Copley Hill Works

Hi Simon,

 

Have you thought about using the Bachmann Percy chassis as a basis for building bodies onto? In terms of detail they are much better than the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis and run a heck of a lot better too! I've been contemplating mounting two of them back to back and wired together to create a double fairlie loco. With a slightly wider footplate and deeper bufferbeams the chassis would look suitably narrow gauge.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the Smallbrook studio kit, which one have you ordered? I have a couple of these, two of the Pentewan railway clay open wagons and their 'Echo' loco kit, though I must say I wasn't too impressed with the footplate casting with the loco kit, mine was severly distorted, but from what I've read I think mine may have been one of the earlier ones, as he now produces the models with wire cast into the footplate to make them less likely to warp.

 

Must say I'm quite tempted by the Ajax kit designed to fit onto the Bachmann Underground Ernie inspection car, think with a modified rear body it could look quite interesting!

http://www.smallbrookstudio.com/custom/Guard%20Thunderer%20007.jpg

 

Oh and a word of warning, once you've started in 7mm scale you'll never look back!

Hi Simon,

 

Have you thought about using the Bachmann Percy chassis as a basis for building bodies onto? In terms of detail they are much better than the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis and run a heck of a lot better too! I've been contemplating mounting two of them back to back and wired together to create a double fairlie loco. With a slightly wider footplate and deeper bufferbeams the chassis would look suitably narrow gauge.

 

I've had that same thought, albeit as a single fairlie as opposed double. It certainly looks like it could scrub up well. I have four of these on order with the intention of turning one of these into a quarry Hunslet a like, albeit going the whole hog and making it outside framed...!

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the Smallbrook studio kit, which one have you ordered? I have a couple of these, two of the Pentewan railway clay open wagons and their 'Echo' loco kit, though I must say I wasn't too impressed with the footplate casting with the loco kit, mine was severly distorted, but from what I've read I think mine may have been one of the earlier ones, as he now produces the models with wire cast into the footplate to make them less likely to warp.

 

Yep, same - Echo kit. I'm planning to bash this model a hell of a lot to make something a little bigger...

 

Must say I'm quite tempted by the Ajax kit designed to fit onto the Bachmann Underground Ernie inspection car, think with a modified rear body it could look quite interesting!

http://www.smallbrookstudio.com/custom/Guard%20Thunderer%20007.jpg

 

That does look rather interesting, I'll have to have a little think about the stock...

 

Oh and a word of warning, once you've started in 7mm scale you'll never look back!

 

I have to say - not built anything yet - but the research into types, the landscape I'm planning and similar is hideously addictive.

 

I really want this project to come out well, hence the long and prolonged planning stage. However a little 0-16.5 modelling on the side while planning should be okay.

 

I did have a moment of madness considering this to make an L&B style mallet...0-16.5 Mallet...?

I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do with the Percy's, the outside framed quarry hunslet sounds like a very good plan! I've dug out my two spare percy's with an eye to using them on my layout for the 0-16.5 feeder line, have a couple of ideas, one of which is a narrow gauge Bideford, Westhard Ho! & Appledore Railway Hunslet tram engine: http://englishrail.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/bwha_1.jpg

 

With regards to the Echo kit, I look forward to seeing how that one turns out as well, I've used what little remains of mine and just testing out how it looks mounted on a Percy chassis...footplate will need widening but it could look quite interesting when I've finished with it.

 

Yes, I must say I found that when I first got into 7mm modelling, it is very addictive, I think its the sheer scale of it all compared to 4mm, everything has much more bulk to it, even the narrow gauge stuff!

 

Hmm, must say the L&B style mallet would look pretty impressive, you'd need a huge layout though for it to look right I think.

 

If you ever want a hand with any of the 0-16.5 stuff, give me a shout as I'm only up the road from you in Derby and more than happy to help out.