Whilst googling around looking for info on model overhead electric units I stumbled across a manufacturer I've not seen before. https://www.jandmhughesogauge.com/ He seems to manufacturer some very competitively priced kits and ready to run stock. From what i can gather its a mixture of upgraded Model express kits and new designs. I may be wrong but I am sure some of those can be traced back to the dreaded MTK. Looking at photos on his site & a thread on RMWEB they look better quality than those though. Does anyone have any experience of these?
New one to me too. His models look pretty good, it would be interesting to see or hear about how his kits assemble.
From what i understand the coaches and multiple units come with a preformed single piece body and a separate aluminum roof and even include wheels and sprung buffers. The ends are resin. I quite fancy his 121 bubble car. Completely out of my area but I have fond memories of travelling around the Bristol area on them during a family holiday as a kid. I vaguely remember reading on RMWEB that he works full time and makes the kits as a Hobby which maybe explains the extremely low prices. Certainly he cant be making much money from them. I just haven't managed to track anyone independent down whos made one
I believe that fellow member Kerry Viney (@Kerry Viney) had a kit from them and wasn't too impressed.
The prices do look too good to be true. having said that i've paid a lot more for rubbish kits and get a strange pleasure out of beating them into submission. i may take a punt and report back. ive emailed them asking for pictures of a few of the kits. will report back if i get a reply
Hi Paul which Kit grabs your attention ? Must admit at that price the WD 2-8-0 is tempting, but that voice in the back of some recess keeps saying you get what you pay for, so will be interested to hear what you think. Paul
I believe the wd kits of both wheel arrangements are body only. Premier do off a milled chassis for the 2-8-0 version which still works out as under £200. The castings on his website and on a thread on rmweb all.look excellent. The wd 2-8-0 several of the diesels, the 121 and 114 dmu plus the promised class 304 emu all interest me. I've been contemplating scratchbuilding a 304 or bashing some mki suburban coaches into one for some time
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137515-mike-hughes-workbench/ Some more interesting info
A word of caution re the WD kit, One of the WD kit's out there is the former Meteor (I think) kit which apparently has whitemetal valve gear (shudders at the very idea). Having just noted Paul's mention of body only this probably isn't it. Not in the same price bracket but infinitely better to my mind, is the Snowhill kit sold by Roxey Mouldings. I have the 2-10-0 version to build at some point and the only bit of white metal in the whole kit, is the basic backhead casting. Everything else is either etch or cast brass.
Oh of course, I should know that as I have a pair of the 0-6-0 austerity tank kits. One of them is the Majestic Models version, while the other is the NMRS version. I may sell the latter at some point as I may never get around to building it.
If you consider selling the austerity. I might be interested as several where based at grimsby shed for working in the fish docks down the road from me
After doing a bit more digging I have some more info. Mike who makes these kits bought the modelexpress business. This including the tooling and masters for many of the Old MTK EL Crapo brand. The multiple units and rolling stock appear to be his own designs and drawn on cad whereas the locos are made from new moulds using a combination of the original El Crapo tooling and new masters but in the same style. This explains why they are so inexpensive. Although MTK have a pretty terrible reputation for fit and accuracy it apears Mike is improving them. I often thought that some of the mtk kits where basically sound but suffered from the terrible quality of the materials used to make them. Despite knowing theyre origins i may still have a punt as the castings look massively improved on the photos ive seen
