Swift sixteen bogie coach- seen one?

[Keith S]

Hi guys,

I have been watching videos and searching for a passenger vehicle for my little "Billy"'s train. Currently I just have two four-plank wagons from IP. I have taken notice of the freelance coaches from Swift Sixteen. They look really good behind Roundhouse engines, and one of the "half observation" coaches looks just like something you might see being carted around on a little scenic railway.

Does anyone have any experience with them? I usually like kits which are a little more effort to assemble, and I have always wanted to try and stick with authentic materials for my models, but these look too much like what I have been looking for. I am seriously tempted to order one, even though they are resin. I've only just cleaned up my music room out of "workshop mode" and don't really feel like making any more wood and metal things, for the time being.

Any comments on this product? On the advantages/drawbacks of resin products?

[williamfj]

The mouldings for my 4 wheeler needed a fair bit of excess material removed but apart from that the assembly went by with nothing of interest taking place. You have to cut the windows out yourself, most of mine were either too small or ended up with glue where there shouldn't be glue!

[Keith S]

How does it look painted? Does it look like it is made of plastic? I really would prefer to make something out of wood, but I haven't the inclination to make one from scratch, and I like the size of the S.16 coach compared to I.P ones, (15mm taller). If it doesn't look blatantly plastic-y, I think I would like it, but if it has that molded-plastic look, I would probably wish I had gone with wood. You know the plastic-y look I am talking about, I'm sure. Like some of the LGB equipment.

I don't know much about resin. THe resin "coal" on my loco looks fine once painted.

[williamfj]

It's hard to say whether it looks plasticy too be honest, partly thanks to my choice of yellow & grey and I've painted it without the use of an airbrush or aerosols.

In more traditional colours I think that they'd look quite realistic. TBH The one of the things that's stopping me from selling mine is the rather garish livery.

[Gremlin]

I had reservations about resin kits as I've built a lot of resin kits from the garage kit scene, movie characters/monsters etc. I've had some terrible resin stuff, to the extent of filling lots and lots of air bubble holes and sculpting new parts. Just had to put up with it as it was all the same in the 90's.
I have bought a couple of kits from Andel models and I'm very pleased to say that things have moved on a looong way in resin moulding. I was very impressed with the quality of the castings. Moulded in colour for those that aren't great with a paintbrush and they have a woodgrain finish which I think is nice.
Although I like the idea of a wooden kit too, I could be swayed with some of the resin ones.

[Keith S]

I could easily be convinced the one in William's picture is wood, not plastic. I think I might go for one of these. I've always been a proponent of building my own things, or at least building the most labour-intensive kits I can find, but the fact is that the only work space I have right now is a shag-carpeted music room. I've already built a model traction engine, and scratch built a wooden wagon for it, and the Billy loco, AND the IP wagons for it, and I'm getting a little tired of cleaning the room up after building something. I'm one of those builders who makes the place look like a cyclone has gone through. It might be refreshing to knock together a resin kit instead, as much as I object to plastic models. The pictures I've seen of these Swift sixteen coaches, make them look very wood-like.

[doug22150]

These really are excellent kits. I've put 2 bogie coaches together, guided by Chris Birds article and am really pleased with them. This finish is not at all "plasticky". The most tedious art of construction is cutting out and gluing the windows. Some care is required but the end result is worth the effort. I'm eagerly awaiting the bogie brake to complete the rake of coaches.