TheGhostofNigelGresley Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Hi, I was just doing a bit of online window shopping and wondered why these kits seem to be half the price of most similar offerings ? Any thoughts ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Chris, The honest answer is they vary in quality. Some are very good, some are not and we prefer to stay with the smaller inside cylindered jobs; we have an R1 (SER) rebuilt from the R kit, and a T kit still in the box which looks very nice. However, you are probably after a small tank locomotive for your shunting plank. I'm Southern so I can't help you with LNER locomotives; the person you want to talk to is Steve Sharp who does the test builds. He will give you an honest answer and he has a stand at most south east London shows (Beckenham, "Erith", etc). Then we don't stint with wheels (JPL) or motor / gearbox (ABC). Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Searching on this site might give you an idea of the quality of certain kits. I don't model 7mm either, but i have a couple of friends who do and after one of them built the C13 for someone else I don't think either of them would touch another one. All the range, I understand, has been acquired from other producers which is why the quality varies. I understand his J52 is a good kit, but I'd strongly suggest you talk to someone who's built one before you have a go. Ken (Jazz) on here has built more 7mm locos than most of us have had hot lunches - PM him and see what he thinks. I've no recollection of seeing one on his workbench. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Not an easy build, but some will build into decent models if you go the distance. That's from what I've read on here and other places, NOT from building one myself. The gentleman who owns the company is very approachable, very knowledgeable, and will try to help. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiDAS Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 J19 from an ACE kit. The tender was from a separate manufacturer which Ace now own. I used that tender because the tender supplied with the kit was a model of the water pick up type (used on some of the prototypes with pick up gear removed) which had a different coal space . It was not for the beginner but anyone with kit building experience should not have too much trouble. I replaced the cab roof with a scratch built one and added the tender weatherboard. ACE will supply tenders seperately. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Chris, All your respondents appear to be singing from the same book. If you are considering your first 7mm kit, it may be worth your time looking at Connoisseur Models. Jim McGeown has a reputation for providing assistance to anyone building his kits. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiDAS Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Chris, All your respondents appear to be singing from the same book. If you are considering your first 7mm kit, it may be worth your time looking at Connoisseur Models. Jim McGeown has a reputation for providing assistance to anyone building his kits. Bill Got to agree here Jim's J68 is a great little kit almost falls together, F5 a little more complex. Jim is very helpful and will even supply odd etched sheets if you screw thing up. Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGhostofNigelGresley Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 Thanks chaps. Preaching to the converted about Jim's kits - everything I've built bar one is connoisseur. I was just lusting after ACE's P2 and wondering why it was only £261. Wondered if I was missing something. Lovely builds all by the way and thanks for responses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I have built a few of the ACE kits they are not for beginners, and with added details work well. The ones I have done have not been easy but have all turned out looking as the should of done. The latest was a V3 which needed new parts making and others modifying. The V3 and a SR A1 builds are on my blog. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Bill Ascough may be at the Croydon MRS show in a couple of weekends. But I still think that a chat with Steve Sharp is necessary before parting with cash. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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