Keyser Kits Hudswell Clarke
I've had this one since December last year when I took in part-exchange for a draughtsman's drawing board that I obtained for a bargain price. I had ideas of producing drawings for making patterns for profile-milling but, as it turned out, the board was rather large and the stand was solid cast iron and almost killed me getting it into the back of the van. I knew I didn't have enough room in the house to permanently keep the board indoors and the idea was to keep it in the garage and move in only when I wanted to use it but the thing never made it home. As soon as I realised how heavy it was I took it and passed it on to a new owner and let him half kill himself getting it into his house.
So, I got this kit, which was produced in 1979 and was still in the original box, with the parts shrink-wrapped to printed card backings. It thought it would just be a matter of gluing it all together - bish, bash, bosh - job's a good un' but no, the chassis is awful, the wheels are awful and the motor is a joke.I've glued the bodywork together and now it's going to get a scratchbuilt frame, rods, and cylinders. At the moment my thoughts regarding powering it are revolving around one of those little N20 motor/gearbox combinations. If that won't fit then I've got a cheap Chinese 10/15 motor that I'll screw onto a High :Level 'box. I've already got a set of Gibson wheels of 2ft. 9in. scale diameter, which, unlike the K's wheels are the correct size.
The kit was boxed as a Taff Vale loco but the type is more generally a typical Hudswell Clarke contractor's loco. At least one of this this type, Lord Mayor, is preserved - Lord Mayor
The motor ^ It would be funny if you found that in a Christmas cracker but not so amusing in a small 4mm locomotive.
Some of the parts for the cylinder assembly were destroyed in getting them out of the shrink-wrap, which helped the decision to scratchbuild new but I don't hold much hope for some of the finer parts, such as the inejectors/ipipework, so they may have to be scratchbuilt too. That shrink-wrap stuff really was stuck fast to the parts. I don't know if it's the age of it that has made it like this but whatever the reason, it wasn't one of Mr. Keyser's best ideas.
Despite all that it beats the Nu Cast dinosaur hands-down and I'm sure I can make a decent loco out of it.
Edited by Ruston
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