Does anyone make 1/72nd train kits?

[The Rat]

HO scale is too far off at 1/87th. You see, I have this crazy idea... 

[Weaver]

Yes (ish)!

Dapol bought most of the old Airfix (ex Rosebud Kitmaster) moulds when Airfix went bump. it's OO, so 1/76th, not 1/72nd:

http://www.dapol.co.uk/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=25&keyword=&manufacturer_id=0&Itemid=59&orderby=product_sku&limit=50&limitstart=0

Lots of other stuff that might be handy there too, and the prices are reasonable.

[The Rat]

Thanks, I'll check in with our local train store. 1/76th seems close enough!

[ChernayaAkula]

Something specific you're looking for? Hobby Boss makes a 1/72 BR 52 German WWII steam locomotive. HERE'S the kit, HERE'S it built.
Hobby Boss also do appropriate tracks. And they do the 280mm K5(E) railway gun "Leopold" (CLICKY!).

MIG Productions do some 1/72 resin wagons: FLAT CAR and BOX WAGON.

As far as I know, Planet Models also do resin train stuff in 1/72. EDIT: Listing HERE on Luft46.com.

[The Rat]

Something specific you're looking for?

Yeah, just the wheel assemblies and track.

[Weaver]

Thanks, I'll check in with our local train store. 1/76th seems close enough!

Usually quite a few on ebay too. 

[PR19_Kit]

The track is the same for 1/76 and 1/87 model railways.

I know that sounds stupid but it goes back to the 1920s when small scale model railways were first produced. The 'standard' smaller size developed was HO (Half O gauge) and it used a track gauge of 16.5 mm equating tio 4' 8.5" full size, a scale of 3.5 mm/1 ft. Those models were made in Germany so naturally the trains were of German prototypes. When they tried to do the same thing in the UK they ran into a problem as the real UK rolling stock and locos were smaller than the real European ones and the then current crop of model electric motors wouldn't fit inside the bidy shells of proper scaled UK locos. So the solution was to make the body shells larger, so they were of similar size to the European models, but leave the wheels and track the same, saving the cost of re-engineering all the expensive bits.

This resulted in body shells of 1/76 scale 4 mm/1 ft, and the gauge still remaining at 16.5 mm. This 'standard' was, and still is, called 'OO gauge'. Nowadays that situation still holds good, and there are effectively two 'scales' but using the same track and wheels. As the US trains were GINORMOUS by comparison with Euro or UK trains they didn't have a problem fitting the motors, so they are all HO scale.

The same thing happened with the even smaller N gauge some years later. Arnold in Germany started that off with 9 mm gauge track (which is where the N comes from, it being the initial letter of '9' in most European languages) and a body scale of approx. 2 mm/ft giving a scalle of 1/160. Of course the same thing occured with UK models so they did exactly as they had before with HO/OO and made the UK models with 1/148 scale bodies and using the same track. As before, US N gauge is 1/160 scale.

Educational here 'innit?  

[Martin H]

See! all those years working for British Rail wernt wasted LOL

[Radish]

I've had an idea for a whatif? train/locomotive model....nearly bought the Revell "Big Boy" more than once

[PR19_Kit]

See! all those years working for British Rail wernt wasted LOL

Hehe, indeed, but they were 1/1 scale. 

I have built more than one model railway layout, in various scales, in my time though, thus the 'in depth' knowledge.

[The Rat]

Thanks Kit... I think.    Sounds as if I should just say 'screw it' and get some HO track and wheel assemblies, after all, this is such a wild-arse idea that I'm sure I can get away with it.

[PR19_Kit]

Sounds as if I should just say 'screw it' and get some HO track and wheel assemblies.......

No-one will ever know, apart from us of course....... 

[anthonyp]

Rally would know.  W(here)TF is Rally?!

[NARSES2]

I've had an idea for a whatif? train/locomotive model....nearly bought the Revell "Big Boy" more than once

Yea but are you talking about a railway engine ? 

[Mike Wren]

I keep think about doing a British ICBM train like the Russians had...