What have you done with your Keyser kit

[Brassey]

The 2361 class was not derived from the Dean Goods.  It was more akin to a Stella class.

 

[Coach bogie]

1 hour ago, Brassey said:

The 2361 class was not derived from the Dean Goods.  It was more akin to a Stella class.

 

In the days before the Finney kit, the K's 2361 was an easy conversion to a Stella.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Coach bogie]

6 hours ago, Jeff Smith said:

 So I think Ks was quite justified in creating this kit.  I might even consider it with a Comet sprung chassis!

I agree.  Mine is till running after 50 years. It looks as near to a 2361 as I would want. It is a working model not a showcase display. It is looking a bit tired these days but so did the real thing at 50 years old (the final 2361 lasted until after WWII). bearings are worn and it has a bit of a wobble, but it will still haul its' regular 30 wagon train (18 more than a Oxford Dean will do!)  so until the gears disengage, it is a case of, 'it aint broke, don't fix it'. As has been said, K's kits are from a very different period  of time. If Ken Keyser was still alive, I hope he would be proud of what he achieved and the longevity of his products.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[CXW1]

Here is my old Ks Y8. It was built by my grandfather around 40 years ago and has been recently refurbished/rebuilt with a new home-made chassis, small can motor and Alan Gibson wheels. Full details are over on my work bench thread so I won't repeat myself on here. 

 

Thanks

 

Chris 

Edited June 27, 2020 by CXW1
Correction

[hayfield]

19 hours ago, CXW1 said:

Here is my old Ks Y8. It was built by my grandfather around 40 years ago and has been recently refurbished/rebuilt with a new home-made chassis, small can motor and Alan Gibson wheels. Full details are over on my work bench thread so I won't repeat myself on here. 

 

Thanks

 

Chris 

 

Chris

 

That is the way to rebuild a K's loco, super job

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Progress being made on the Beyer/Scotchman recommissioning, I know its nowhere near accurate, but I think it captures the image well. 

[PenrithBeacon]

On 26/06/2020 at 02:52, Jeff Smith said:

Ok this is my final post on the outside frame 2361 class 'Dean Goods' from Ks.  I have found photos of 2361 and 2380.  The first and last of the class.  Both have parallel boilers and Belpaire fireboxes, and basic cabs looking extremely similar to the 2301 class.  The wheelbase is impossible to measure from photos but luckily a similar angle comparison shows them to be very similar.  So I think Ks was quite justified in creating this kit.  I might even consider it with a Comet sprung chassis!

I recently bought a K's  GW outside framed 0-6-0 advertised as a Beyer with  Belpaire firebox in unmade condition. I may say it is nicely cast  and looks the part but I haven't yet compared it to drawings, assuming that the drawings are themselves accurate.

Regards

 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

10 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Progress being made on the Beyer/Scotchman recommissioning, I know its nowhere near accurate, but I think it captures the image well. 

Here's what  she should look like, I've moved the dome forward on mine, which I given myself permission to do because they all seem to have them in different locations . . .

[jcm@gwr]

But now it's far too close to the smokebox

[Florence Locomotive Works]

5 hours ago, jcm@gwr said:

But now it's far too close to the smokebox

Here’s one with the done forward, I used the other photos because it’s the clearest.
 

[jwealleans]

He's right.  It's far too close to the smokebox.

[jcm@gwr]

Well I stand corrected on the facts!

But not on the aesthetics, it looks ridiculous!

The first version is quite attractive,

the second belongs in the worst looking locomotive thread!

[Florence Locomotive Works]

1 hour ago, jcm@gwr said:

Well I stand corrected on the facts!

But not on the aesthetics, it looks ridiculous!

The first version is quite attractive,

the second belongs in the worst looking locomotive thread!

Each to their own then I guess . . . 

Edited June 29, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Florence Locomotive Works]

3 hours ago, jcm@gwr said:

Well I stand corrected on the facts!

But not on the aesthetics, it looks ridiculous!

The first version is quite attractive,

the second belongs in the worst looking locomotive thread!

I think when seen in color it improves somewhat. 

[jcm@gwr]

13 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I think when seen in color it improves somewhat. 

 

Definitely a huge improvement, but still not as balanced (IMHO),

and therefore not as attractive as the other version, sorry.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

1 minute ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

Definitely a huge improvement, but still not as balanced (IMHO),

and therefore not as attractive as the other version, sorry.

Yes I see your point. I haven’t actually placed the dome yet so I shall take what you said and but it before the Board of Aesthetics to see what hey say. 

[jcm@gwr]

 

1 minute ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Yes I see your point. I haven’t actually placed the dome yet so I shall take what you said and but it before the Board of Aesthetics to see what hey say. 

 

Get another kit, build it with the dome in the alternative (better!) position,

then we can compare properly and give you a truly honest opinion! 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Just now, jcm@gwr said:

 

 

Get another kit, build it with the dome in the alternative (better!) position,

then we can compare properly and give you a truly honest opinion! 

That’s a very “Board” solution, cost wise!

[Jeff Smith]

On 25/06/2020 at 21:52, Jeff Smith said:

Ok this is my final post on the outside frame 2361 class 'Dean Goods' from Ks.  I have found photos of 2361 and 2380.  The first and last of the class.  Both have parallel boilers and Belpaire fireboxes, and basic cabs looking extremely similar to the 2301 class.  The wheelbase is impossible to measure from photos but luckily a similar angle comparison shows them to be very similar.  So I think Ks was quite justified in creating this kit.  I might even consider it with a Comet sprung chassis!

Well, with apologies to anyone else interested in this kit on eBay, I was inspired to make an offer which was accepted......I wonder if the pot of paint is still good!

[hayfield]

Jeff

 

Have a look at the High Level chassis, its more detailed, and only needs a motor think it also comes with P4 frame spacers

 

http://highlevelkits.co.uk/deanpage.html

 

They come with a gearbox and hornbooks and have inside motion, saves you sourcing all the bits and may well be cheaper getting everything from the same supplier rather than sourcing all the parts separately

 

I use High Level gearboxes as first choice, I have also been told their hornbooks are one of the best about

Edited June 30, 2020 by hayfield

[Florence Locomotive Works]

42 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

Well, with apologies to anyone else interested in this kit on eBay, I was inspired to make an offer which was accepted......I wonder if the pot of paint is still good!

I offered them $110 9 months ago, and was repulsed, might  I ask what the winning number was?

[Jeff Smith]

I asked them to let me know if they ever reduced it to the price of the 63xx and they came straight back with $100, offered until July 1st.

[dunwurken]

On 24/06/2020 at 07:48, Michael Edge said:

I think that's a Mk1 motor, the Mk2 had a shorter armature and magnets - and shorter overall.

 

On 24/06/2020 at 08:50, hayfield said:

Malcolm

 

The Caley has the Mk1 motor its longer at 36mm long (the body) the Mk2 is shorter 30mm and the armature is noticeably shorter

 

Your second photo (J72)is of the first K's motor, I have never seen a name attributed to it.

 

Michael and John

 

I've had time to take another look at the motor in P D Hancock's Caley tank and find my copy of the Forsythe book.

 

The motor measures in old money 3-13/32nds by 5/8ths x 3/8ths and when I compared that to the MKl and Mkll motors in the Forsythe book it matched neither, too short for a Mkl and too long for a single magnet Mkll.  It does however appear to be a later, post 1960, MKll which had a second magnet added.  The measurements would appear to back up that theory.  The Caley kit apparently did not appear until 1960 so unless there were a lot of older versions of motor to be used up first one would presume the new double magnet Mkll would be used.

 

With regard to the motor in the J72 I am puzzled as to why it had such an old K's motor in it given both the MKl and Mkll motors were in production for a number of years prior to the introduction of the J72 kit.   One possibility, that I am certainly not discounting, is that PDH was swapping motors around different locos, something he was known to do over the years, but if that motor is not original to the kit then that could set a few hares running with some of the other locos.   Is it possible to give any production dates for the early motor? 

 

Attached is a photo of the 'original small K's motors' installed in PD's Douglass Models kit of 009 narrow gauge loco 'Angus' [built circa 1954] and also the 'somewhat battered K's job .... mounted vertically..' in Moira [built circa 1957/8] one of his scratchbuilt 009 locos.  Both locos and chassis survive in working order.

 

Angus - chassis by Malcolm MacLeod, on Flickr

 

Moira's original chassis 12 Sept 2016crop by Malcolm MacLeod, on Flickr

 

Malcolm

 

 

Edited July 2, 2020 by dunwurken

[hayfield]

Have those motors been kit bashed ? as I don't recognize either (which means nothing) but they look like they have been altered.

 

I am just about to build an Avonside 0-4-0st and the choice of decent small motors has exploded. Chris Gibbon at High Level does 12mm coreless, there is a Dutch Chap selling 9mm coreless and just seen from America some 10mm coreless motors. Chris also does some small 10 mm open frame motors at £9 ish, then we have modern gearboxes

[dunwurken]

Moira's motor has been altered by PDH.  Motor alterations was something he undertook almost from the days of his first models in the early 1950's.  Moira's K's motor sits within a brass envelope. 

 

With Angus PD specifically refers to the availability of the new small K's motor and the flywheel in his various scribblings and he says that she has a scale chassis by K's presumably a private commission with Ken Keyser with any motor alterations also by Ken.

 

Malcolm

Edited July 3, 2020 by dunwurken