AJ'S

Not impressed. This magazine is getting very repetitive with the same old things rehashed. All the boat lacked was the sticky back plastic and it could have been on Blue Peter. Richard Foster's renumbering was a mess. It looked like the varnish was applied with a wallpaper brush. Also the slate wagons look to high to go under the winding house.

The Rail match SR brown is a good match. Please can you let me know if you find a match in the Vallejo as I would like to use them. I have used their Air range of airbrush paint and find them excellent.

One thing to note on this superb model it has a 3 pole motor not 5.

I fitted a circular Sagami motor only because this was the only spare motor I had and did not want to wait to order one. My motor of choice would have been a Mashima 1020.

Kernow exchanged mine for one with the body removed. Pipes cut etc. Some minor damage to the pipes. I filled a length of brass tube with white metal. Machined to 14.5mm diameter and then sliced it into 7mm sections. These then drop into the smokebox from underneath and slide back into the boiler. This made the total weight 194grms. The loco could then pull 3 coaches up a 1/30 gradient without problem, except the motor in my opinion is to small and more suitable for N gauge. Running with a Zimo decoder (suitable for coreless) in the bunker the loco would slow for no reason. The loco would stall on the gradient with the motor still powered but not enough power to turn the wheels even on full power. As I was now getting a bit fed up with all the hassle I changed the motor for a convential motor. I had to make a new mount and remove a small amount of metal from the weight over the motor. But I now have a loco that performs as good as it looks. I just need to repair some of the pipe work. I would like to point out that is only my opinion on the motor, mine could have been faulty.

I'm sorry Dave but there is no way that it is just those thin pipes stopping me removing the body. When I lift the rear of the body up the splashers and footplate all come up as well. I assume there must have been a very good reason why you did not design the body and footplate to come off as one assembly? As it is these loco appear to be sealed units.

I asked him the same question and the reply was as per the instructions and why do you want to get the body off. I want to do something similar to you but can't get the body off. Also what happens if it goes wrong you cannot get inside to fix it. I have had no reply from Kernow.

Body removal from Southern green version. I am finding it impossible to release the smokebox end from the footplate. It will only lift a few degrees at the cab end not 45. I am wondering with the airtanks and all the pipework is it supposed to come off? Has anyone found a way to remove the body.