Great British Locomotives

[Smiffy2]

They always have been. There is also a section where they say that locos are available at cover price plus postage, but I must admit I couldn't find that the last time I looked.

 

 

>edit<

 

Found it, it's in the magazine.

 

Back Issues

Please order through your retailer or write to

Amercom (UK) Ltd Subscription at FREEPOST RSUZ-REJC-YUAH, Great British Locomotives, Unit 4, Pullman Business Park, Pullman Way, Ringwood BH24 iHD

enclosing the cover price payment plus £0.50 for p&p per copy.

(Republic of Ireland, please enclose the cover price plus €1.00).

Please state the name of the publication you are requesting.

 

That's in all issues up to No 8 (Black 5) - I haven't got a later one to check.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Smiffy2

[Il Grifone]

The Amercom site appears to be for Continental Europe (mention of Polish post) and charges another €10 for carriage*.or free for orders above €100.

 

*Higher charges apply for outside Europe and/or faster delivery

[MercoMad]

Issue 10 still says "cover price plus £0.50 postage"

 

Looks as though we could all wait for the ones we really want when published on their website.

 

At least we are not in limbo as "your model railway village" says nothing about future contents unless you have the magazine!

[PhilJ W]

There was one in Asda this morning (I trust because one has already been sold! and not a cut back on supplies).

 

Apart from the wheels, which are rubbish it didn't seem bad, but as I wouldn't claim to be an expert on K3s (or even less than usual), I'll leave further comments to others.

 

EDIT

 

The photo above appeared while I was writing. The lettering is better on this one (the one I saw was rather dull - weather or repaint into BR livery).

 

It also had a large gap between firebox and cab and glue frosting on the cab window.

The one in Basildon Asda's has exactly the same problems.

EDIT I just realised that as you live in the same area I could be talking about the same model.

Edited June 26, 2014 by PhilJ W

[forest2807]

Bought a couple this morning at Westwood Cross Shopping Centre. One left now in WHS. K4 here we come!

[darrel]

Got two today I was hoping weathering man would've posted one of his excellent reviews but in the mean time here is my small review of the model. I have to say I am not familiar with the K3 so there may be issues I'm not aware of. 

Starting with the wheels the good news is they are not silver but they are not the best looking. They would be better if the spokes were see through. At first glance I thought they were plastic, I thought it would be possible to drill and file them open. On closer inspection I discovered they are actually metal, which would make it a harder job, I think I will leave it as is. The connecting rods and motion are silver and will benefit from painting and weathering. 

The chassis running plate on one had an upwards bend towards the front of the loco as others have mentioned. The rear of the boiler does not match up with the front of the cab leaving a gap. A bit of glue and using elastic bands to clamp the two together while the glue set did the trick. There is a seam along the top of the boiler which is easy to file off. Decoration on the locomotive and tender is very good, I am going to change one of mine to lined BR black. 

The bar connecting the loco with the tender is far too long. I cut it off shortened it and superglued it back on. 

The coal in the tender is a bit flat, replacement coal would improve the look. 

Other than that it looks like another great model especially at this price.

Wish me luck applying the transfers for the lining 

[Il Grifone]

The one in Basildon Asda's has exactly the same problems.

EDIT I just realised that as you live in the same area I could be talking about the same model.

 

Mine was in Tilbury Asda, but they were quite probably from the same batch. The cab/firebox gap is possibly just mislocation of the cab but the frosting involves new glazing or lots of tedious polishing. The solution for the wheels requires a bin. Possibly Wheels from the Prairie Kit would do as they are the same size (not sure as to no. of spokes crank throw etc.) At least the valve gear is correct on this one though the RH crosshead seems out of position. It also looks like she is in reverse gear, but, short of working gear, this is always going to be a compromise.

 

Many locos do have a seam along the boiler top - I carefully filed it off from one of my Dublo Duchesses. Then I found a photo of the real thing......

Edited June 27, 2014 by Il Grifone

[Il Grifone]

It could be an errant click or tap, it's a relative newbie and there doesn't seem to be a history of disagreeing.

 

Probably, I didn't think I'd written anything contentious.

[andyram]

I have to admit I saw the latest model in our local Asda this evening. I shall not be buying it. All three were dreadful quality models!

[darrel]

I don't think they are too bad apart from the wheels. I'm hoping some weathering might make them look better. I will need to finish putting the transfers on first. Boiler bands done and one cabside number so far. I still have the other candidate and the rest of the lining to do. That's going to be the hard bit.

I have to say the vacuum pipes look much better than previous models.

[andyram]

I don't think they are too bad apart from the wheels. I'm hoping some weathering might make them look better. I will need to finish putting the transfers on first. Boiler bands done and one cabside number so far. I still have the other candidate and the rest of the lining to do. That's going to be the hard bit.

I have to say the vacuum pipes look much better than previous models.

 

I agree that the model has the potential to not be too bad. I am thinking that, like others in the series, the quality is variable and our local store has a poor batch. All have very poorly applied cab windows, dreadful cabside numbers and I agree about the wheels.

[Il Grifone]

These depend to a large extent on the quality of the original model (obviously) and then the care used in their assembly (we can't expect a lot here seeing the price!). It might have been better and cheaper) to have supplied the transfers seperately for application by the buyer, but I suppose this would not appeal to the target audience. I can't see anyone being impressed by skewed lettering and lining though.

 

Even the 28xx is not that bad - I would have bought one if I hadn't already had a Hornby body.

 

The wheels will need replacement for a working model in any case so are not really an enormous issue.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Il Grifone

[Horsetan]

The Airfix magazine conversion involves messing about with dowel rod wrapped in plastic card, together with fitting the extended cranks from the 'City' kit to the 'Prairie' drivers (tricky to get square and concentric without a lathe!). Mods are also required to the cab. The boiler fittings involve extending the 'Truro' chimney    and using K's dome and safety valve casing (not so easy to find these days, though alternatives might be available). It might be worth a try for all that.

 

The offending Airfix article has arrived. Very ingenious and actually quite well done. Hmm......

 

I can see hybrid possibilities with the leftover Airfix and Branchlines parts (which would need another Branchlines chassis kit plus wheels), plus some tube and a small amount of plasticard. Must be worth a go.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Horsetan

[kevinlms]

Mind you there was something called "Military Watches" and that seemed to vanish pretty quickly!

 

Keith

 

I spotted the Military Watches the other day. Looking at the web sites, it seems that the Australian version of Issue 1 has a different watch in it compared to the British version. Ours is Australian Divers' Watch. So 1 & 7 transposed - which raises the question, can a cheaper collection be made by swapping?

[Horsetan]

Sod it, I'm going to have a go at the Dukedog later. It would be rude not to.

[Smiffy2]

Sainsbury's North Cheam have two K3s, or, given that they seemed to be stuck together, a K6. The first I've seen. Hmm.

Glazing was frosted and they looked - unkempt. The wheels were awful. When mine arrives it will be up for swapsies.

[stewartingram]

The wheels remind me of the Triang hacked 2-6-2T chassis that I put under my Wills K3 back in the 60's. Having said that, the model at the price is worth the money. At the moment it stands on my locoshed area amongst other locos; the glaring error at normal viewing distance is really the LNER livery on a BR layout. It will probably end up as a static 'tart-up' aka Kitmasters of old. Apart from the livery, the gap at the boiler/cab interface (poor assembly) and bent footplate at the front (again poor assembly) are the big faults. Cosmetic work such as handrails, and normal small details will transform it into a good cheap scene-filler. I reckon though, a simple brass frame chassis, with wheels from one of the regular sources, could give a fairly simple runner, maybe with Hornby/Bachmann (if available?) valve gear or from one of the etched makers.

Purchased once again from my usual Chatteris newsagent.

 

Stewart

Edited June 29, 2014 by stewartingram

[darrel]

Having never applied lining transfers I now know I hate applying lining transfers! 

Still it will be worth it in the end and I can hide any errors with weathering.

[thunderer08]

There were 7 K3's in WHSmith's in Preston City centre on Saturday, which considering they seemed to stop sticking GBL a few issues ago is strange

[Horsetan]

There were 7 K3's in WHSmith's in Preston City centre on Saturday, which considering they seemed to stop sticking GBL a few issues ago is strange

They've probably taken on the ones that other branches didn't want to stock.

[darrel]

Remind me not to do locos with lining again 

Here is the finished loco

 

Remind me not to do locos with lining again 

Here is the finished loco

 

[S.A.C Martin]

Only thing is the unusual choice of the GNR buffer beam - you need the cutouts at the outer edges (the square buffer beam was practically extinct on the LNER for Gresley's locomotive classes).

 

Other than that very effective and would make a great on shed loco. I can't understand the diatribe for this model as it would clean up very well with some carefully thought out modelling. Motorising is potentially easy too as the boiler is hollow (you will still need to cut out the centre of the running plate though).

[stewartingram]

Actually, thinking about it, a Hornby type of tender drive would be even easier, save hacking the boiler about. Nothing wrong with a carefully assembled ringfield unit, I've handled hundreds in my past life servicing them.

 

Stewart

[simplex]

Going back to City of Truro I have just noticed the driving wheelbase of the toy story US 4.4.0 is the same as C,O, T. Just needs some larger wheels and then the outside cranks, hmm...

[S.A.C Martin]

A V3 chassis from Bachmann would fit without much fuss. I'd argue against though knowing the limits of the split chassis the old V3 has.

 

I do think of all the LNER models, this one has the most potential for modelling and it's the one getting the most flack. Ignore the way it's been put together - to get the most out of it you'll be taking it apart anyway. Focus on the potential for modelling.

 

I reckon there must be an etched chassis kit for a K3 about, no? SE Finecast do a K3 as one of their kits. Motorising the plastic body of the GBL model using the chassis from this must be possible. Think on the total cost of this £9 plastic body shell plus an etched chassis VS the full SE Finecast kit, or the total cost of an RTR Bachmann K3, which has been in the catalogue again recently. Makes interesting thinking even if (in my head anyway, and unlike the A4s) the maths doesn't quite add up.

 

I'll be using my K3s for their tenders, and one at least for the K5, but for the moment they will simply make good yard fodder once modified and weathered.