This new blog (or rather a sub-blog of Ambridge) will detail the build of rolling-stock for the layout. Some of these have received mentions elsewhere - and where necessary, links will be provided. However, this is a new build..

i've always like little industrial locos, and about five years ago my ever-patient wife stumped up for a 'High Level' Hudswell-Clarke 0-40 as a birthday pressy.. As usual it went into the 'wundy box'.. However, 'Ambridge Quarry (AKA the 'Borchester Broadstone Company) does require some small loco power to move the stone wagons around.

Two years ago, as a 'retirement present' to myself I bought the Avonside 'Chassis-Pro' chassis jig.

Time to marry them together!

It might be thought a bit of 'overkill' to use a £350 tool on a simple chassis - but there's method to my madness... I've got several locos to build in 4- & 7-mm and I need a 'practice loco' - nothing too difficult ( I hope)!

This will NOT be a blow-by-blow account of how to use the 'Avonside' jig - the DVD which comes with the tool is very comprehensive - if a bit inconvenient as I have to keep going backward & forward to the study to watch it!

Anyhow - the loco kit. As usual Chris Gibbons 'box of bits' is a little wonder of etching & casting. One big plus is that the saddle-tank is a one-piece whitemetal casting. No awkward rolling and bags of weight where needed..

The initial set-up on the jig requires the use of the side-rods - so (being in two 'handed' parts), they needed to be 'sweated' together. Having set the jig to the approximate axle-centres, the jig was then fine-tuned to fit the side rods -

So now I'm at the same stage as the video

& time to call it a night - after first punching out all the rivet-detail on the chassis sides, and reaming the holes to fit the bearings. Usual stuff...