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Your photo above Cameron reminds me just how truly awful the original Ratio underframe is. I made one up 20+ years ago and it runs, just. I have another unmade one waiting in the pile....
Tony
Tony
Kiwionrails' Work Bench
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Tbh it isn't that bad compared to other kits of the time, I suppose it is mainly that it hasn't received any update which many of the other ones have at least had something..!
If you fancied a challenge of the brass underframe, gcr427 is the seller on eBay I purchased it from (who I believe owns the Brian Morgan kits these days), however they do not seem to have any Open Cs in stock currently... As noted above though, it is not the easiest etch kit to approach, although that is mainly due to the instructions IMHO...
The alternative for your remaining kit would possibly be to swap the underframe out for W-Irons from MJT/Bill Bedford, with brake gear itself from chopping up bits spares from other kits or a suitable etch.
Regards,
Cameron.
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2,653 Posts
I think the worst kit of that era that I ever came across was the Parkside Grampus wagon. I think this was one of their first kits, made of a plastic that was so brittle, you couldn't cut parts off sprews without breakage and the plastic wheels seemed to have 12mm B2B - completely under gauge. Later kits were infinitely better.
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Diagram X8 MICA B (Continued)
Jumping back in time a bit to April, I've finally managed to make a wee bit more progress on one of the other MICA Bs that I'm detailing using the Hornby Dublo model as a base.
The body has had the various details picked out in black and red which helps to break up the rather stark white!
![Gas Plastic Wood Engineering Rectangle]()
(looking at the above photo I can see that I'll need to have another go at the handrails, as I've missed a few spots...!)
Unlike on the Diag X2 MICA i'm also building, this will be fitted with some fairly standard Morton brake gear, so have once again utilised the Ratio/Parkside PC560 underframe kit, which I believe is taken from their MOGO & 12T MINK kits.
As with the previous few times I've tackled this, it has gone together beauitifully. The main improvements/changes I generally make to this are replacing the supplied plastic wheels with some Gibson ones, the moulded tiebar with some 0.5mm NS wire, the brake rod with some 0.7mm brass wire and replacing the buffers (Lanarkshire Models B021).
![Train Wheel Vehicle Automotive tire Motor vehicle]()
(The grey nub poking out the top is some scrap sprue that will be used as a handle during painting)
Married-up with the body, it is looking rather nice!
![Wheel Train freight car Motor vehicle Mode of transport]()
Painting of the chassis will be a fairly simple affair being predominently a rattle-can black, with details picked out in white as appropriate.
Regards,
Cameron.
Jumping back in time a bit to April, I've finally managed to make a wee bit more progress on one of the other MICA Bs that I'm detailing using the Hornby Dublo model as a base.
The body has had the various details picked out in black and red which helps to break up the rather stark white!
(looking at the above photo I can see that I'll need to have another go at the handrails, as I've missed a few spots...!)
Unlike on the Diag X2 MICA i'm also building, this will be fitted with some fairly standard Morton brake gear, so have once again utilised the Ratio/Parkside PC560 underframe kit, which I believe is taken from their MOGO & 12T MINK kits.
As with the previous few times I've tackled this, it has gone together beauitifully. The main improvements/changes I generally make to this are replacing the supplied plastic wheels with some Gibson ones, the moulded tiebar with some 0.5mm NS wire, the brake rod with some 0.7mm brass wire and replacing the buffers (Lanarkshire Models B021).
(The grey nub poking out the top is some scrap sprue that will be used as a handle during painting)
Married-up with the body, it is looking rather nice!
Painting of the chassis will be a fairly simple affair being predominently a rattle-can black, with details picked out in white as appropriate.
Regards,
Cameron.
Joined
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2,835 Posts
Diagram X8 MICA B (Continued)
The 'easy bit' of the chassis on the X8 MICA is now complete, with the black paint & 'cast' numberplate both now fitted...!
![Wheel Train Truck Rolling stock Motor vehicle]()
(My cutting out of the D-plate isn't perfect, but I'd say it passes all-but the closest of macro inspections
)
Unfortunately there will probably now be a bit of a break in progress as I will be moving house in a couple of weeks time, thus everything will shortly be packed away into boxes....!
Regards,
Cameron.
The 'easy bit' of the chassis on the X8 MICA is now complete, with the black paint & 'cast' numberplate both now fitted...!
(My cutting out of the D-plate isn't perfect, but I'd say it passes all-but the closest of macro inspections
)Unfortunately there will probably now be a bit of a break in progress as I will be moving house in a couple of weeks time, thus everything will shortly be packed away into boxes....!
Regards,
Cameron.
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