Multiplying TOMY rolling stock

What materials would you recommend using to cast reproduction molds of old TOMY items? I want to duplicate my coach from Spencer in order to repaint the duplicates. I would salvage the wheels, axles and couplings from any old, unwanted rolling stock I no longer need. I thought about using synthetic resin and silicone, inspired by Leokimvideo cloning the ERTL D261s and D199s (Mad Bomber Episode 2).

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to pick up some second hand ones off eBay if you intend to repaint them anyway?

Failing that I would think the most effective way would be one of these new fangled 3D printer things

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to pick up some second hand ones off eBay if you intend to repaint them anyway?

Failing that I would think the most effective way would be one of these new fangled 3D printer things

eBay? That would mean shipping them all the way from another country, and at the time of writing, 1 USD equals 3.971 Shekels.

I don't have access to a 3D Printer, and I would also need a CGI model of the item. Thank you for the suggestion, though.

inspired by Leokimvideo cloning the ERTL D261s and D199s (Mad Bomber Episode 2).

There is no second episode, but the trailer seems thrilling.

There is no second episode, but the trailer seems thrilling.

The episode itself may have been unfinished, but there is a BTS video where I saw how he replicated items using silicone and resin. It's called "Repair, Modify, Multiply".

These resin clones are solid, which is not practical for something as large as a Tomy Mainline Coach.

There are ways to get around this, for example when you pour your resin into your rubber mould, you can then displace most of the resin by pushing a block of balsa into it. You have to weight this down until the resin sets or it pops out again. You then dig the balsa out later.

But even if you do this pretty skilfully, leaving a reasonably thin shell of resin, you're still going to have to carve out the window openings.

Another approach would to be to de-construct a coach into five pieces; sides, ends and roof, and to make moulds for each of these separately, giving you kits of moulded pieces to re-assemble. This way you could mould and cast the sides thin enough to give you actual openings.

Resin and Silicone Rubber kits are not cheap, and last time I played with casting the smallest amounts you could get were still quite large. I've looked to see how much shipping a few coaches from UK to Israel would be, and to me, economically, it's a no-brainer.

But then if you fancy a challenge, why not??

These resin clones are solid, which is not practical for something as large as a Tomy Mainline Coach.

There are ways to get around this, for example when you pour your resin into your rubber mould, you can then displace most of the resin by pushing a block of balsa into it. You have to weight this down until the resin sets or it pops out again. You then dig the balsa out later.

But even if you do this pretty skilfully, leaving a reasonably thin shell of resin, you're still going to have to carve out the window openings.

Another approach would to be to de-construct a coach into five pieces; sides, ends and roof, and to make moulds for each of these separately, giving you kits of moulded pieces to re-assemble. This way you could mould and cast the sides thin enough to give you actual openings.

Resin and Silicone Rubber kits are not cheap, and last time I played with casting the smallest amounts you could get were still quite large. I've looked to see how much shipping a few coaches from UK to Israel would be, and to me, economically, it's a no-brainer.

But then if you fancy a challenge, why not??

Yes, that's the video. Thank you very, very much for all the detailed information and helpful tips. However, there's another problem in the way: I sort of forgot how it's set up inside, and I'll have to remove the wheels without having to cut one of them to get the axles out. I'll also need to use wheels and axles from other rolling stock for the duplicates. Before getting the materials for the moulding and casting, I'd first have to open up the coach to figure out how to get the axles out.

I'd first have to open up the coach to figure out how to get the axles out.

One screw underneath, take it out and it'll all pretty much fall apart. No fancy work with wheels or axles needed.