Erie Railroad Mahoning division HCD

[peteski]

I wish there was a company like Oxford Diecast doing US based vehicles for the 1940's. Their stuff is great and the prices are good as well.

But they would be in 1:148 scale which is way too large to look right on American 1:160 scale layouts.  I bought their VW bus and it looked like a giant next to regular  N scale vehicles.

Another not-so-good thing about these is that they are molded from clear plastic and the non-window areas are printed on the surface. That results with flush-fitting windows (which is really nice), but the paint is translucent which is not very nice at all.  Seeing light shining through what is supposed to be a metal body is not very realistic.

[Chris333]

This Pickfords moving van is from Oxford:
https://goo.gl/photos/H66ujTimoyi6g6YR6

It is nicely detailed and I can't tell if it's not N scale. Plus it was like $12 at MBK. Here is their current stock:
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/N-Scale-Vehicles-s/1447.htm?searching=Y&sort=3&cat=1447&show=30&page=1&brand=Oxford%20Diecast

[Philip H]

my folks picked me up this in England a couple of years ago as a souvenir of their trip:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Oxford-Diecast-N-Bedford-OB-Coach-p/oxd-nob002.htm

Its a hair oversized next to some of my modern era faithfully produced 1:160 stuff but not so much as you really notice.  I think the trick to using these is to place them so they are not surrounded by scale sized vehicles.  @Chris333 got it right imho.

[davefoxx]

my folks picked me up this in England a couple of years ago as a souvenir of their trip:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Oxford-Diecast-N-Bedford-OB-Coach-p/oxd-nob002.htm

Its a hair oversized next to some of my modern era faithfully produced 1:160 stuff but not so much as you really notice.  I think the trick to using these is to place them so they are not surrounded by scale sized vehicles.  @Chris333 got it right imho.

Agreed.  I have a 1:148 scale Herbie the Love Bug from Oxford Diecast, and it seems fine to me, if placed on the layout appropriately:



DFF

[wazzou]

It seems the length of that space would hardly be adequate for a 1978 Plymouth Fury III.   

[peteski]

my folks picked me up this in England a couple of years ago as a souvenir of their trip:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Oxford-Diecast-N-Bedford-OB-Coach-p/oxd-nob002.htm

Its a hair oversized next to some of my modern era faithfully produced 1:160 stuff but not so much as you really notice.  I think the trick to using these is to place them so they are not surrounded by scale sized vehicles.  @Chris333 got it right imho.

I agree that keeping out-of-scale vehicles away from the correctly scaled ones will make them blend in better.  We also need to keep in mind that British buses and lorries (especially older ones) were usually smaller than the US counterparts, so they will not look as much out-of scale as passenger vehicles we are used to seeing in-person.  Same applies to cars like Kato's 1:150 scale Toyota sedans. Toyota sedans were not large cars but in 1:150 scale they seem to depict some larger American sedans quite well (even when placed right along 1:160 scale vehicles).

Then there is the personal choice - some people seem to care more than others whether a vehicle on their layout is out of scale, while others are ok even using toy vehicles such as Micro-Machines (which are not only much larger scale but are also grossly out of proportion).

I only bought one Oxford model - the VW bus and I knew that it was not acceptable to me.





Not only it is to my eyes much larger than the 1:160 model, the overall quality is very poor.  The side view shows the inaccurate wheel openings and low-rider stance.   The dodgem car-like bumpers are laughable The very translucent paint pulled away from the door lines making the translucent appearance even worse.  The detail printing (window gaskets, wipers and the metal bars or vents in the side windows) is also fairly crude.  No more Oxford vehicles for me.

[Chris333]

Well lets just say I wish someone made better vehicles than what is available. 

CMW isn't doing anything that I could use. And the last photo I posted of a CMW WC22 truck, barely even looks like one:
http://forums.aths.org/InstantForum2010/Uploads/Images/3929979e-157f-486e-a7a2-fb0d.jpg

They have a molded interior with a steering wheel behind a foot thick plastic window that doesn't let you see the inside. Instead of an interior just work on making the body look right and figure out how to sell them so I'll buy some.

[peteski]

Well lets just say I wish someone made better vehicles than what is available. 

CMW isn't doing anything that I could use. And the last photo I posted of a CMW WC22 truck, barely even looks like one:
http://forums.aths.org/InstantForum2010/Uploads/Images/3929979e-157f-486e-a7a2-fb0d.jpg

They have a molded interior with a steering wheel behind a foot thick plastic window that doesn't let you see the inside. Instead of an interior just work on making the body look right and figure out how to sell them so I'll buy some.

+1

CMW stuff is really crude.  I also don't get this die-cast metal fascination. It seems ot me that in N scale injection-mplded plastic would be a better choice (and probably cheaper to make molds for).  We need more Trainworx-like quality models out there!

[Dave V]

+1

CMW stuff is really crude.  I also don't get this die-cast metal fascination. It seems ot me that in N scale injection-mplded plastic would be a better choice (and probably cheaper to make molds for).  We need more Trainworx-like quality models out there!

Agreed.

[Cajonpassfan]

my folks picked me up this in England a couple of years ago as a souvenir of their trip:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Oxford-Diecast-N-Bedford-OB-Coach-p/oxd-nob002.htm

Its a hair oversized next to some of my modern era faithfully produced 1:160 stuff but not so much as you really notice.  I think the trick to using these is to place them so they are not surrounded by scale sized vehicles.  @Chris333 got it right imho.

I snuck in one of the Bedfords on my layout, and while it maybe slightly oversize, English buses were generally smaller that their American counterparts so I figured I'd get away with it. And the lines and paint scheme feel right for my era, see below.
Otto

[OldEastRR]

Well lets just say I wish someone made better vehicles than what is available. 

CMW isn't doing anything that I could use. And the last photo I posted of a CMW WC22 truck, barely even looks like one:
http://forums.aths.org/InstantForum2010/Uploads/Images/3929979e-157f-486e-a7a2-fb0d.jpg

I'd guess that's a long-haul OTR version of the White. Looks like CMW modeled a short-haul (narrow fenders, less hefty bumper) as seen in this pre-1948 photo but then stuck the OTR saddle tanks on:'

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I'm not concerned about the cab interior, but clearly the hood on the model should enclose and smoothly meet the radiator, with only the grill showing, as shown above. The reason it does look the way it does is because of an easily-corrected design flaw.

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As for WTF? metal bodies, the company IS called "Classic Metal Works" . Tho for me the term means vehicles from several decades ago, maybe they don't want somebody complaining "heeeey .. deese tings aint made uh METAL!!!"

[Rasputen]

That CMW truck needs the radiator surround filled in, smaller headlamps, and the front track is too narrow.

I've got a few 40's trucks that I have shrunk down, I just need to finish them:


I've also got a '38 Ford truck that is waiting to be shrunk down from HO.

[GimpLizard]

In my opinion, the only "quality" N scale vehicles available right now are Rasputen's resin castings and Jens Jahn's (rapidpro) Shapeways models.  (https://www.shapeways.com/designer/rapidpro/creations) The details from both are terrific. And, they both have vehicles for the era I model. The only "problem" (and it's really my problem) with the Shapeways models is they need to be painted. And painting 1-piece printed cars is, for me anyway, a serious chore.

[chicken45]

In my opinion, the only "quality" N scale vehicles available right now are Rasputen's resin castings and Jens Jahn's (rapidpro) Shapeways models.  (https://www.shapeways.com/designer/rapidpro/creations) The details from both are terrific. And, they both have vehicles for the era I model. The only "problem" (and it's really my problem) with the Shapeways models is they need to be painted. And painting 1-piece printed cars is, for me anyway, a serious chore.

I'm struggling with the chrome trim on my Valiant.

[wazzou]

Classic TRW thread drift.