Perhaps someone who has the excellent Accucraft British freight rolling stock, could advise if dimensions are suitable to use with the recently released Thomas stock. I really doubt that additional Thomas stock will be released, for sometime to come, as Lionel manufactured only the two passenger coaches and utilised their American gondolas as the ‘troublesome trucks’.
Tim - my brother-in-law has a bunch of AccuCraft wagons for eh Welshpool & Llanfair line - is that what you had in mind? They are, however, scale models of a real British narrow gauge line, not an approximation of standard gauge stock.
I’m sure that if you gave Gordon Watson a call at Argyle Locomotive Works he could help you out - he is a dealer of this stuff. Failing that I’ll call Geoff, but right now he is in Plorn with his daughter and family.
Besp
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Terry,
thanks, I will contact Gordon.
Ah, remember that you’ll need some surgery on these trucks - they all come with the AccuCraft interpretation of the W&Ll chopper lump couplings…
tac
www.ovgrs.org
I have purchased additional Thomas coaches and trucks and will utilise the underframes to build suitable rolling stock. The troublesome truck underframe could be easily made into a flatcar or a Lehmann Toytrain body style could be fitted. The coach underframe may be easily cutdown and a LGB Euro style ‘boxcar’ body fitted. I may scratchbuild other items as the mood takes me (maybe a couple of cattle cars) on the shorter underframe?
I need to reacquaint myself with the Thomas videos for inspiration.
A simple flatcar conversion on the Thomas truck underframe. While not ‘practical’ as no provision for tie-down rings, the car represents a variation on the basic truck. Another easy conversion would be a single-plank or double-plank gondola, or a bolster wagon. The deck will be painted and fastened down. The deck is made from several layers of laminated 1mm thick ply that I hand-scribed.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscba.JPG)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbb.JPG)
While not ‘Sodorian’ prototype, it is none the less another simple variation to running just ‘troublesome trucks’. The Lehmann car is almost the exact length for the underframe. Will be painted grey to completes (Lehmann did make a suitable, grey painted body that would fit perfectly). Having disposed of my other Toytrain cars, I do not know what other body types (boxcar) may be suitable.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbc.JPG)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbd.JPG)
Ah, I can see that you really don’t need any help from me.
AND they look VERY Australian, too! 
Best
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Tim, that LGB car is nearly dead on! Nice Idea!
Terry,
you are correct. The flatcar does resemble a Victorian prototype design, courtesy of the initial Irish contract let back in the mid-1850’s. We, New South Welshmen, renigged on the Irish contract and went with an English supplier, so our stock is a slightly different design, including a different gauge. This lead to the broad gauge/standard gauge furore that lasted around 120 years. It was not until the 1970’s that standard gauge was extended into the Victorian countryside. Much like British railway history until standardisation.
How about those Newquida LGB knockoffs?
The IP Engineering kits would probably match well - http://www.ipengineering.co.uk/index.html
-Brian
Another possibility is a ‘believable’ two-plank open wagon. Still needs tidying up and repainting. Took about 45 minutes, to this stage, with a hacksaw and file.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbe.JPG)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbf.JPG)
Simplest flatcar version to make.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbh.JPG)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbg.JPG)
Another work in progress. Used to transport bulk salt (?). Awaiting some Evergreen strips to complete.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbj.JPG)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbi.JPG)
Tim I like your thinking, my Avonside 0-4-0 ST (Who shall be refered to from here out NOT as Percy) needs some Britty stock, heres a hot of the press item, I actually got the Bach’man to answer YES that NEW Thomas rolling stock WILL be issued in the coming year, but of course he wouldnt say WHAT specificly, but based on the HO lineup any new offering from that lineup will be good additions.
The ONE item NO ONE (not even the Thomas show depicts any) have offered is a decent Brake Van! I plan to kitbash something, still working on ideas…
Vic,
British looking protype is a new direction for me. Thomas is a means to an end, keeping the young crowd happy and also pleasing me with the relatively low cost. The faces do not actually put me off. I need to order a few more trucks.
I was hoping to mix some LGB items with the rakes, but as the Thomas lineup is a smaller scale, the cars are too narrow. Simply not worth the effort to narrow LGB boxcars to suit. I will await any future Thomas rolling stock releases (boxcars, brake vans, etc.).Tim Brien said:
Simplest flatcar version to make.(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbh.JPG)
One does wonder why Bachmann, who make a decent HO model of British goods stock, managed to mangle the brake lever on the G version so badly. Then again, Bachmann …
A bit of frivolity in the yard. I had a new old stock LGB #2060, from the early 1970’s, that I tried to sell several times on eBay before Christmas. I did not receive an enquiry, let alone a bid. Well, a leftover face moulding and a red diesel will modernise the yard.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/lscbk.JPG)
Salty!!!the Dockside Diesel!
Nice loco, I’d imagine shipping would kill me to get it here!
cale