It's addictive to be on the local version of eBay (Tradera). There are now some Peco code 80 points available, but even though the bargain hunter in me would willingly bid, I have been advised to go with code 55, and I have made the decision to do so. Now I'm bidding on a few Peco point motors that I'm hoping will come in handy.
A few weeks ago, I won the bid on two auctions from the same seller. Two sets of three wagons each. In each set, one Peco wagon. One is a roofless NE break wagon, and the other is an SR wagon. Both perfect for me, and the rest of the wagons I can turn into something useful or sell.
One thing that struck me was the difference in scale between the Peco wagons and the Fleishmann one. Let me explain a bit...
I have bought a few British engines and a set of GWR coaches and compared to the Minitrix and Fleishmann engines and coaches, and there seem to be little difference. Then of course the engines I've compared are very different from each other. Someone said that running 1:160 and 1:148 together wasn't a problem. I thought they were right from what I had seen up to that point.
Now, I was looking at the roofless NE break wagon from Peco and the 5 plank open wagon from Fleishmann and I suddenly saw the difference in scale! It was glaringly obvious. The Fleishmann planks were sooooo much narrower than the Peco ones.
There is no way I can run my 1:160 open plank wagons unchanged on my layout.
What I can do, is find some 3D files for my 3D printer and print me some new wagons and then I guess I need to shorten the chassi on some European wagons so they will fit. I think a lick of paint might turn the wheels into spoked ones if done properly.
Or should I sell the European wagons as is and spend the money on Peco kits?
You could always keep the two scales separate. Run the European stock one day and the British outline the next. I'm doing something slightly similar, with UK pre-nationalisation and post-nationalisation stock.
Cheers,
Chris
Ultimately it's personal. There's no right or wrong. Personally I'd not get into shortening chassis to accommodate 3D prints; either print a chassis too, or buy an appropriate chassis and sell the 1:160 wagons.
Quote from: Papyrus on October 23, 2021, 06:32:30 PM
I'm doing something slightly similar, with UK pre-nationalisation and post-nationalisation stock.
I plan on cheating and running both on Furness Junction - the pre-nationalisation stock wasn't all repainted on 01/01/1948 :D
I might even cheat a tad more and include adaptations of the 1948 exchange trials so I can (semi)legitimately add some non-LMS locos.
I would strongly advise against buying second hand points unless they are clearly unused and never been on a layout. I see so many old points for sale with broken or missing sleepers where they were pinned down or sleepers cut away to accommodate them in a crossover etc.
As a code 55 user I'll only buy the points from ebay if new from a shop or are still boxed and still have the additional sleepers attached.
Code 55 doesn't seem popular in Sweden. I know I can buy new ones from an online store, but they rarely come up on the bidding market.
If I print the chassi as well, what do I do about wheels?
Buy them.
I echo ntp's thoughts. Just buy points from a shop. Second hand will cause you no end of grief. Plenty of UK retailers will remove VAT for foreign orders as discussed before, so they're not hugely expensive.