type of kit, having changed to plastic mouldings for their latest products. Falcon Brass have the remains of the Jidenco range which is very varied, but due to ill-health these are currently unavailable and D&S have long been out of production. The only brass goods stock items that I am aware off are in the Roxey Mouldings' range (LCDR & LBSCR), London Road Models (TVR & RR), Southwark Bridge Models (LSWR Ballast mainly), and Bill Bedford has started producing complete kits (I believe).
All noted with agreement, I should have prefaced my initial post that my interest lies a little more specifically with MR, LMS and the like. My mistake.
QUOTE (Nick Holliday @ 4 Nov 2008, 18:26)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>These are all fairly expensive, around two or three times the cost of a similar whitemetal kit.
Not an issue. Everything is expensive when you live in Australia!
QUOTE (Nick Holliday @ 4 Nov 2008, 18:26)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>If you are looking for whitemetal goods wagons check 51L/Wizard Models, David Geen, 5&9 Models and ABS (at keykits.net). Within some of these ranges are the odd etched brass wagon - for some reason brake vans seem to be dealt with this way, perhaps because they are often asymmetric, requiring different patterns for each side. Similarly some of the other etchers such as Caley Coaches have goods brakes in their ranges.
Finally, Lochgorm Models offer basic brass starter kits for LNER and LMS goods vans - you just get the etch itself, and you have to source the other fittings elsewhere (ABS or MJT/Dart Castings) - a cheap way for a beginner to learn the art of soldering.
There are 2 whitemetal MR wagons on Wizard/51L - great!
There are 4 whitemetal MR wagons, 2 whitemetal LMS wagons and 3 MR coaches on David Geen's - It doesn't mention anywhere on the site that these are metal, I thought they were plastic! These should be fun projects though.
There are 2 MR wagons and 10 LMS wagons at Keykits - I assume these are all whitemetal?
The beginner's kit from Lochgorm looks to be interesting from the instructions - might get a couple for a play and track down some of the unsupplied bits from others.
Thanks for the suggestions Nick.