I’m considering picking up a Coach and Combine off FB Marketplace. The seller says…
Custom built laser-cut wood kit passenger cars. No manufacturer listed anywhere, but believed to be either Hartford Scale Models or Iron Horse Engravings.
Can anyone ID them and confirm they are in fact Fn3 product?
If they are Fn3, or close, they look perfect to replace my Bachmann Jackson Sharp cars.
I was chatting with TJ about these last night. I don’t believe they are commercial kits. Look to be more scratch built (No tab joinery). I think they are Fn3 renditions of Barney & Smith Car Co. cars like the one preserved at the Southern California Railway Museum. It was built for the Carson and Colorado Railway which was 3 foot gauge.
Thanks Dan. I kinda figured they were scratch built. Nicely done, not too much underside detail; good “Operations Quality” look to them. TJ is going to measure the length and the combine door for me. If they are big enough to look good with my 1:20 stock I’ll snatch them up if somebody doesn’t beat me to them.
I saw those as well. I think they might be a couple of Don Winter’s kits. I have a bunch of them (but only built the RPO). If you get them we can measure a few things to see if they are.
Thanks Bob. I asked the seller to measure the combine cargo door and the length to give me a rough idea of scale. I would have jumped right on them except the seller is unsure of scale. I have enough stuff that doesn’t fit 
Jon,
i think these are scratch built. do not think these are Don winters either. the trucks from what i can see are scratch built as well. thought they may have come from the carter Bros kits from the Master Class on the other site but they are not. if reasonable cost i would purchase.
Depends on what you call reasonable! $400 for the pair w/local pickup only.
Jon
depends where local is i guess, but i think a very good deal, considering scratch-built, interior detail, the right couplers? may have to tinker with the trucks?
AL P.
I had to go dig out my Don Winter RPO out of the shed. Youre right, I dont think this is one of those. Underframe and trucks are different
Dan, did he mention where he got them?
Yes. A local hobby shop. (They live in Oley Valley, PA)
Local is on my way to or from Ken’s at the end of April. I will grab them if I’m not too late.
I have to confess that Jon was too late - I had already told TJ I would take them and Jerry brought them back home from ECLSTS.
They are quite spectacular. Handmade from wood; probably laser cut. Even the trucks and railings seem handmade too. Full interior, brass (working) hinges, coal box by the stove, etc.
On the other side, they are quite delicate and very, very lightweight. I first made a long box (they are 30" long, about a scale 48’ I think) with lots of padding, then after fixing the bits that had fallen off, I added a weight underneath where it can easily be removed if you don’t want to run them. I plan to see how they look behind my (1:22.5 scale) Aster C&S #22 at Tuckahoe Steam & Gas Show in Easton, MD, this next weekend.
As you may figure by now, I’d like to resell them. I just do not have room for them! I’m happy to let them go for the $400 I paid.
Pete offered them to me first privately, but I passed and I’ve blown my discretionary for quite some time! So anyone who wants them from Pete, they are fair game.
Being a modeler first and a runner second, $400 would be a little high for me mainly because of the work and needed parts to complete the cars to my satisfaction. There is no underneath detailing and the trucks are questionable, but maybe correct for the car. If the car scales out for Fn3 then it’s probably and ok deal if you are happy with them. trainman
John,
They are definitely 1:20.3. I’ve had a lot of Accucraft coaches and these are much nicer and beautifully made. A lot less expensive than the Accucraft J&S coaches too, as those are almost $300 each.
The trucks are quite nice and appear to be exact models of the originals, including the brakes. I suspect when built they didn’t have much underframe detailing! Ah - I see the original photos don’t show the current detail on the trucks! Which raises the question of how come they have brakes when I got them?
(I took that pic to see what the ‘thing’ was on back of the wheel. Maybe a magnet or something. Anyway, the white foam sticky is now gone.)
Here’s a pic from last weekend, when I took them to Tuckahoe:
You can just see the truck details (I lightened it to show the brakes.) Also note the exquisite woodwork on the platform steps. And the filagree railings - much thinner than Accucraft.
I ran them behind my Aster C&S #22:
I think now that you got it all figured out and the scale is correct, you probably got a good deal, true you couldn’t buy and build them for that price, better looking deal all the time.
trainman
