Reviews of the Latina Concord Stagecoach Model Kit
Hold STAGECOACH KITS
Comparison the Amati and ModelExpo kits
INTRODUCTIONWhen I was in the eighth grade my Uncle Buzzy gave me a stagecoach kit for Christmas. Opening the box, I was soon overwhelmed. Every bit I recall, the just recognizable components were the wheels. The rest of the kit was blocks of raw wood in assorted sizes and a vaguely diagrammatic plan sheet with no text. That was 1964, and that kit has long since disappeared. I guess I've always considered information technology to exist unfinished business.
Looking through an early 2010 ModelExpo catalog I saw the description of their new Concord Stagecoach kit. Further searching led to the Amati version, released effectually the same fourth dimension.
My original (mis-)understanding was that the ModelExpo (aka Model Trailways) kit is a licensed variant of the Amati. I assumed that some of the parts--e.g.: the wheels, leather boot coverings and luggage--would be interchangeable. Simply, on examination, the 2 kits are in different scales and have little in common.
Unable to find any reviews, and owing to the usual combination of cyberspace+credit card+boredom, with a tincture of red wine, I ended upwards with 1 each of the ModelExpo and Amati kits.
As of this appointment, I have not notwithstanding assembled either kit and can't comment on aspects of construction. However, this being the internet, I'thousand exercising my license to feign expertise and vehemently state ill-informed opinions on some of the cloth and design choices.
What follows is non meant to be a review. It is intended as an illustration and a comparison of the more noticeable features of the two kits, and is not comprehensive.
If I can reply any specific questions nigh the kits, not addressed in the following pages, feel gratuitous to inquire. [Use the CONTACT push button in the 
Here yous run across the 2 boxes. The Amati (on the right) is smaller, has a glossier label and is much more than tightly packed.
The Model Trailways (MT) kit weighs in at four lbs., 15 oz (two.2 kg). The Amati is six lbs, 14.5 oz (3.1 kg).
MT chose a 1:12 scale, and the finished kit is said to measure 13 three/4 inches in length, 8 3/four inches in pinnacle. This model does non include a tongue or other harness, aside from the first set of singletrees.
Amati uses a 1:x calibration, which yields a length for the finished railroad vehicle of 16.v inches. There is a tongue, which also has no harness after the commencement fix of singletrees. Including the natural language, the completed model is an impressive 27.3 inches.
A look at the plans. The MT plans are four sheets of 36 ten 24 inches each.
The Amati are ten sheets at a slightly smaller 28 x 19 inches.
The Amati plans and booklets are in the familiar bi-language format (in this case, Italian and English). The MT documentation is English-simply.
Both kits include comprehensive guides to all the laser cut parts, which profoundly help in identification.
You can run across in these photos that the MT pedagogy manual makes frequent use of colour photographs. The Amati relies on line-drawings (subtly more elegant in style than those in the MT) and black and white photos. The overall look of the bi-lingual Amati manual is more fashionable in presentation. Withal, I find the single spiral-bound MT manual more detailed in its text, more straightforward and easier to follow.
The Model Trailways wood totals 22 ounces (0.6 kg) and is basswood and plywood.
The Amati wood weighs in at a remarkably greater 64 ounces (ane.8 kg). Some of that (17 ounces of information technology) is due to the apply for two pieces of a fine grained composite (aka particle) board 
Hither are the photo-etched contumely sheets. It's obvious at that place are more brass components in the Amati, but that'southward non the whole story (encounter the following).
The MT kit has quite a few cast white metal components, some very small threaded rods and nuts, equally shown in the photo to the left, and four small assembled contumely hinges 
This is truthful for nearly all the metal components: The MT parts (except for that one contumely canvas) are bandage in three dimensions while the Amati are etched out of flat canvass.
The wheels in the MT kit are completely assembled and cast from white metallic. I believe the ModelExpo catalog describes these as "wood-grained". Notwithstanding, I don't discover whatsoever obvious wood grain detail.
The Amati wheels are assembled from pre-cut plywood components for the rims and walnut strips for the spokes.
For the iron rims, basics and other wheel hardware, MT uses a 1/64 inch automotive gasket cloth made by Phelps Industrial Products (thank you to ModelExpo's parts department for that fleck of information). This is the dark green-gray strip seen in the middle of the photo in the THE THROUGHBRACES section (beneath). I have to say that I question the wisdom of this blueprint choice. In handling these parts, a large and bothersome quantity of a fine, dark dust-similar residue heavily coats fingers and every other surface information technology contacts. The long-term stability of this material is very questionable.
MT includes decals representing either the Wells Fargo or Butterfield stage companies.
The Amati decals are for Wells Fargo just, but i overnice little particular is the inclusion of breathtaking panels for the doors. Painted Scenes 
Throughbraces--massive ox leather strips which suspended the carriage in the chassis--were an innovation in the Concur stagecoach design. The two kits implement the throughbraces in entirely different ways.
Amati's throughbraces are cut in one slice each from the particle board material (equally shown along the bottom edge of the canvas in the photo to the correct).
The MT kit attempts to more accurately simulate the original leather, using a vegetable-fiber gasket material (also from Phelps Industries), one/64 inch thick. This is the roll of lighter colored material shown in the photo above left. The throughbraces must exist cut in strips and glued in layers 
All the seats in the MT kit must be carved and shaped from wood pieces and painted.
Amati provides a sheet of foam core lath, as yous would find in an fine art supply store, which must be cutting to the shapes of the interior and exterior seats. Over this, a cloth-backed dark green vinyl material 
At that place are no decorative panels included for the interior of the MT coach.
Amati provides a textured paper sheet printed with decorative patterns to simulate a cloth wall covering. (This same sheet contains the leather texture used for the baggage and sway straps.)
Amati chose not to include leather coverings for the boots--the forepart and rear external luggage compartments.
MT provides patterns to cut these pieces from the same roll of gasket material used for the throughbraces (mentioned in the preceding section). At that place are also contumely buckles for the straps.
The window blinds and sway straps of the MT kit also use the lighter colored gasket material. The window blinds in the Amati kit are a white cloth, and the sway straps are cut from the leather-printed paper.
What first caught my heart when looking at the itemize descriptions of the two kits is the luggage and cargo included past Amati. There is brass hardware for the luggage clasps. And...gotta have them two cool miniature Winchesters.
The MT kit does not have similar accessories.
So at that place you have it: Two very well-made and highly detailed kits, each with unique features.
UPDATE: A modeler in Germany has provided links to his build reports on the Amati kit. The first link is a drove of photos of the kit contents (similar to those higher up) and the 2nd link is details of the construction. The text is in German (Google Translate is of some help). The pictures and word of some of the issues encountered during the build are very useful.
This page uses the optional Paddington font.
Source: http://www.bilagaana.com/stagecoach/stagecoach04.html
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