Modelling South Korean rolling stock

[BrakeCoach]

It seems like there isn't any active South Korean threads here, so I can pitch in some stuff:
 

Currently, there have been only 6 types of Korean rolling stock in the market, including the KTX-Sancheon, the 71/2/3/4/500 class diesel, the streamlined generator car, as well as two types of Mugunghwa type passenger cars. However, demand for these models are very low in the domestic market, hence the prices are pretty steep (around 100-200 dollars for one coach) And it has been a very recent thing, and many modellers in Korea had to rely on repainting similar models.

 

Since around 2017, I found out that you can 3D model and print model trains. I didn't have diagrams of Korean rolling stock, so I never made any progress.

However, in around 2021 I picked up a video from a modelling youtuber about 3d modelling printing your own models, and since I got my hands on some diagrams, I started making them.

Here's all of the Mugunghwa coaches I have modelled so far. I made mostly "contemporary" (seen from 2004 onwards) coaches, but as I have making these, one type of these have already been retired. Time is marching on fast!

 

From left to right:

• 1994-1996, 1996-1999 - "Classic" / Early version "Wood grain" coaches (4th and 5th from left)
  • These are two different types, but they are identical in exterior. These have narrower windows, and along with the late "wood grain" coaches, these are still a common sight in Mugunghwa trains, but they are in the process of retiring. They are fitted with NT21 bogies.
  • Accessible, Broadcasting room variants have been made.
• 1996-1999 - Late version "Wood grain" coaches (2nd and 3rd from left)
  • Identical with the early version of these coaches, but they have wider windows, and newer KT23 bogies.
  • Accessible, Broadcasting room variants have been made.
• 1998 - Haitai Heavy Industries Ex-first class coaches (6th from left)
  • These coaches were introduced as first class coaches, with whole-glass windows, and comfy seats from Saemaeul coaches (minus the legrest). They were downgraded to standard class when first class was abolished for all Mugunghwa trains. They are out of service since 2023.
• 2003 - Design Limit new build coaches (7th from left)
  • The last ever loco-hauled coaches for Korail. These have early and late versions, with only visible differences being the location of the handrails on the exterior. Some coaches have bisected window blinds for each seat row.
  • Accessible variant is also made.

 

• 1969-1991 - Standard type / "right angle" generator car (not in this screenshot)
  • These are the old generator cars before the current streamlined ones rolled out. They had a top speed of 120kph, thus limiting its use when many lines were raised to 150kph. Many variants of these have been made, including
• 1991 - Joseon Heavy Industries (Hanjin) Generator Car (1st from left)
  • An oddity of the generator cars, it has the round body of the stainless versions, but it is not stainless at all. Only 5 examples have been made, and all of them have been scrapped by now. (totally not an excuse to not make the complicated exterior of the stainless version 😉)

 

Coaches not made (yet!)

• 1991, 1999 Streamlined type coach
  • These were Saemaeul coaches, but they were downgraded to Mugunghwa first class coaches. These are still in use (previously alongside with the Haitai coaches) after they were downgraded again to standard class.
• 1990-2002 - Streamlined type generator car
  • This is the generator car being used in Korea, but due to its complex fluted exterior, I haven't tried modelling it.
• 1977-1981 “Right angle" Mugunghwa coaches, and 1985-1989 "Standard type" Mugunghwa coaches
  • The first ones are flat-sided, and the second ones bulge out like current coaches, but they are shorter than 23.5m. They are really interesting, but aren't thoroughly documented. I do have diagrams of these, but not a lot of real life pictures. I am probably not modelling these because they do not fit my time period of modeling Korean stock, but who knows.

Since the Mugunghwa "Classic" coaches and the Design Limit coaches are out on the market, I am aiming to make the Haitai Ex-first class coaches in HO first.

 

Photos of printed prototypes:

a rake of early and late "wood grain" coaches

 

"Standard type" generator car on a makeshift chassis with Mk1 bogies

 

Other than the Mugunghwa coaches, I have been making a long-seat variant of the Bidulgi coach as well.

This has also been scaled up for HO, and 5 variants (original 17-window version, common 15-window version, broadcasting room variant, and 2 departmental variants) are being made.

 

For all of these models, I still need to figure out the bogies and how to attach them, and getting an airbrush to actually paint these after printing.

Edited February 8 by BrakeCoach

[jappomania]

Hi!

I'm curiosu to see the developement

the only korean model I bought is this

https://jnsforum.com/community/topic/13018-what-did-you-order-or-the-post-deliver-worldwide-models/page/50/#comment-240809

the KTX project still waiting the last 6 intermediate cars and in the meantime I started to store the "donors" for kitbashing (BR152, SD40-2, a lot of Del Prado and CIL BB and CC locos...)

the worst thing is that I still trying to find the old magazines RAILERS, I found it a lot of time on Gmarket but unfortunatelly they don't ship to Italy (but no troubles for Nigeria or Uzbekistan 💩 )

I found also a couple of thing on Shapeways, if can be useful

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/imrl

https://www.shapeways.com/product/GTL9SW9EY/n-scale-gt26cw-2?optionId=300709049&li=shops

and some handmade models

https://blog.goo.ne.jp/gsroom/e/d81e59684bdb663688760657c6b8972e

https://blog.goo.ne.jp/gsroom/e/ff0f5c5fe974e52a3d5d36288fde085f

also this two

https://www.tinkercad.com/things/0qsva3DMgYr-emd-gt26cw-2-locomotiven

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3438650/files

but I don't know how good they can be drawed...

if somebody know another sources for kitbashing and docs...

 

ciao!

Massimo

 

 

[BrakeCoach]

2 hours ago, jappomania said:

Hi!

I'm curiosu to see the developement

the only korean model I bought is this

https://jnsforum.com/community/topic/13018-what-did-you-order-or-the-post-deliver-worldwide-models/page/50/#comment-240809

the KTX project still waiting the last 6 intermediate cars and in the meantime I started to store the "donors" for kitbashing (BR152, SD40-2, a lot of Del Prado and CIL BB and CC locos...)

the worst thing is that I still trying to find the old magazines RAILERS, I found it a lot of time on Gmarket but unfortunatelly they don't ship to Italy (but no troubles for Nigeria or Uzbekistan 💩 )

I found also a couple of thing on Shapeways, if can be useful

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/imrl

https://www.shapeways.com/product/GTL9SW9EY/n-scale-gt26cw-2?optionId=300709049&li=shops

and some handmade models

https://blog.goo.ne.jp/gsroom/e/d81e59684bdb663688760657c6b8972e

https://blog.goo.ne.jp/gsroom/e/ff0f5c5fe974e52a3d5d36288fde085f

also this two

https://www.tinkercad.com/things/0qsva3DMgYr-emd-gt26cw-2-locomotiven

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3438650/files

but I don't know how good they can be drawed...

if somebody know another sources for kitbashing and docs...

 

ciao!

Massimo

 

 

Hi,

 

I will let you know on the development. Currently though, I am making the KT23 bogie for the Haitai ex-first class coaches, and later I might as well upscale that to HO as well.

The shapeways model for the GT26cw-2 is apparently out of scale, so I am probably just going to get the BR152/8200 electric loco.

 

Allegedly, the rail operator owns the copyright to all of these designs, so I don't think I am able to upload the projects on shapeways and I am not able to make any profit off of it, so I am thinking of other ways of getting them accessible.

Meanwhile, here's another project I was working on, the HEMU-430x

Edited February 9 by BrakeCoach

[jappomania]

8 hours ago, BrakeCoach said:

...

The shapeways model for the GT26cw-2 is apparently out of scale, so I am probably just going to get the BR152/8200 electric loco.

...

 

I know, it's hard to evaluate just from a photo and the risk to buy garbage is high, maybe for you is much simple to do it from yourself (or starting to modify the Tinkercad)

here I found good photos and drawings (the best I found till now)

https://www.behance.net/gallery/128248251/how-to-make-(116-locomotive-scale-model)

I'm from "old school", 3D is a wondefull opportunity but kitbashing from similar model is still the best for me (time and money) so I think I will start from an SD40-2 and "cut & paste" as usual, and with a good prototype I can do all the resin copy I need (silicone molding and resin quality are really god now compared from 10 or 20 years ago, no more  banana models)

 

good luck for the HEMU, the good thing is the same  nose on booth ends, the bad thing is the complexity like the ALFA-X or FASTECH360, but for this last 2 there is not so big problem to find the drawings...

 

I stay tuned

 

Ciao!

Massimo

 

p.s. for the 8100/8200 the best pantos are the spare parts for Arnold ETR610/RAbe, the original mounted on BR152 (Arnold or Fleischmann) are far from the Korail Schunk version 😊