Gauge One kit for an Orient Express CIWL sleeping car; The building of the kit is finished

Dang Fred, another hit clear out of the park.  Please post video or pics of finished car or set.

Chris Sheldon

FRED: DITTO!  ☺

I am still working on this kit, it will be some months before it is finished; here some pictures of corridor and compartment walls (which hide the detailed interior):

More pictures here: http://sncf231e.nl/amati-kit-f...iwl-lx-sleeping-car/

Regards

Fred

Looks like a very fine craftsman kit, Fred, and NOT for the inexperienced modeler! GREAT job, by the way, and keep us posted on your progress!  ☺

What is the production date of this kit? I would assume it is a limited edition?

This kit was issued in June 2018; it is not a limited edition and is still available from a number of retailers. Note that the manufacturer (Amati) is well known for their kits of model ships; they had never made a railroad kit. The kit is does not look like any other model railroad kit I have ever seen, but for sure the resulting car will float on water 

Regards

Fred

If not a tad soggy! YIKES!

That's on "Bad Arse" kit! I hope that you get a lot of comments as well as miles out of it!

Definitely NOT for beginners!

The car ends are added:

And today I ran a gauge 1 train to which this Amati car can be added, if it is ever finished :

Regards

Fred

With all that FINE work you already put into that carriage, you definitely need to finish that JEWEL! Go for it!  ☺

Personally, I have neither the patience nor the craftsman skills for such a project! BRAVO to you Sir for a job well done!

FRED: Does that carriage have much underbody details? Are trucks supplied with this kit? Will you add figures before you place the roof on? Inquiring minds want to know! LOL!

Tinplate Art posted:

FRED: Does that carriage have much underbody details? Are trucks supplied with this kit? Will you add figures before you place the roof on? Inquiring minds want to know! LOL!

Underbody details: not that many; some battery boxes, springing for the buffers and a generator:

Trucks: very detailed with lots of part to be attached with small screws:

Figures: a maker of 0 gauge figures (https://www.omen-miniatures.com/) for this period who makes also CIWL personnel like this:

announced he was going to make these in 1 gauge; I have not seen anything yet.

Regards

Fred

More pictures on my website: http://sncf231e.nl/

Beautiful figures and NICE trucks! Those Omen Figures are very well executed.

Any more progress on this awesome kit?

Progress is very slow since I am not in a hurry at all. The paint I use has a long drying time, so when I paint a part I have to wait a couple of days before going further.

Regards

Fred

Just curious: does that long drying paint have any particular advantages? Durability, hardness, smooth finish, etc.?

I found out the hard way that gluing/clamping recently painted parts does not work. I think it is a spec of all type of paints that they are dry after a couple of hours but hardened after a much longer period.

Regards

Fred

True! Suspected it might be a hardness issue.

A bit further with the kit now; all doors, steps and handrail added:

More pictures here: http://sncf231e.nl/amati-kit-f...iwl-lx-sleeping-car/

Regards

Fred

WOW! That is one beautiful car, THANKS to your craftsman skills! May I inquire as to the cost in USD for such a kit? Thanks!

The construction of this kit takes about 1000 hours. Since it costs some $1000 that is only 1 $ per hour! There are not many fun things to do that cost only 1 $ a hour, so it is very cheap.

Regards

Fred

That is 42 days of construction, and an interesting perspective!

YOUR craftsmanship with that high-skill level kit made all the difference! I saw a parts and instruction sheets layout for that Amati kit in an online review and it was beyond impressive! BRAVO, my friend, for both your skill and patience!

I see you had a link to a Randy Rainbow parody at the end of your video above! My wife and I are also huge fans! 

I do not know who Randy Rainbow is; I did not add a link at all, but YouTube will do that (based on your (and not mine) preferences).

Regards

Fred

Understood! Might be worth your checking out, especially with our current state of government here in the US. 

After about a year the Amati kit of the gauge 1 CIWL sleeping car is completed below the roof. Here is a video of the result:

Some pictures (more pictures on my website: http://sncf231e.nl/amati-kit-f...iwl-lx-sleeping-car/)

Regards

Fred

Stunningly beautiful and awesome detailing! Those many hours are evident in the exquisite results!

The building of the sleeping car kit just goes on. The roof is brass, but the roof ends in the kit are not correct (CIWL cars have roof ends with multiple roundings), so I made separate parts for these.

The compartment ceilings at the interior has to be made and some changes to the trucks to facilitate running (I hope). But it is nearly finished.

By the way, I did not add markings for the Orient Express, but made into a sleeping car for the famous Train Bleu (Blue Train) between Paris and the Cote d'Azur:

Regards

Fred

FRED: ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Should be an award winning model! You are obviously a craftsman of the FIRST ORDER! BRAVO, my friend! ☺

THANK YOU for sharing!  ☺

Thank you, More pictures of this sleeping car on my website: http://sncf231e.nl/amati-kit-f...iwl-lx-sleeping-car/

Regards

Fred

WOWSA! Those interior details and those figures are so well done! Looks like an actual car! Amazing!

The Amati CIWL LX sleeping car in Le Train Bleu in the garden.
LX sleeping car build from a kit (almost finished, some interior ceiling detailing to add) at the end of the train. The locomotive is an ASTER live steam SNCF 141R (with a wrong head board of Le Mistral); the further carriages are J&M Models LX sleeping car, Restaurant car, Train Bleu Salon-bar and Fourgon.

Regards

Fred

Wunderbar, or perhaps more apropos, c'est magnifique! ☺

After fifteen months of construction, I have finished building the Amati CIWL sleeper kit. It already ran last weekend but now the final details such as the ceiling of the interior are also ready. See the photos and the video.

More photos can be seen on my website:
http://sncf231e.nl/amati-kit-for-a-c...-sleeping-car/

FRED: Just curious: HOW did you personally modify this beautiful car to run on your railway, OR did you just take a chance?