Hi all,

Please forgive my ignorance but have just bought a CIWL Darstead coach off ebay. I've never heard of them and so Googled and it all seems to be O gauge. So, do/did they make N?

The seller seems like trade, it looks N and the description is N. It was in the N gauge section but that doesn't mean much. Just thought I'd check with you guys (as you're friends) before I embarrass myself contacting the seller.

Thanks for any help.

Cheers weave 

PS If yes, are they any good?

Never heard of them, alas - can you post the Ebay auction link, it might contain Useful Clues.

It would seem O gauge only

https://www.darstaed.com/

The CIWL coaches are from a DeAgostini partwork:

www.modellbahn-sammlung.de

I guess quality is not too great but okay next to old Lima or Rivarossi coaches.

It seems these were produced in 2016:
http://www.spurweite-n.de/ncontent/ndb/ndb-artdetails.asp?ID=453082109

Thanks guys,

It has Darstead printed on the underside in one of the pics which got me worried but msr's link says distribution by de Agostini, manufacturered by Darstead.

Thanks again for your help and we'll see what's it's like.

Cheers, weave 

Interesting, I saw that on ebay but not really my period so didn't pay too much attention.     

I agree with @Hiawatha  it kind of has a similar look to the old Rivarossi coaches, should go quite well with those.   

Presumably a decent full rendering of an N gauge model with proper wheels and couplings unlike some of the other part-work models out there.

Well, I've picked one up from ebay too, I like to know about what's out there in terms of manufacturers etc. So let's see what the quality is like when it arrives. 

If it's any good, might keep an eye out for more next time I'm in Stuttgart.

I wonder how many issues of the partwork you needed to buy to get all the bits for the coach?  They probably strung it out so you got the body in one issue and the bogies 20 issues later 

Hi,
I've got it (obviously..at that price )..the De Agostini CIWL...they are part of N scale encyclopedia " The Gottardo railway" , so called here in Italy..the design is the old Rivarossi and interiors are printed on card,  running quality is very good, on the whole is a good one....last  issues , about 15 days circa,released the Re 4/4 II motorized chassis and after the bodyshell..my friends that purchased many exemplares saying is a good runner and easy to dcc-ing..

Marco

Thanks Marco, that's interesting to know that the loco chassis has actually appeared! 

I was just reading through old 1zu160 forum posts from 2015/16 with all the usual bad stories about the magazine stopped after a few issues, the quality of some parts was not good, would the locos ever appear, the total cost is double what it would cost to buy the pieces directly etc.       In other words, all the usual problems with these magazines of 100+ parts! 

It would be interesting to see photos of the loco chassis etc.  Are they also made by Darstaed? 

[edit] just found a couple of photos of Darstaed N Re4/4s on google (as sold ebay items). They look ok actually.
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Darstaed-N-Elektrolok-Suedostbahn-SBB-BR-Re-4-4-44-GL-F0064-/401686150379?hash=item5d865c3ceb%3Ag%3AlqgAAOSwviBcPF9c&nma=true&si=GLzr523SFVkvnYCnaByqBbWwSGY%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
[/edit]

Yes,
It is...I have any pics about...

Quote from: ntpntpntp on February 04, 2019, 12:58:53 PM
Well, I've picked one up from ebay too, I like to know about what's out there in terms of manufacturers etc. So let's see what the quality is like when it arrives. 

If it's any good, might keep an eye out for more next time I'm in Stuttgart.

I wonder how many issues of the partwork you needed to buy to get all the bits for the coach?  They probably strung it out so you got the body in one issue and the bogies 20 issues later 

Hi ntpntpntp,

Just picked it up from the PO, I wasn't in last week. No pics as camera phone with 'er outdoors but it's quite nice. Better lettering than Rivarossi and I like the interior corridor doors. My eyesight isn't great and I can't find the magnifying glass but I like it.

The only problem so far is that the coach is too high off the bogies in a Lima type way which is a shame. I can live with it though as will be sitting up from it.

Let me know what you think of yours when it arrives.

Cheers weave, 

Edit PS Meant to say I have no idea what your talking about re. your last sentence.

Quote from: weave on February 04, 2019, 06:46:36 PM

Quote from: ntpntpntp on February 04, 2019, 12:58:53 PM
I wonder how many issues of the partwork you needed to buy to get all the bits for the coach?  They probably strung it out so you got the body in one issue and the bogies 20 issues later 

Edit PS Meant to say I have no idea what your talking about re. your last sentence.

These coaches didn't come complete, they are from a magazine part-work so you had to buy two or three different issues to get all the bits to make up the model. 

So mine arrived today.  I reckon if you didn't know any different and just gave it a casual look-over you'd say it was an old Rivarossi, and it will definitely fit in comfortably with my small fleet of RR CIWLs.

Here are some photos comparing the Darstaed (top or left) with a similar RR model (bottom or right):













I found two or three more on offer on German ebay for around £35 Euros which is probably a little excessive (and double what I paid for his one)

They have a passing resemblance with the CIWL Night Ferry stock which plied Victoria Dover train ferry overnight.
Just need five of them plus a Mk 1 BSK and two SNCF Fourgon wagons - a class 33 or 73 to haul them, and its a fourgon conclusion

Bob