A need for more W&L passenger stock ?

[maxi-model]

I was wondering with Accucraft now making/having made 4 of the W&L fleet - Earl/Countess, Joan and Hunslet #14 (how long till the troublesome Romanian Resita is featured ?) if there is any millage in someone doing correct, 16 mm/1:19, stock for them to haul outside of the Pickerings. I've even seen a one off Monarch 16 mm live steamer too that may need some appropriate stock soon. The LGB Zillertalbahn stock is too small at 1:22.5 in my eyes.
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I was thinking of those two prolific "woodcutters" IP and Yatton for the Zillertal and Sierra Leone and perhaps Swift16 for the Hungarian jobs. There must be a reasonable market out there now given Accucraft's activity on the loco fron to date and the future to make a business case to go for it (provided Accucraft don't pitch in unexpectedly with their own offerings).

I've even given thought to commissioning some laser-cut stuff from one of the above if they could fit it in to their schedules and one could come up with an equitable deal on the reproduction rights. Any thoughts or interest ? Max.

[Andrew]

Hello,

Yes, I agree, have been thinking the same thing myself. I'm doing a little CAD design at the moment (NWNGR 4-wheelers) and have been thinking about what I might do next, including what others might be interested in purchasing if I were to make extras, but - alas - I'm encountering technical difficulties with getting my drawings cut at the moment. If I can overcome those I might look at producing some of the Zllertalbahn 4-wheelers in the not-too-distant future - although like you I'm guessing someone else may get in there first...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[angr607]

It has crossed my mind about producing some W&LLR coach kits though Bowaters Models as I'd like some Sierra Leone Coaches myself for my line. I haven't thought about the Zillertalbahn coaches before but I can look into it as a project to do once the Chattenden and Upnor Coaches I'm working on are complete (which should only be a month or two away).

Cheers,

Jon/Bowaters Models

[cncmodeller]

While it seems obvious that with the locos one would assume that there is a reasonable market for the rolling stock I have found in practice that its not the case. I produced in the past a very accurate Bowaters pulp wagon and coaches and supplied PPS with them a number of years ago, but we found that the market wasn't that hot and especially since 'Excelsior' and 'Superior' were current. The conclusion I have come to is that in reality the 16mm market is very small but if you read the monthly Garden Rail magazines etc it appears a lot more vibrant and larger, but one must remember they are in the business of selling magazines so its in their interest to present the hobby in this way. If you are going to produce rolling stock you would be well advised to not expect to sell more than 15 or 20 of anything. The other issue is that with rolling stock being quite large in our scale whatever you produce is quite hungry on materials and most modellers on average want to spend just £50 on anything so you end up struggling to get back the material costs let alone your time. Sure the locos sell but they have a secured re-sale value and wow factor with rolling stock I think its somewhat different.
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[Andrew]

That seems a very perceptive assessment...

I've taken the opportunity to "buy back" some time off work and have been using the time (a day a week for 10 weeks) to learn CAD with the idea of producing some models that I'd struggle to make by traditional methods. It's largely to improve my "work/life balance", but the idea is that while I'm at it I'll make a few more to sell, partly to offset some of the cost of the leave buy-back and partly to assess whether there's any viable way to extend my temporary 4-day week arrangement by setting up a very small business. It may yet work, but as you say, the costs of materials etc soon stack up, and with them the amount I'd have to charge for any models I try to sell...

We'll see, but it's fun learning. Looks like I might have got my cutting issues resolved too, so the project might lurch on a little longer!

All the best,

Andrew.

[cncmodeller]

Ive been doing CAD/CNC and lasercutting for 26 years, any problems on that front Im the person to ask.

regards

John

[Andrew]

Very kind, thank you... Beautiful photos you've added to the above post, lovely detail...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Big Jim]

I've taken the opportunity to "buy back" some time off work and have been using the time (a day a week for 10 weeks) to learn CAD with the idea of producing some models that I'd struggle to make by traditional methods. It's largely to improve my "work/life balance", but the idea is that while I'm at it I'll make a few more to sell, partly to offset some of the cost of the leave buy-back and partly to assess whether there's any viable way to extend my temporary 4-day week arrangement by setting up a very small business. It may yet work, but as you say, the costs of materials etc soon stack up, and with them the amount I'd have to charge for any models I try to sell...

Good luck to you.

I tried a similar thing with Landrover Parts about ten years ago. There were one or two bits for vintage series Landies that were unobtainable but quite simple to produce. I found that I could sell parts I made, but not at a price that made it viable as a business. However what I was able to do was make the ones I sold pay for what ever I kept. I never did much more than a few knobs, handles and bits of bent metal and I suppose once my time cost was included I would have been better off finding some one to make them for me but it was fun. [/list]