MIR 121 Kit

[Mike 84C]

Ebay bidding wars,is £65.50 a lot for an IRM 121 kit? I watched and thought Noooo! not for me. And I have not got the Athern chassis to make it a runner.

[Noel]

Ebay bidding wars,is £65.50 a lot for an MIR 121 kit? I watched and thought Noooo! not for me. And I have not got the Athern chassis to make it a runner.

 

Btw, I think you meant MIR?

 

Yes, if you mean these crude looking metal junk heaps from an era when modellers were expected to have blacksmith skills!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CIE-B-121-CLASS-DIESEL-WHITE-METAL-KIT-by-model-irish-railways-No-2-/201965699331?hash=item2f06180103:g:5vwAAOSwXY5ZUPp3

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CIE-B-121-CLASS-DIESEL-WHITE-METAL-KIT-by-model-irish-railways-No-1-/201965694843?hash=item2f0617ef7b:g:QvQAAOSw3h1ZUPdK

 

This plastic 3D 121 kit is far finer, costs less and fits the newer Athearn SW1500 chassis like a glove.

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/S3QTQFYCT/irish-railways-121-class?optionId=57420082

 

However I do have the height of respect and admire modellers who made the best of kit standards and poor quality that pertained 30 years ago. Thankfully the hobby has long since moved on.

[Mike 84C]

Noel,thanks for confirming I made the right call.And flagging the Shapeways link.

[Mayner]

Btw, I think you meant MIR?

 

Yes, if you mean these crude looking metal junk heaps from an era when modellers were expected to have blacksmith skills!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CIE-B-121-CLASS-DIESEL-WHITE-METAL-KIT-by-model-irish-railways-No-2-/201965699331?hash=item2f06180103:g:5vwAAOSwXY5ZUPp3

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CIE-B-121-CLASS-DIESEL-WHITE-METAL-KIT-by-model-irish-railways-No-1-/201965694843?hash=item2f0617ef7b:g:QvQAAOSw3h1ZUPdK

 

Thankfully the hobby has long since moved on.

 

Noel.

 

If you think the B121 was crude nothing could prepare you for the whitemetal A Class produced by Q Kits for MIR. Except for the A Class the quality of MIR pattern making and castings was far superior to most British outline "Modern Image" kits MTK and Q Kits produced some real shockers.

 

3D printing through the Shapeways of this world I that the designer/commissioner has much lower up front cost compared to other manufacturing processes with no expensive pattern making or tooling costs, its economic to produce one off items as the buyer pays the set up cost when they place an order.

[Horsetan]

On the other hand, the MIR kit did have weight in its favour.....