Whitemetal GWR Grange kit

[melmerby]

28 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

Whitemetal is not the best possible material for a coach, as it makes the bodywork look far too thick and, to my mind, the cast detail is not up to the standards attained by even 1960s plastic toolings never mind the modern RTR miracles.  The end detail on my K's auto is very crude and will have to come off and be replaced on even this model, which is never going to amount to much in terms of fine scale appearance.  It is, for now, the most practical way of providing the layout with a panelled auto trailer, and is providing some enjoyable modelling, but like the OP's Grange, it is what it is and is never going to look better than an Airfix A28/30, never mind a Baccy A38 (about as good as RTR gets, as it should be at that price).  

 

 

Yes the Bachmann Hawksworth Autotrailer is the dogs bollox but unfortunately is BR only, so if modelling pre-nationalisation out of era.

IMHO Hornby should turn their sights on an earlier panelled design to replace the venerable Airfix design which would allow several livery variations as many lasted until the end of Autotrains under BR.

I looked on Shapeways and someone has posted several variations but the prices make the Baccy offering look positively budget!

https://www.shapeways.com/product/EY9KKC2JW/o-76-gwr-diag-u-trailer-coach1?optionId=63445848&li=marketplace

Edited April 24, 2019 by melmerby

[Coach bogie]

I still build them. My main reason for still using K's is they are very heavy and can usually out pull anything the rtr boys can come up with. I was all excited about the Oxford Dean goods but it is useless at hauling a decent train. My old K's (that is older than me, original 1959 motor and wheels) couples up and asks 'what train?' as it pulls a thirty wagon train with ease. The Oxford just sits and spins.

 

They can be given much added detail with little effort, and that provides much of the enjoyment in building them to your own specification.

 

My Hornby Grange came and went and my two K's are used on a regular basis (with a third still to build), with much added detail. Poulton Grange has never hauled a passenger train an is rostered for a forty wagon Birmingham to Plymouth via Reading and Westbury goods. It will come as no surprise that the Hornby could not pull a train half that length.

 

A significant amount of my loco stud is K's based, using the larger K's motor when I could.  48XX, panniers of both cabs, Bulldogs (curved and straight), Moguls (both cabs), Duke, Earl, 28xx (both cabs), 44xx, 45XX, 4575, Dean goods, Armstrong 4-4-0, Beyer Goods, Beyer Pannier,Grange,and where else would you go for the Titfield Thunderbolt?

 

They may not match the detail of today's plastic offerings, but they still have a place in many peoples layouts.

 

A few years ago, I had to order some bespoke promotional giveaways for my wife's company. The company used was run by a Graham Keyser, and yes, he was one of the family who worked in the Banbury unit.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[hayfield]

Johnster

 

I think K's agreed with you about coaches and wagons as they started to release plastic coach and wagon kits, replacing existing whitemetal models

 

Whitemetal with a bit of practice is quite forgiving, soldering the larger pieces I think is best and a bit of filling and filing sorts out most issues, agreed for things like footplates and cabs sheet metal is best, best of all is the hybrid kit using the most appropriate material for the job. But whitemetal does give quite a bit of weight to the model

 

 

[Prometheus]

2 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

I would like to suggest replacing the cylinder block with a plastic one to solve the shorting issues.

 

https://www.petersspares.com/Hornby-x9350w-grange-class-loco-cylinder-block-weathered.ir

 

I have been replacing both K's and Wills/SEF with Hornby spares for some time. You can also get replacement pistons and rods made from nickel rather than use the cast ones.

 

https://www.petersspares.com/Hornby-x9348w-grange-valve-gear-set-weathered.ir

 

Mike Wiltshire 

 

This is exactly what I have done for an old Wills Hall that I am currently building Mike. The white metal crossheads and rods were a recipe for disaster and the cylinder castings unusable.

 

Tony

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, The Johnster said:

 

 

The likes of Iain Rice and Ian Pemberton, along with the arrival of EM and P4/S4 which opened a debate still continuing, opened our eyes to the real possibilities, but not until the 70s; K's and some Wills have looked a bit dated since those days.  The kit makers' reaction came with better quality kits from the likes of Westward, DJH, or Nu Cast, but they were costly.  Keyser, love 'em, never really caught up.  

 

I beg to differ.

 

Have you seen the later kits such as the Duchess, Lord Nelson and rebuilt Merchant Navy?

 

They even came with assembled chassis and valve gear so eliminating the bits which everyone had difficulty with. But unfortunately K's folded not long after and I don't think the later kits were ever re-released.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/51658-just-found-a-keyser/

 

 

 

 

Jason