I need some (plastic not metal):
Dustbins, Non-working street lamps (1940s - 1960s), Telegraph poles, telephone boxes, Belisha beacons, traffic lights etc.,.
The few I've seen on offer are, frankly, rubbish, out of scale, badly made etc.
I suppose I could make them all myself but life is too short and I have other things to do.
Does anyone know of recommended suppliers for these items?
Maybe we could do a photographic comparison test?
Hello mate try N Gauge society. Belisha beacons etc feature in the bi-monthly journal trade handout pamphlet.
PM me if you need an up to date copy.
Hope this helps
Kind Regards
OwL
I think you will be lucky to find some of those in plastic. Simple economics dictate small low volume items end up in white metal or resin or etched. Most of the phone box designs are available in etched form from Shire Scenes.
For some you may be ok - you can make your own telegraph poles fairly easily and you might be able to get away with some of the German plastic street lamps. Other stuff like the old British metal dustbins I've only ever done well in white metal.
I would have thought beacons ought to be easy to make. It's a sphere with a bit of rod stuck up it. You can buy acrylic spheres in all sorts of sizes from general modelling suppliers, file a small flat on the sphere and drill it. You could probably also roll a suitable sized ball of polycalpractone ('polymorph' and similar brands) and fit that to a bit of rod.
The striped pole can be done several ways. One is to get some similar diameter to the pole wire in white and black then cut slices of the insulation off it and thread them onto the pole.
Sorry to take so much time in replying but I've been overseas.
Very helpful posts, thank you.