DJH Model Kits Advice

[SteelShadow104]

Hey guys, I was getting a bit interested in building a kit from DJH Models, most likely a A1 Pep. I am completely new to this, so I need all the help I can get! I am having trouble on how, where, and when to paint certain parts of the loco. I also don't now what extra parts I need to buy to make it detailed (like sprung buffers or couplings). I am wanting the train to look the best it can, so just any advice for a young person like me would help! I am also going to buy a small wagon or coach kit to practice with before hand to get a bit of experience before I get into the real project. 

 

Thank you, Steven

[Ian Smeeton]

First of all, welcome to the forum. There is a huge aount of  help and advice on here, either via a search, or by asking the question (as you have already done).

 

Being the coward that I am, I have never attempted an etched brass/whitemetal kit ofn a steam loco, and a Peppercorn A1 seems like an ambitious choice.

 

I would recommend starting with a wagon kit in etched brass to start with.

 

I do not know whether you plan on soldering or glueing the kit, but my recommendation would be to solder, as that skill will come in  handy all over your layout.

 

Sorry for ther vague advice, but go for it anyway.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[SteelShadow104]

First of all, welcome to the forum. There is a huge aount of  help and advice on here, either via a search, or by asking the question (as you have already done).

 

Being the coward that I am, I have never attempted an etched brass/whitemetal kit ofn a steam loco, and a Peppercorn A1 seems like an ambitious choice.

 

I would recommend starting with a wagon kit in etched brass to start with.

 

I do not know whether you plan on soldering or glueing the kit, but my recommendation would be to solder, as that skill will come in  handy all over your layout.

 

Sorry for ther vague advice, but go for it anyway.

 

Regards

 

Ian

Thank you Ian, I do agree that I didn't really want to start with a A1 but there weren't any other locos that I really wanted to build and it looked like it would be easier than most of the other ones (less detail on the body). I was hoping to find a small tender or tank engine like a B12 or Jinty. To answer your question earlier, I am going to go with soldering, seems to be the logical and simple way to go! ^^

[RBAGE]

Hello Steelshadow,

An A1 does sound like an ambitious choice for a first time build.

In my experience, the most difficult part of the build is getting the chassis square and free running. Putting valve gear on then adds to the difficulty.

That said, if the chassis is the most difficult part of the build, why not start with a chassis kit?

If the A1 indicates an affinity with LNER loco, why not start with a J72 chassis kit? You can buy a Bachmann/Mainline body fairly cheap or, if Mainly Trains are still doing the combination, you can buy them togather.

A simple 0-6-0 is a useful and simple starting point and the J72 was one of the longest lived loco type. You can use one in most steam era periods in the 20th century.

A lovely little loco.

Regards,

Bob

[Clearwater]

@steelshadow

I'd heartily recommend Tony Wright's loco building videos that were made by RightTrack and now easily found on YOuTube

 

David

[SteelShadow104]

@steelshadow

I'd heartily recommend Tony Wright's loco building videos that were made by RightTrack and now easily found on YOuTube

 

David

Yea his videos are great, I will mostly look to them for building and painting, just wanted more info and other examples.

[Retro_man]

Hi Steven,

 

The DJH A1 was the second or third kit I ever built and it turned out just fine as it has been well thought out. I have built 4 or 5 since then and the only thing I do differently now is add more detail.

 

 

I also have in stock low melt and 145 degree solder, flux and many other bits that you may want to add and we can also order Markits prototypical wheels if you want to make your model really special.

 

Steve

Model Railway Imports

Canada

 

 

[devonseasider]

If the A1 indicates an affinity with LNER loco, why not start with a J72 chassis kit? You can buy a Bachmann/Mainline body fairly cheap or, if Mainly Trains are still doing the combination, you can buy them togather.

 

Slight problem there in that Mainly Trains isn't with us any more.  To quote the website, it's "closed its doors for the last time".

Do Comet do one, or Perseverance or High Level?

[Horsetan]

....

Do Comet do one, or Perseverance or High Level?

I think they all do.

[Markeg]

The Tony wright Right Track dvd's are great.  George Dent from Model Rail Magazine has written an excellent book on Model Locomotive building.  'Kit Building for Railway Modellers'

See his page on website  http://georgedentmodelmaker.blogspot.com.au/p/blog-page.html

 

Comet do a J72 Chassis and it is/was cheaper than the Mainly Trains version.  I am about to order one from Wizard Models.  They bought the stock when the previous owner and founder died.

If you need to look at the details for these items from Comet, then google Comet Models and the old website comes up and you can look at the instructions and some photos.

 

All the best with it. 

 

Mark in OZ

[Retro_man]

The J72 is a good choice and I have done the Mainly Trains chassis without any major problems.

If I was to do another J72, I would do the High Level Kits version as it comes with a a dedicated gear box and representation of the inside motion.

All the High Level gear boxes and kits I have built have run really nicely and the instructions are absolutely first rate.

 

BTW, the DJH instructions for the A1 are pretty vague - eg - "now attach parts 50 to 68" sort of thing with no real indication of where those parts go.

 

Steve

 

 

Link edited

Edited June 14, 2017 by Retro_man

[JeffP]

I'd always wanted an A1, and when the kit was announced, the wife kindly bought me one for Christmas that year.

I built it, having had no previous experience, some glue, some solder.

Extra parts were sprung buffers, scratch-built replacement cylinder drain cocks and pipes, and decent screw couplings.I remember having much fun filing out the Kings Cross name and number plates after cutting them out as close as possible. Mine was built as 60116 Hal O' the Wynd.

 

What I'd do different now:

Decent more prototypical wheels, (none available when I made mine).

A motor/gearbox combination, (ditto).

Better pickups.

If it's going to run, a better front bogie, some sideways control etc.

 

Best of luck, it's actually a nice kit.

[SteelShadow104]

Hi Steven,

 

The DJH A1 was the second or third kit I ever built and it turned out just fine as it has been well thought out. I have built 4 or 5 since then and the only thing I do differently now is add more detail.

 

60115.jpg

 

I also have in stock low melt and 145 degree solder, flux and many other bits that you may want to add and we can also order Markits prototypical wheels if you want to make your model really special.

 

Steve

Model Railway Imports

Canada

Holy crap, I did not expect you guys to be commenting on this post! Love your store! What other parts do you have, the only things I can recall that meant something were lamps and chain links? Also, is it possible for you guys to make custom route boards and nameplates? Or at least get any?

[grob1234]

I built a London Road Models J69 as my first build. I think an A1 would be a big ask for a first kit. 

 

My YouTube channel actually features my kit builds, I have a DJH A1 that I'll be building in the future.

 

Currently working on a J3, and there will be plenty more videos coming along in the coming months.

 

Disclaimer - I'm not saying this is THE method to build kit locos, just A method that suits me. Great to see someone interested in kit building though.

 

https://youtu.be/92AOpHbyI54

[Steamport Southport]

The difference is the DJH A1 is mostly a whitemetal kit with a few etched brass parts, the London Road kit is a mostly etched brass kit.

 

I agree that maybe a 4-6-2 is a little bit ambitious for a first attempt. Isn't there a simpler prototype that takes your fancy such as an 0-6-0? As a couple of comments have said it's the chassis and valve gear that is the difficult bit.

 

If sticking with whitemetal then there are plenty to choose from in ranges such as DJH, South Eastern Finecast and GEM.

 

I would also agree with trying a chassis kit first and maybe a couple of wagon kits in your chosen material. If you mess up a wagon kit then it's only a few quid down the pan rather than a kit costing well over £100.

 

 

Jason

[Retro_man]

Holy crap, I did not expect you guys to be commenting on this post! Love your store! What other parts do you have, the only things I can recall that meant something were lamps and chain links? Also, is it possible for you guys to make custom route boards and nameplates? Or at least get any?

 

Hi Steven,

 

Building loco kits is how I enjoy the hobby so I have plenty of bits and pieces in stock (not all on the website) and can point you in the right direction for things we do not stock.

RMWeb is also a great resource as you are finding out!

 

A search for Markits on our website will bring up some useful bits.

 

Steve

Canada 

[Retro_man]

I'd always wanted an A1, and when the kit was announced, the wife kindly bought me one for Christmas that year.

I built it, having had no previous experience, some glue, some solder.

Extra parts were sprung buffers, scratch-built replacement cylinder drain cocks and pipes, and decent screw couplings.I remember having much fun filing out the Kings Cross name and number plates after cutting them out as close as possible. Mine was built as 60116 Hal O' the Wynd.

 

What I'd do different now:

Decent more prototypical wheels, (none available when I made mine).

A motor/gearbox combination, (ditto).

Better pickups.

If it's going to run, a better front bogie, some sideways control etc.

 

Best of luck, it's actually a nice kit.

 

I agree with all your recommendations.

 

On my first A1 build I found fitting the pickups around the brake gear and springs was difficult impossible and in the end i settled for plunger pickups and wipers on the tender wheels.

For subsequent builds I drilled the holes for the plungers before assembling the frames.

 

Steve

Canada

[Jol Wilkinson]

I assist the proprietor of LRM with his trade stand at a number of shows. Our advice to someone starting out with kit building is:

 

• Ideally start with a van, wagon or simple coach kit.
• Choose a model of a prototype you have an interest in. That way you will want to complete it and may also have some prototype information (books, photos) to help you create a well finished model.
• If you really want to build a loco first, start with an inside cylinder tank loco. Easier and quicker to get a result and the satisfaction you get will encourage to do more.
• Choose a kit which is straightforward, e.g. an 0-6-0T rather than an 0-4-4T
• Choose a kit which is easier for the beginner, e.g. an etched loco kit with resin cast or a ready rolled  etched boiler.
• Do not start with a large express loco, such as a 4-6-2 outside cylinder engine. Attractive and desirable as it might seem, it's a bit like learning to drive using a F1 car.
• Make sure you have the right toos (a good soldering iron, etc.) and the right solder, flux, etc.
• Invest in a good book on the subject. I always recommend the Wild Swan loco building books by Ian Rice.
• Finally, having provided all that honest advice, buy a LRM kit  

Personally I don't like white metal kits and believe that you can get a better, "crisper" model with an etched kit. You can glue w/m but it in't so easier to solder as etched n/s or brass. Resin cast components are also better than w/m for larger in my experience. However, w/m has it's advocates who will feel that w/m kit will be easier to assemble. DJH combine both etched and cast materials well in their kits, but have tended to concentrate on the larger, more complicated and  "romantic" prototypes.

[SteelShadow104]

I assist the proprietor of LRM with his trade stand at a number of shows. Our advice to someone starting out with kit building is:

 

• Ideally start with a van, wagon or simple coach kit.
• Choose a model of a prototype you have an interest in. That way you will want to complete it and may also have some prototype information (books, photos) to help you create a well finished model.
• If you really want to build a loco first, start with an inside cylinder tank loco. Easier and quicker to get a result and the satisfaction you get will encourage to do more.
• Choose a kit which is straightforward, e.g. an 0-6-0T rather than an 0-4-4T
• Choose a kit which is easier for the beginner, e.g. an etched loco kit with resin cast or a ready rolled  etched boiler.
• Do not start with a large express loco, such as a 4-6-2 outside cylinder engine. Attractive and desirable as it might seem, it's a bit like learning to drive using a F1 car.
• Make sure you have the right toos (a good soldering iron, etc.) and the right solder, flux, etc.
• Invest in a good book on the subject. I always recommend the Wild Swan loco building books by Ian Rice.
• Finally, having provided all that honest advice, buy a LRM kit  

Personally I don't like white metal kits and believe that you can get a better, "crisper" model with an etched kit. You can glue w/m but it in't so easier to solder as etched n/s or brass. Resin cast components are also better than w/m for larger in my experience. However, w/m has it's advocates who will feel that w/m kit will be easier to assemble. DJH combine both etched and cast materials well in their kits, but have tended to concentrate on the larger, more complicated and  "romantic" prototypes.

Like I said before I didn't really want to build a A1 for my first. The only inside cylinder or small loco i'd be some what interested in that DJH has is either a J9, J35 or most likely a A8. I really thank Markeg for giving me the link to the books. It was exactly what I was looking for for tips, book wise. Does anyone have pictures of LRM kits? They do not have many pictures on their site, and I cant seem to find good pictures. What are the best places to get brass wagon or coach kits, other than LRM?

[Jol Wilkinson]

Like I said before I didn't really want to build a A1 for my first. The only inside cylinder or small loco i'd be some what interested in that DJH has is either a J9, J35 or most likely a A8. I really thank Markeg for giving me the link to the books. It was exactly what I was looking for for tips, book wise. Does anyone have pictures of LRM kits? They do not have many pictures on their site, and I cant seem to find good pictures. What are the best places to get brass wagon or coach kits, other than LRM?

Roxey Mouldings, Comet/51L, Brassmasters and various others that an internet search will turn up.

 

Some Line Societies have a modelling section that lists what's available. The LNWR Society does but the LNER equivalent is still showing as under construction.

[micklner]

Like I said before I didn't really want to build a A1 for my first. The only inside cylinder or small loco i'd be some what interested in that DJH has is either a J9, J35 or most likely a A8. I really thank Markeg for giving me the link to the books. It was exactly what I was looking for for tips, book wise. Does anyone have pictures of LRM kits? They do not have many pictures on their site, and I cant seem to find good pictures. What are the best places to get brass wagon or coach kits, other than LRM?

 

A8 doesn't like going around corners very old kit. 52F Models do a superb etched  A8 kit and a A5 . Alexander Models do excellent whitemetal kits with a etched chassis such as the J27 . Whitemetal body only kits with a etched chassis are much easier for beginners, 

[SteelShadow104]

So I got finished checking out Brassmasters and Comet, I am probably going to get a MK1 BR corridor to start with. Which GWR loco would be the best for me from brassmasters?

[Jol Wilkinson]

The Brassmasters  GWR kits are from the former Martin Finney range. Generally regarded as some of the most detailed and comprehensive etched kits, they were very well designed by Martin and apparently go together well. The best kit for you would be the simplest, the

0-6-0PT  Pannier Tank. You can view the etches and download the instructions on the Brassmasters site, which will give you an idea of what is involved.

 

There are photos of most of the locos on the LRM site, especially the LNER constituent ones. Were you looking for anything in particular? There is also, I discovered today, a four page article on building the GNR/LNER N1 0-6-2T in the July edition of Railway Modeller, which will give an unbiased opinion of that kit.

[SteelShadow104]

What paints do I need to make a BR Crim & Cream coach to look like ones that Bachmann make? I am going to be using an airbrush. 

[Retro_man]

What paints do I need to make a BR Crim & Cream coach to look like ones that Bachmann make? I am going to be using an airbrush. 

 

I am not aware any UK supplier who will ship Precision Paints to the USA which is unfortunate as they are very good.

 

Humbrol Railway Acrylics are available from Hornby/Airfix USA and the colours you need RC423 and RC424.

http://airfix-usa.shptron.com/c/humbrol-paints_acrylic-rail-colors?pp=8&pg=3

Not sure if they will exactly match Bachmann but I am not convinced Bachmann has it right either.

 

We also stock them here and can include them with other items you may need - solder, flux, wheels, etc.

 

Steve

Model Railway Imports

Canada