O Gauge kits of British locos? non-running, inexpensive for a static diorama, anything out there?

[bootneck]

I have started a diorama for my Land Rover in 1:43 scale which I think would look nice with a loco passing.  The problem is that I could only find expensive, working, models.  Does anyone have any knowledge of inexpensive plastic, or resin etc., kits?

 

cheers,
Mike

[BristolBlue]

What about O gauge narrow gauge I think it’s called O 16.5  but I’m probably wrong.  Think you can use 00 gauge track and cheap running gear and then some lovely 3d printed narrow gauge bodies (google or evil bay firms like 3d loco works).  I’m having lots of fun with sm32 3d kits for garden railway which are cheaper than a new oo gauge loco.  I’m imagining landrover at a little crossing with a quarry hunslett wobbling past….

[Paul821]

21 minutes ago, BristolBlue said:

What about O gauge narrow gauge

Following on from @BristolBlue 's suggestion a quick Google on 1:43 trains brings up a few suggestions such as:

 

https://www.sanddmodels.co.uk/products_43.htm

 

A couple of years ago Hornby sold a rebadged, from Lionel in the USA, Hogwarts Express set, which was close to 1:43 scale. These were being sold off cheaply but now seem to command a significant premium. Posy Christmas many stores sell off "Under the Christmas Tree" train sets cheaply and some of these could be donors for some sort of scratch built industrial loco.

 

 

[bootneck]

Hi BB and Paul,

My plan is to have a standard gauge steam loco, possibly a pannier or prairie type similar to the Airfix OO version, but in 1:43 scale.  Yes, a nice litte level crossing setting would suit.  I'm not sufficiently knowledged in the workings of a loco; therefore I could do with a complete kit ready to put together and paint.  I have done searches and found plenty of locos in O Gauge, such as Dapol etc, but they are very expensive.  I am just trying to find a basic, non running model of a train that's within my low budget.

 

Has anyone else built a static diorama or layout that has a cheap steam loco kit in the setting?   If so, could you advise me of what make of model and where to get them please?

 

cheers,
Mike

[Circloy]

Sorry to burst you're bubble but what you're looking for doesn't exist.

 

The O gauge market demands trains that run^* and, i suspect, those are the loco's that you're finding in your searches. As for expensive that's relative, compared to OO gauge they actually very good value and O gauge modelling is probably cheaper than OO for a given space.

 

Until recently O gauge was 95% kit based and a large part of it still is as the range of ready to run (RTR) items is still limited. Kits are still available check out DJH, Gladiator to name two but don't complain about the prices as they fall somewhere between the burago type diecast kit and miniature engineering.

 

* despite having the ability to run many reside in their box or, at best, are on display on shelves or in cabinets. These day's model railways is a collectors market, often seen as an investment and the likes of Antiques Roadshow are to blame, that bubble will burst as theey start to die off.

 

Trust me I'm an O gauge modeller.

[bootneck]

Thanks for the confirmation Circloy.  I'll have a go at scratchbuilding something.

 

cheers,

 

Mike

[Circloy]

Mike,

 

Somewhere in the depths of memory I recalled seing this

 

https://www.kingkit.co.uk/product/minicraft-railway-models--11103-1872-vulcan-saddleback-locomotive-1-45

 

@ 1:45 it would pass for O gauge (1:43.5) but, in my view, would need some work for it to pass as a UK industrial (not mainline) loco & least said about the coaches the better.

[Bonhoff]

I'd go down the 0n16.5 route too - Use a  Dapol Pug with a scratch built cab that suits the larger scale and an extended chimney.

[Rob Pulham]

You could try looking for something in O gauge by Lima far from perfect but for a diorama it could work.

 

This is currently on ebay at £4.50

[Pete in Lincs]

Mike, Triang did the Big big train set decades ago in O gauge ish. A Hymek, a diesel shunter and a dreadful small steam engine.

Here's a link to a cheap chassis on the bay. You could cobble up a small shunter from this maybe?

 

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gKEAAOSw~ElloXZ8/s-l1600.jpg

[bootneck]

2 hours ago, Rob Pulham said:

You could try looking for something in O gauge by Lima far from perfect but for a diorama it could work.

 

This is currently on ebay at £4.50

Hi Rob,

That's over £20 now.  Good idea though.

6 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Mike, Triang did the Big big train set decades ago in O gauge ish. A Hymek, a diesel shunter and a dreadful small steam engine.

Here's a link to a cheap chassis on the bay. You could cobble up a small shunter from this maybe?

 

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gKEAAOSw~ElloXZ8/s-l1600.jpg

Hello Pete,

another good idea.  

3 hours ago, Bonhoff said:

I'd go down the 0n16.5 route too - Use a  Dapol Pug with a scratch built cab that suits the larger scale and an extended chimney.

I couldn't find a Dapol Pug in O gauge; however, the locos I could see were very expensive with starting prices over £60.  Too much for me.

 

I don't think that I'm going to find an inexpensive static loco; therefore, I've started to draw up one in CAD.  I haven't any knowledge on how this would look normally, so I've obtained a Dapol OO gauge Prairie Tanker for the general shape.

 

 

 

cheers,

Mike

[Rob Pulham]

3 hours ago, bootneck said:

Hi Rob,

That's over £20 now.  Good idea though.

cheers,
Mike

 

Yes, ideally you want one that doesn't finish on a Sunday.

 

You can usually find the Lima 4F's for £35 or less depending on whether they are runners or not. That looks like one of the better examples.

[Bonhoff]

22 hours ago, bootneck said:

 I couldn't find a Dapol Pug in O gauge; however, the locos I could see were very expensive with starting prices over £60.  Too much for me.

Sorry Mike,

 

That's not what I meant - "0n16.5" is O Gauge Scale, using OO track to represent narrow gauge - Dapol still produce the Rosebud/Kitmaster/Airfix L&YR "Pug" as a 00 gauge kit - https://www.dapol.co.uk/products/c026-0-4-0t-br-pug 

 

You could produce a new cab and chimney with your 3D printer?

 

Kind regards

 

IanJ

[bootneck]

Hello Ian,

sorry for sounding confused, still,  The Dapol pug in your link is to OO Gauge and not O Gauge

 

cheers,
Mike

[Circloy]

On 15/01/2024 at 14:07, bootneck said:

sorry for sounding confused, still,

Mike what Ianj  is saying is to use the Dapol pug kit (oo) as the basis for a conversion that utilise a larger, O gauge, cab (other changes such as a wider footplate may be required) to represent a narrow gauge locomotive.

 

In model railway parlance it would be known as On16.5 i.e. O (scale) narrow gauge with rails 16.5 mm apart. Other similar options, e.g. OOn9, exist.

 

Doesn't get you that mainline look though.

 

Rob suggestion of looking for a 'Big Big Train' or Lima loco was inspired. In order of accuracy I'd go Big Big Hymek, Lima 4F, Lima Class 33 then the Big Big shunter (either steam or diesel). If you're not set on UK loco's then Lima did/do a European electric loco and Rivarossi a European Diesel, both of which often get overlooked on e-bay.