What have you done with your Keyser kit

[Prometheus]

The latest in my crusade to restore old K's shockers.

 

I acquired two of these, both dreadful but each worth working on. This is the first. Lots of compromise but it looks OK from three feet and runs absolutely beautifully [white metal bogies help, as do self-adhesive tyre weights]. As for the Parcels Van branding, well I've not found a photo of one to evidence it but I've not seen any commentary to say that one never existed either !

 

Anyway, Rule One....

 

 

 

I've always liked these 40 footers but they do change hands on eBay for astonishing sums sometimes.

 

Tony

[Nile]

There should be a ducket where that Parcels Van branding is, going by the ones I've got.

[Prometheus]

There should be a ducket where that Parcels Van branding is, going by the ones I've got.

 

That's correct, in so far as the kit goes. Some had their look-outs removed in later life however, the opening simply sheeted over. I chose to model that variation for the first rebuild. The next one will have its look-outs attached though.

 

Perhaps you could help me with something. The look-outs I have for the other model are white-metal mouldings. They are quite nicely done but they are somewhat on the small side - not hugely so, but their panelling will not line up at the top and the middle with the panelling on the coach side. Are your's similar ?

 

Thanks

 

Tony

[Nile]

Mine are the same. They also didn't allow for the tumblehome or thickness of the upper panelling, the rear of the casting is completely flat.

[Prometheus]

Thanks Neil - I have the original ones then. I'd already noted the problem of the tumblehome -v- the flat inner face of the look-out. Some careful filing awaits. Ratio LNWR look-outs are a much better fit [perhaps I should have whispered that...]. I'll not be using them though.

 

Tony

[shildonboy]

Anyone looking for a Ks Spinner 4-2-2 kit can find one here at Import Model Railways for $110 Canadian.  Steve is a member here on RM WEB.  He also has a number of other Ks Kits and kits by other manufacturers.

 

http://www.modelrailwayimports.com/product.php?PID=9502&CID=0&BID=0&TID=0&SID=0&q=locomotive%20kit

 

 

[Retro_man]

Anyone looking for a Ks Spinner 4-2-2 kit can find one here at Import Model Railways for $110 Canadian.  Steve is a member here on RM WEB.  He also has a number of other Ks Kits and kits by other manufacturers.

 

http://www.modelrailwayimports.com/product.php?PID=9502&CID=0&BID=0&TID=0&SID=0&q=locomotive%20kit

 

Not any more!

 

The last Spinner kit is now on its way to Australia.

 

Plenty more K's and other vintage kits still available...

 

http://www.modelrailwayimports.com/products.php?q=locomotive+kit&s=5

 

Steve

Model Railway Imports

Canada

[pstanton]

I rather enjoyed this thread which I found while researching one of two kits not mentioned in here. First the LMS roadrailer of which I have an unstated example with no wheels or derive arrangements. Secondly I also have the MET tram for which I have one assembled item but without a motor, I presume it takes the small mark one motor but there is only the base and wheel sets. I do have a second Aautocom produced tram as a spare.

 

Regards

 

 

Peter Stanton

[hayfield]

Peter

 

The mechanisms for both are very basic being the older style 5 pole motors which come up quite often on eBay, there are two sizes. The Tram may have used the motor bogie arrangement as I only have a set of body castings

 

Someone built the Bus in an article in I think the Railway Modeller, could have even used a Tenshido unit with one wheel set removed, I would now opt for a Highlevel unit now. The Pacemaker at £18 + motor looks a good bet  http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/

Or just get an etched Wiron a DS10 motor and a set of gears, I have motorised an Airfix Park Royal Railbus with this method making up a plastic cradle to hold the motor in place

[pstanton]

Peter

 

The mechanisms for both are very basic being the older style 5 pole motors which come up quite often on eBay, there are two sizes. The Tram may have used the motor bogie arrangement as I only have a set of body castings

 

Someone built the Bus in an article in I think the Railway Modeller, could have even used a Tenshido unit with one wheel set removed, I would now opt for a Highlevel unit now. The Pacemaker at £18 + motor looks a good bet  http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/

Or just get an etched Wiron a DS10 motor and a set of gears, I have motorised an Airfix Park Royal Railbus with this method making up a plastic cradle to hold the motor in place

[pstanton]

Thanks very useful advice! The bus motorisation was in Model Railway News about 1963, I will try and find my copy, it was adaptedto run on mimic motorway I think!

 

Hunting round the garage I've found another kit not mentioned here, the Keyser Caledonian 0-4-4 439 class , in fact two of them! It partially bolts together and was not on the market very long.

[hayfield]

Thanks very useful advice! The bus motorisation was in Model Railway News about 1963, I will try and find my copy, it was adaptedto run on mimic motorway I think!

 

Hunting round the garage I've found another kit not mentioned here, the Keyser Caledonian 0-4-4 439 class , in fact two of them! It partially bolts together and was not on the market very long.

 

The one I read was for track not Minic Motorways and I was introduced to it after I built mine, still with a modern motor mount or a gearbox a better job can now be achieved

[John_Hughes]

Thanks very useful advice! The bus motorisation was in Model Railway News about 1963, I will try and find my copy, it was adaptedto run on mimic motorway I think!

 

Hunting round the garage I've found another kit not mentioned here, the Keyser Caledonian 0-4-4 439 class , in fact two of them! It partially bolts together and was not on the market very long.

 

The Caley tank seems to have been available from 1961, and production stopped in 1969, or possibly a little earlier.

 

One of the prototype locos still survives in preservation. on the Bowness line - picture here!

[Graham456]

Hunting round the garage I've found another kit not mentioned here, the Keyser Caledonian 0-4-4 439 class , in fact two of them! It partially bolts together and was not on the market very long.

Now if you fit a modern small can motor driveing the rear axel and pointing at the cab end . because it's a lot lighter than the period heavy lump motor, you can then fill the boiler and front of the tanks and the chassis around the front driver with lead, solving the wheelie tendencies of the kit which made it such a sod and was one of the reasons (so I am told) for its withdrawal from sale after such a short production run conpaired to the rest of the K's range

Edited August 25, 2016 by Graham456

[hayfield]

Now if you fit a modern small can motor driveing the rear axel and pointing at the cab end . because it's a lot lighter than the period heave lump motor, you can then fill the boiler and front of the tanks and the chassis around the front driver with lead, solving the wheele tendencies of the kit which made it such a sod and was one of the reasons (so I am told) for its withdrawal from sale after such a short production run conpaired to the rest of the K's range

 

I wonder if the masters went to Nucast/Nucast partnership?

[Earlswood Nob]

Good morning all

 

The Caledonian 439 0-4-4T is available  from DJH models (Code K8). 

 

Earlswood nob

[Horsetan]

Now if you fit a modern small can motor driveing the rear axel and pointing at the cab end . because it's a lot lighter than the period heave lump motor, you can then fill the boiler and front of the tanks and the chassis around the front driver with lead, solving the wheele tendencies of the kit which made it such a sod and was one of the reasons (so I am told) for its withdrawal from sale after such a short production run conpaired to the rest of the K's range

 

I often wonder if if would have helped if the bogie pivot was adjusted so that the "back end", so to speak, can be jacked up a little and thus put more bias on the driving wheels in front. The bogie frame can still be allowed to move laterally, but not vertically.

[Prometheus]

Be gentle with me as I've strayed from the path rather with this one. It is, of course, a BR Palvan. I know that, you know that. So don't get too excited over the livery choice !

 

This was bought for £1 in a recent club sale. Poorly made with - as usual - no floor and so bowed sides it also had plastic wheel sets none of which would sit on the track simultaneously. The Triang couplings were attached with what looked like most of a tube of Seccontine. I'm fairly certain that the buffers came from another kit - they seem a little long.

 

Fortunately, a quick boil released all of the old glue and cleaning up and reassembly could commence [with a floor this time]. Why the livery ? It came with it and I rather liked it. I don't usually do 'never were's' but Rule One and all that. 

 

Anyway, it runs beautifully.

 

 

 

Tony

[benachie]

I often wonder if if would have helped if the bogie pivot was adjusted so that the "back end", so to speak, can be jacked up a little and thus put more bias on the driving wheels in front. The bogie frame can still be allowed to move laterally, but not vertically.

 For 4-coupled locos. I always use a system introduced by Horton in the Railway Modeller of July 1964. It mimics the three-point suspension of coaches where, apart from rotation, one bogie is allowed to move in all directions but the other can only rock back and forth thus holding the vehicle vertical. In the case of a 4-coupled locomotive, the driving wheels are mounted in a rigid sub-chassis that is free to pivot fore and aft and the rest of the weight is transmitted to the track via a pillar onto the unconstrained bogie. 

 

Alan

[hayfield]

Be gentle with me as I've strayed from the path rather with this one. It is, of course, a BR Palvan. I know that, you know that. So don't get too excited over the livery choice !

 

This was bought for £1 in a recent club sale. Poorly made with - as usual - no floor and so bowed sides it also had plastic wheel sets none of which would sit on the track simultaneously. The Triang couplings were attached with what looked like most of a tube of Seccontine. I'm fairly certain that the buffers came from another kit - they seem a little long.

 

Fortunately, a quick boil released all of the old glue and cleaning up and reassembly could commence [with a floor this time]. Why the livery ? It came with it and I rather liked it. I don't usually do 'never were's' but Rule One and all that. 

 

Anyway, it runs beautifully.

 

 

 

Tony

 

I think most of the wagons suffer from unaligned W irons, I have built a few using etched W irons and pinpoint bearings. A few arw difficult to get square as normal Wirons will not fit (Coral A & SR brakevan are two)

 

Great job you have done in turning a pig's ear into a silk purse, you are forgiven about the lettering

[lofty1966]

Is it a sin to shorten the K's Siphon F, mount it on a ratio chassis and call it a Siphon C ?

[lofty1966]

Or just a plain 'F'

[lofty1966]

Or another

[pstanton]

The one I read was for track not Minic Motorways and I was introduced to it after I built mine, still with a modern motor mount or a gearbox a better job can now be achieved

I've found the magazines, September and October 1963 Model Railway News, cleverly built to run from track to a Minic motorway type guide, useful drawings and instructions.

[Prometheus]

What bogies are you using under your Siphons Lofty ?

 

Tony