As I am just picking up where I left things after an entertaining divorce in 2015, I thought I'd start by adding my blogs from my 'x5 Shunter Challenge' to my RMWeb blog feed.

These are all posted on www.grasslandsmodels.wordpress.com
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I have been very busy with work and other hobbies so I haven’t given as much attention to the railway blog of late. It is now time to settle down to do some modelling.

So… Where do I start? I know… Let’s try and build as many kits as I can.

The new duo

I purchased two new brass kits back in October that both came with High Level Kit gearboxes and included options for chassis compensation. My plan was to use these two kits as a test for both gear box construction, and chassis compensation, so I could then apply these newly learnt skills to three other locos that I have been planning to build for a number of years. Then I started thinking… Why wait?

The infamous five

So I decided that I needed to get over my concerns about building my kits ‘properly’ at some undefined point in the future and just get on with it. There are just too many things to build and not enough time.

So my plan is to attempt to build these five loco kits up to the same stage, starting with the chassis’ and moving onto the bodies. The five lucky loco kits are:

BR Class 02 Diesel Shunter – DJH

I have had this little beginner kit since 2004. I attempted building the chassis a few years ago but I wasn’t too happy with the motor and gears included with the kit. In addition I attempted to build the chassis with standard electrical solder and I had done a pretty poor job. I am keen to see if I can fit compensation to this loco and give it a new motor and gear box.

Sentinel post war 100HP 0-4-0VBT – RT Models

This attractive little 0-4-0 caught my eye when it was first released. I also liked the idea of buying it as a complete kit with all the wheels, motors and gears (sourcing wheels, motors and gears always tends to slow down my model projects), so I bought this little kit to get me back in the mood to do some model building.

Ruston & Hornsby 88DS – Judith Edge

Another little 0-4-0 that comes as a complete kit. I purchased it at the same time as the sentinel too. I have wanted one of these locos for a long time, as I always enjoyed visiting the orange version stored at Washford Station on the West Somerset Railway.

11001 – Judith Edge

Bulleid’s super shunter with box pox wheels. This strange looking thing has always facinated me, and I have been plucking up the courage to build it for a number of years (I think it was 2010).

English Electric/Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0DE – Judith Edge

This early diesel looks superficially similar to a class 08 diesel shunter. I bought this one at the same time as 11001.
So do I have the stamina to build all five of these kits? Watch this space…