Garden Railway Forum

Hi everyone,
I am new to the delights of garden railways and this foum. I have a Roundhouse Linda & Taliesin on order and am looking to purchase some carriages to run behind them. I have noticed that both Brandbright & IP Engineering offer some nice looking laser cut kits of Ffestiniog carriages. Looking at both manufacturers websites there seems to be some dimensional differances between the differant brands despite some of the carriages being of similar/same prototypes. I would appreciate any suggestions which would look better behind the abovementioned Roundhouse locos.
Regards
Andrew

Welcome to the form. If I was in your shoe I would go for ip engineering .I personly they are better kit my friend has a set and they are fab model.
Michael

BRANDBRIGHT!

can always trust them. had bad experiences with ip

I've never had a bad experience with IP (though admittedly I've never had a bad experience Brandbright either).

Remember that the Roundhouse engines are slightly overscale. I gather the IP coaches are too, so would probably be the better match.

On the other hand, IP's "bowsiders" are distinctly un-bowed. So I guess you have to decide which annoys you more: coaches that look too small or coaches that are flat-sided?

Despite a week long wait for an I.P. kit, they are good kits. Any mistakes made by them are quickly rectified.

I can't speak for Brandbright, having not dealt with them.

The IP coaches will probably work out cheaper, and I think would be slightly easier to put together. I've built an IP engineering number 17/18 un bowed bowsider, and did a topic about it (see here http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/about1077.html ) The Brandbright ones with have more detail, but only certain ones are available at the moment, as the Brandbright range is all being redesigned for laser cutting, the IP carriages are also available from stock, the Brandbright ones might have a wait depending on whether any have been made recently.

Welcome to the forum! You have an excellent choice of locos on order, you have myself drooling at the Linda and the forum Chairman drooling at the Taliesin!

I think the IP coaches would look great, seeing as they do quite a lot of FfR stuff to go with your locos and they're damn good value for money, and they come complete. I've never had a bad expierience with them (unlike Brandbright, opposite to Andy's expiriences... you can't win them all!), and all the IP kits I've made, I am very happy.

mhlr wrote:Welcome to the forum! You have an excellent choice of locos on order, you have myself drooling at the Linda and the forum Chairman drooling at the Taliesin!  :lol:

I think the IP coaches would look great, seeing as they do quite a lot of FfR stuff to go with your locos and they're damn good value for money, and they come complete. I've never had a bad expierience with them (unlike Brandbright, opposite to Andy's expiriences... you can't win them all!), and all the IP kits I've made, I am very happy.

I drool over the roundhouse Billy (since I had a go with one) But I can fill a pool on the sight of a mamod minor

I'd go for the I.P ones given there are only 3 or 4 really high standard FR Brandbright kits at the moment so you'll find it hard to get a prototypical varied train, also the I.P ones are supposed to be a better scale for the Roundhouse stuff. I found glueing the ends on the I.P bug boxes tricky, but that may have been down to my choice of glue.

Whatever you do, Taliesin is a awsome choice of loco!

all the castings and wheels on my stuff is IP!
I also think that some of the basic stuff is great for modding into your very own unique rolling stock! Nice prices too (very important to me!!)

I have never dealt with brandbright on rolling stock, so can't comment there, however most of my stock is IP stuff (some of which is bug boxes) and i can say that they are great.

The kits (of which i have FR bug boxes and brake and MOD stuff) were all very easy to make and especailly the laser cut kits of the bug boxes went together very nicely and were easily modified with detailing such as cusioned seats in 1st class, lights as well as regaugeable wheels and removable roofs.

When I have had a problem with one of the kits (which was partly due to the lack of my common sense!) Ivan sent me out replacement parts for free! you really cant beat the service in my opinion.

I too have a roundhouse Linda on order and believe that the IP bug boxes will look just right bed her.

Do let us know what you purchase in the end and where from!
either way you are looking at getting some good stock!

Iv used both of them.

Brandbright have a great service (easy to get on the phone and quick postage) but IPs laser kits are superior to theirs in my opinion

I'm not sure that's really neccessary. I always thought that the 16mm association aimed to be a broad, inclusive church. Personally I have a pretty relaxed attitude towards scale and accuracy (after all, running a Russell (2' gauge) with Wisbech and Upwell (Standard) and Zillertalbahn (2'6") coaches on nominally 3' gauge track is hardly authentic!); I much prefer running trains to building them and am more concerned with overall atmosphere than fine detail. But that dosn't mean I don't admire the beautiful, fine-scale models that some members of the Association are capable of building, and I always enjoy seeing them at shows of illustrated in the magazines or on the web. I think it would be a great pity if these talented fine-scale modellers were to take themselves away and form a more exclusive club.

That said, I believe the Merioneth Society still exists if you want to go down that road...

I can't put a bit of paper between the standard of the respective kits, both look good

The debate over size is one thing, and i note the comment about it above

If you join the 16mm yahoo group, you can gain access to card prints of the coaches via files ...print and make up and try for size and measure against those on the trade stands.......having spent a tidy sum on an excellant loco...its worth taking your time with the rolling stock

Crackingjob