Brass kits?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi,

Are their any brass kits of freight or passenger cars? I’ve been looking around but can not fins any. In Sweden they are quite common but I do not want to build a kit that I can not use. So anyone knows of a manufacturer that sells them? Preferably one that is available from Walthers.

Thanks,

Magnus

2

Can you access www.walthers.com over the internet from Sweden? I went to their website online catalogue, clicked “Advanced Search” and cross “Passenger Cars”/ "Ho scale? and input the search word “brass” and got 2 manufacturers- “Brass Car Sides” and “Bethlehem Car Works”… They make brass sides. I believe there is a “core kit” to attach sides to if you do not have a suitable plastic car as a base.

I model in N scale and I have built a brass B&O wagon-top boxcar kit from QualityCraft/Gloor and I have passenger car brass side kits from JnJ, N Gauge International, John Grey, Western Railcraft and American Limited, but these have been accumulated for years and years (most still unbuilt!) and N scale.

3

Hi tahnks for the help. I can acess Walthers and well I would guess pretty much any US site.

I was able to find some kits. Man I feel dumb now. I do not know how I could have missed them before!

Anyone have any ideas about this kit? Is it complete etcetera.

718-611 Class A-18 Coach w/Brass Car Sides – Baltimore & Ohio

Thanks

Magnus

4

Magnus–

Just thought I’d chime in here for what it’s worth–was at my hobby shop yesterday going through the Precision Scale parts catalogue and came upon a kit for a brass UP-style centipede tender. I don’t know whether PSC picked up the old Kemtron dies or what, but there it is–a real brass Big Boy tender kit. I didn’t see the price (probably a pretty healthy dollar), but the detail drawings looked really GOOD! I’ve dealt with PSC a lot for brass detail castings, and they’re really good people who put out a really FINE product.

Just in case one of your 26 Big Boys loses its tender, LOL! [:D]

Tom

5

Thanks for the info.

Maybe it’s time for another tender! :slight_smile:

Any other interesting items they got. I want a full brass kit, not just sides on a plastic frame or something. I want to be able to solder the whole thing and not use glue.

Magnus

6

Precision Scale is probably your best bet. They have the old Kemtron line, and still have some of the kits in stock (and still make a few, too). Most of their kits will likely be narrow gauge (I have a couple in HOn3), but you may find some standard gauge.

Ulrich made a line of die cast metal car kits, with emphasis on gondolas, into the '70s. Included in their line were the Sierra Railway Overton (34ft) passenger cars, later made so famous by Roundhouse in plastic.

Some of the brass importers may have made passenger cars in kit form, but I don’t know the details. Ken Kidder, FED, and Tenshodo made/imported brass locomotive kits in the '60s, although most (all?) were of small steam engines (0-4-0, 4-4-0, 2-6-0, 0-8-0, IIRC).

Hope this helps

Fred W

7

Magnus:

Here’s the link to PSC–

www.precisionscaleco.com

If you need it, the address is:

Precision Scale Co. Inc

2383 Meridian Rd.

Victor, MT, 59875 USA

Tom

8

Take a look at Athabasca Shops as well: http://www.athabascashops.com/.

Canadian prototypes but their CP caboose is quite nice.

9

Thanks for the link.

They do not seem to have a single brass HO kit though?

Magnus

10

Yes, they are VERY nice kits…

…but I prefer to solder them (the directions use CA Cement).

David B