[Peter Armond]

It must be at least 6 months since this magazine was on sale in UK with a free coach. There was an extensive thread on this forum with many members mentioning they had purchased several copies.

On Sunday evening I saw an advertisment on TV stating this was now on sale in South Africa.

I am currently visiting South Africa and yesterday I visited CNA at Sandton City (similar to WH Smith) and found about a dozen copies on the shelf. I promptly purchased 3 copies. At R39.95 each (about £2.30) which I think was cheaper than UK, I thought excellent value. The coach is not bad, no numbers, and plastic wheels both of which can be fixed at minimal cost. The roof is a bit light in colour, but can be repainted with minimal effort.

I am not really short of MK1 coaches but I thought these coaches at such a cheap price would be excellent to improve. As for the piece of track also included I can use to extend one of my hidden sidings as I normally only use code 75 track.

My point is what happened to this magazine in UK? I don't recall any comment on this forum about subsequent issues. Does it still exist?

The copies I bought yesterday include literature about future issues and free gifts with them.

 

[Iarnrod]

It's still going over here, although only some stockists actually carry it. Opinion among those I speak to is that the buildings are very much at the train set end of the market, but can be improved with a bit of painting and weathering; the wagon has caused great debate; and the figures are thought to be painted versions of the old Airfix/Dapol ones. The "special offer" Bachmann locomotive is deemed not to be very good value.

Overall it is what it says it is, with no pretence at being a super accurate layout. As a child I would have loved it if money had been no object, but would probably have become very frustrated at the length of time it takes to get something running.

 

[Peter Armond]

I am now back home but while in South Africa I eventually purchased 6 copies of the 1st magazine and one of the 2nd edition.

While that was in only three stores, 1 in Sandton City, and 2 North of Durban. In all 3 they had many copies on display including the CNA at a shopping Centre in North Durban who had several copies of both edition 1 and 2.

There does not seem to be a great rush to buy them as there was in UK. The 2nd edition at R99.95 (about £5.90) was more expensive than the 1st edition R39.95 (about £2.35) but for a total outlay of less than the equivalent of £20 I have 6 coaches. 7 pieces of track and part of a station building. As previously mentioned I use Code 75 track but will use these pieces in a hidden siding.

The number of copies that I saw on sale suggests there does not appear to be a rush to purchase as there appears to have been in UK going by the comments last year on this forum. So I wonder if this "magazine" will continue in South Africa?

I have fitted metal wheels to one coach and will do the same with the rest. Certainly the roof which is light grey needs repainting on the coaches. So for a relatively small outlay I have 6 coaches to experiment with and detail further.

 

[Pete Smith]

I happened to see these on sale at CNA in Bedfordview today - Issue 1 and 2. Struck me as a start for young beginners. Not for me!

Peter

 

[Iarnrod]

I bought a series of these coaches for a bit of fun & as a "just in case". If you discount my time and things like masking tape & card I had in stock already & a few lots of postage but then remembering that I have a whole load of resources left over the project has cost me:

5 x coaches = £19.95

WHS Gold Pen (part of set) = £3.95

Fox Blanking Patch (used to cover aborted attempt to use gold pen to write "I" on the doors of the first class coaches) = £6.25

Precision Window Decals (not used as damaged in trying to apply) = £3.99

Fox Coach Decals = £4.60

Replica Railways Window Decals (two sheets) = £5.40

Replica Railways Rub Down Numbers = £3.95

That is £48.09 for five coaches, giving a cost each of £9.62. If I count the cost of the other two coaches I bought later then that's £56.07, meaning £8.01 apiece. They came out like this, and I was quite pleased:

Corridor connectors using the Shaun Robson (of the Ripley thread) method:

Having a run round the railway:

 

[Mike Buckner]

Can anyone recommend a good source of metal wheelsets for these?

Cheers
Mike

 

[sean hpw]

In my three, I cant remember if I used Hornby's 14.1MM disk or there 12.6MM 3 hole wheels, I did ream the axle boxes out first, add a drop of oil and they run smooth and silky...

Sean

 

[Sol]

On sale in Australia now.

 

[Graham Plowman]

QUOTE (sean hpw @ 29 Apr 2014, 20:02) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>In my three, I cant remember if I used Hornby's 14.1MM disk or there 12.6MM 3 hole wheels, I did ream the axle boxes out first, add a drop of oil and they run smooth and silky...

Sean

The prototype had 3 foot 6 inch wheels which equates to 14mm - the Hornby 14.1mm wheels being closest. Forget the 12.6mm 3 hole wheels, they are for wagons, not the coaches.

 

[Peter Armond]

I discovered today that the wheels on these coaches are in fact metal and not plastic as I had originally assumed. A I mentioned earlier I spent some time on Sunday replacing the wheels with Hornby wheels on one coach, which are a tight fit.

I started on a second coach today and thought that while the axle is plastic the wheels did not feel like plastic.So with an emery board (I keep a supply for small filing jobs) I removed the black coating and underneath the wheels are very definitely metal. This took some time and I did try a chemical alternative but that took even longer.

As they are not plastic, I am inclined to leave them as they are.

I tried to fit a kadee coupling but found similar problems as the Bachman MK1 in so far as a ridge under the end of the coach fouled the coupling. A no.19 is the longest Kadee I have but these are too short for this coach and I don't think a No 20 would be any better. I suspect eventually I will fix a No.5 to the coach end rather than to the bogie.

I ran all 6 coaches attached to my Bachman "Evening Star" after finding a tension lock coupling to replace the kadee on the tender. The coaches do not run as freely as Bachman MK 1s but my loco was still able to haul them up a 1 in 40 gradient.They ran OK over complex pointwork and the only real problem with derailment was reversing with the loco pushing the coaches which led the couplings riding up on each other causing a derailment. This I think is a common fault with small tension lock couplings, and one of the reasons why I use Kadees.

I think I will experiment with fitting a Kadee No 5 to the coach bodies rather than a coupling on the bogies.

While these coaches are not as good or have as much detail as a Bachman MK1, they are a very cheap option to experiment and improve as Iarnrod has demonstrated.

 

[Iarnrod]

Thanks for the kind comment, Peter. I know I should cut out or replace all the solid bits of the underframes, but as I just like these thrashing around behind my Tornado or Western Class they will do as they are. I may dare use one or two to practise weathering, though.

My only problem with them is that I have R2 & R3 curves. With more than five of the coaches they derail as the springs in the couplings pull the bogies out of position. Luckily the only plausible length trains for my stations are five coaches and motive power, so not a big issue!

 

[sean hpw]

QUOTE (Graham Plowman @ 30 Apr 2014, 03:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The prototype had 3 foot 6 inch wheels which equates to 14mm - the Hornby 14.1mm wheels being closest. Forget the 12.6mm 3 hole wheels, they are for wagons, not the coaches.

Thats the one I used

I know i have both and several other types, and unless I have my note-book handy I always forget which I used where!

Sean

 

[Mister Jake]

Sorry if this is 'bumping' a thread that hasn't been replied to since May 1st, but I've subscribed to this magazine. Before everyone on the forum starts beating me to death with railway tools, i'll say this. I am fully aware that I could make a far better layout at half the cost. The only reason i'm subscribing is the cost is in small increments and is manageable for someone like me on the disability pension- it will also be the perfect draft idea so I know what to do when I make my own original layout. So far, I only have the first three issues with all the free gifts excluding the cork underlay and the wagon which should be in the next few deliveries. The magazine is a decent read with interesting little facts and for $8, the coach is pretty damn good in my opinion (I say that as it costs double that to merely get a coach to where I live )

 

[Iarnrod]

Good luck with it, Mister Jake. I hope it goes well and you enjoy it!

 

[Mister Jake]

^ I'm sure i'll enjoy it if the series isn't cancelled before I have all 120 issues XD

 

[Peter Armond]

I am currently visiting Johannesburg South Africa and was surprised to see that this magazine is still on sale. Unlike most UK magazines on sale in South Africa which are around double the UK price this works out at only just over half the UK price.

Issues 48 and 49 were on sale in CNA at Sandton and CNA Eastgate, but at CNA Fourways they are still trying to sell issues 12 and 13!

An expensive way to build a model railway and the "freebies" with the issues I saw do not inspire anyone to purchase a copy.

The coaches that came with the first edition of the magazine that I mentioned over a year ago remain on my workbench waiting attention.I guess I will do something with them eventually!

 

[Peter Armond]

This duplicated and seems the best I can do to eliminate

 

[Peter Armond]

I am currently in South Africa for a short break and found that this magazine is still on sale. CNA at Sandton City had issues 99 and 100. A tree was the "free" model in issue 100 and an incomplete building in issue 99. I am surprised this magazine has lasted. while it appears to be cheaper than UK at rand199 about Pounds4.70 a copy I don't think I will bother buying. For those who have purchased I believe ther is only 20 more issues to go.

 

[Mr N. Ladd]

I bought a few coaches. The issues came out twice here over a year or two. Never subscribed or bought more then the first edition as funds were low and also the fear of ending up spending a fortune! From what I heard, one ends up spending not much more then it would cost one if one bought the same from a model shop, so well done to the makers.
I recently saw one in a train and toy sale event and the seller wanted £10 for it! To be honest they are actually worth that secondhand (As new condition), even though it is a bit cheeky to ask that price for it.
I think I ended up with a rake of eight. While I already had a brake third to go with it of older vintage, I noticed the equivalent railroad brake coach was put up in price by certain shops in the hope some will buy it to form a rake. They certainly know how to earn themselves extra cash, even if it does seem a bit unfair. The concern is that when the buyers find out will they bother with the hobby as such practices bring a bad name to the modelling trade. It is rather like selling one HST power car for half price but doubling the price of the dummy power car to compensate, knowing such is needed and they are not likely to be found elsewhere.
As coaches go, for money spent they are an absolute bargain so if they repeat the offer in the future I'd go for it. Worth buying a western or warship to complete the scene!

 

[Peter Armond]

I think many of us bought several copies of the first copy which was over 2 years ago now, maybe nearer 3 in UK. I certainly bought 7.

I have yet to get round to improving these 7 coaches, improving the running and adding numbers is part of my plan. Currently they are parked in a siding on my railway waiting attention.