A wild kitbash appeared!

[BernardTPM]

42 minutes ago, ianmacc said:

Bought this lovely little thing from a model shop this week. A competently made item based on a Bachmann power bogie. Is it some sort of track recording unit?

Looks like it is based on this version of the Permaquip.

[hmrspaul]

https://www.ontrackplant.com/otp/98705

[Player of trains]

I'd say it looks like if Parry built a PW version of the Class 139s, not a bad idea thinking on it as little onsite manriders to keep the rain off.

[ianmacc]

On 09/11/2022 at 22:07, BernardTPM said:

Looks like it is based on this version of the Permaquip.

Thanks Bernard at least I know it is prototypical and also in-period 

[Paleopotato09]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125608628877 today on ebay I stumbled upon this

[Corbs]

To be fair the Hornby D Class is built like a tank anyway....

[RedGemAlchemist]

On 15/11/2022 at 23:00, Paleopotato09 said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125608628877 today on ebay I stumbled upon this

It is at least nicely done.

[RedGemAlchemist]

We start today with this reworked Hornby James, which looks solid though it could use a proper smokebox door. Could look quite smart in the hands of some of the guys on here.

This little 0-6-2T is very cute. Seems to be made on the perennial Triang Jinty chassis. Looks rather Highland to me personally. 

 

@BlueLightning, this of interest to you? I know you particularly like both NG locos and Pecketts.

 

Next up is a gorgeous 00 4-4-0. Very sweet, and I really like it. Shame I'm not really looking to buy stuff for myself this close to Christmas.

 

And a 4-6-0, also by the same person, barriesattic on eBay. This guy has managed to create some very sweet locos here.

[Johnson044]

I wonder if this should be in the collectables / vintage thread? I successfully bid on this little 4mm scale LBSCR I3 class, which will arrive sooner or later when the postal issues get resolved. I think it's probably intended to be 3 rail / stud contact. Seems to be scratch built along the Ahern lines, maybe late 1940's / early 1950's? The motor is completely new to me. I have an 0 gauge one and thought I might just replace the missing buffers and chimney, fit it with insulated Romfords, get it running and leave it in bare metal just as a nice object that someone's put a bit of their heart into making.

[33C]

Ebay 354 227 739 950. Quite nice!

[RedGemAlchemist]

On 15/12/2022 at 16:47, Johnson044 said:

I wonder if this should be in the collectables / vintage thread? I successfully bid on this little 4mm scale LBSCR I3 class, which will arrive sooner or later when the postal issues get resolved. I think it's probably intended to be 3 rail / stud contact. Seems to be scratch built along the Ahern lines, maybe late 1940's / early 1950's? The motor is completely new to me. I have an 0 gauge one and thought I might just replace the missing buffers and chimney, fit it with insulated Romfords, get it running and leave it in bare metal just as a nice object that someone's put a bit of their heart into making.

It's scratchbuilt, so it counts.

[RedGemAlchemist]

OK, first Wild Kitbash of 2023, let's see what we can find:


We start our new year with this church hall by ian1trains which genuinely looks like the one in the neighbouring village to me.
 

Next is from linesideandlocos1 who brings us these beautiful scratchbuilt railway cottages... which I'm half tempted to get myself.

 

Almost immediately afterwards, I found this beautiful American 4-4-0 in O gauge 3-rail being sold by hunnybunny501p68. Not sure if they made it or someone else did, but it is made of brass and white metal. Apparently it doesn't work though, and it has no tender.

 

Ok, this is cool. This handmade wooden locomotive was, quoting the description by seller poster-ity, "made of wood, with metal trims, and metal lines on the wheels that rotate when the wheels turn. There are the reminence of the original hand painted liveries, which can be made out on the cab, where it says 123 on both sides. Also signs of varnish. Looks to be circa 1930."

Every now and again, I find something like this or the brass 4-4-0 that genuinely makes me smile. Might not be the most accurate, might not be made by someone amazingly skilled, but genuine love and effort went into crafting it and you can see the passion in the craftsmanship. This is part of why I made this thread, because someone on here might take a shine to something like this and give it a loving new home, because stuff like this has a genuine history, it has a story behind it.

 

See, here's another one. This lovingly made live steam 4-4-0, sold by nathanwilson1. 

 

I would follow this up with a LETCI, but... I honestly couldn't find any on eBay this time. Seriously. Nil. Zilch. Nada. Surprising, I know.

[The Johnster]

There's such a thing as 'just a nice thing to own and to have on display' for no other reason than that.  Chum of mine a few years back bought a 'British Seagull' 2-stroke 2hp outboard boat motor (put-put-put-put) and restored it, just because it's got character and personality.  He hasn't got a boat...

Edited January 13, 2023 by The Johnster

[Johnson044]

On the Station Road Steam web page today is this wonderful beastie  https://www.stationroadsteam.com/3-12-inch-gauge-freelance-2-4-4t-stock-code-10783/

 

[The Johnster]

Something of a Dean Single look to the front end.  A good example of something that is redolent of the work and skill that somebody put into building it, and a nice thing to have; the patina and slight rust patches add to the undeniable character.

[RedGemAlchemist]

On 13/01/2023 at 09:15, Johnson044 said:

On the Station Road Steam web page today is this wonderful beastie  https://www.stationroadsteam.com/3-12-inch-gauge-freelance-2-4-4t-stock-code-10783/

 

Hmm. Don't really get that many 2-4-4s. Always nice to see an unusual wheel arrangement. It is a lovely loco though, and whoever comes to own it I'm sure will be proud to.

[The Johnster]

Appropos nice things, somebody on the way to the shops had put out a handcranked Singer Sewing Machine with a 'free' sticker on it.  I had the big shopping trolley with me and it now has a new home.  The wooden plinth has been painted white at some time, there are no accessories, and the case top is missing; even with all present I know these things are not worth much, but it broke my heart to see such a beautifully decorated piece of superb engineering on the pavement.  What's there is in pretty good nick and, as far as I can tell, working, smoothly and silently at that!  I'm not knowledgeable about them, but I think they were still making them looking pretty much like this in the 50s, when my dad bought my mum the electric belt driven version, foot treadle switch operated and with a groovy little work lamp.

 

The style is very much Art Deco and it could be a quarter century older than that easily enough.  I think there is a cover plate missing at the machine head end at the back, or at least there is a hole there, but it isn't threaded and does not seem ever to have had a door closing clip attached, perhaps it's supposed to be open.  The crank handle is polished with years of use, but it's clearly been used and loved for many years, perhaps several generations, and it looks as if it could tell a story or two...

[33C]

40 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

Appropos nice things, somebody on the way to the shops had put out a handcranked Singer Sewing Machine with a 'free' sticker on it.  I had the big shopping trolley with me and it now has a new home.  The wooden plinth has been painted white at some time, there are no accessories, and the case top is missing; even with all present I know these things are not worth much, but it broke my heart to see such a beautifully decorated piece of superb engineering on the pavement.  What's there is in pretty good nick and, as far as I can tell, working, smoothly and silently at that!  I'm not knowledgeable about them, but I think they were still making them looking pretty much like this in the 50s, when my dad bought my mum the electric belt driven version, foot treadle switch operated and with a groovy little work lamp.

 

The style is very much Art Deco and it could be a quarter century older than that easily enough.  I think there is a cover plate missing at the machine head end at the back, or at least there is a hole there, but it isn't threaded and does not seem ever to have had a door closing clip attached, perhaps it's supposed to be open.  The crank handle is polished with years of use, but it's clearly been used and loved for many years, perhaps several generations, and it looks as if it could tell a story or two...

Good find! Still useful. Only recently upgraded to an electric version myself. Tried to teach the wife how to use them but, a blind spot regarding threading the bobbin leaves me to run the curtains up! ( and everybody else's alterations.)

[The Johnster]

I've no idea how to use it, but my dad (Merchant Navy officer) taught me to sew, as in sew canvas.  Glad I picked the Singer up when I did, though; started heavy rain about 10 minutes after I got it home!

Edited January 15, 2023 by The Johnster

[uax6]

Very useful machines. I have a cousin who uses one regularly (my Grandmothers I believe), and about 5 years ago I picked up (well had delivered to the signalbox!) another handcranked one, for use of my daughter. Ours is a 1935 model (you can look the serial number up online and get a fairly good idea of its age) and needed a few items to get it back tip top. But be careful, some of the after market bobbins aren't quite the right length (so you have to guide the winder with your fingers a bit). Shes often to be found running something up. Both of these machines have lids, but ours hasn't got a key (a screwdriver works!). 

The funny thing is that the daughter occasionally does sewing in Rangers, with an electric machine, and finds herself naturally going to wind it!

 

Andy G 

[The Johnster]

They are beautifully made and seem to last forever on minimal maintenance, bit of Singer Sewing Machine Oil every third Michealmas Tuesday, engineering as it ought to be.  Everything has a feeling of quality to it, not just built to last but to give pleasure in ownership as well.  Clearly from the responses many people are using them regularly and see no need to replace them.

 

I'm going to have to build a shelf to display mine, and it's going to have to be a pretty solid shelf!

[33C]

"Make it sew" J.L.P.

[The Johnster]

Probably not, though.  Somebody'd have to show me how to use it (I know, you turn the handle, but I mean how to rig it up and hold the material, there are no spools or bobbins, and The Squeeze has turned her nose up at it, the tasteless soulless bint...  It will be displayed as the Thing Of Beauty that it is, enhancing my home and continually giving me pleasure, like the sailing boat, assegai, and houseplants.  Life affirming.

[uax6]

If you want I can scan the scan of the instruction booklet for ours. Its actually quite easy to do and to use. 

It sort of reminds me of a little argument that I had with the present Mrs Uax. Her new office (in the cottage next door (we've knocked through)) is a long way from normal living quarters. Having a working GPO Strowger telephone exchange (UAX12 with vibrator ringing... think wasp in a jamjar), I said you need a line off it so we don't have to shout. The answer was a loud NO! 

So while the floor was up in there to run other cables, I dropped in a telephone line, and then spent a bit of time in work with some spare parts, and made up a lovely early 710 ivory telephone for her use (its got buttons to allow it to access either of two lines, the internal UAX12, and another for the external BT line). I installed it to howls of 'I won't use it!', and showed her how it worked. Amazingly it gets a lot of use, and she can't think why she objected to it to start with...

As a salesman would once have said 'Show them the convenience and they will buy'.

 

Andy G

[The Johnster]

Thanks for the offer, Andy, but it won’t be used, rather displayed on a shelf or table as an  object d’art.  I won’t be doing anything to it just yet anyway, as stripping the paint from the wooden base (somebody’s painted this in what looks like white emulsion, not a quality job even by my standards of bodgery) and varnishing it is going to be a messy and malodorous job that I’d prefer to do outside on the patio (I know it’s a patio not a yard because it’s got patio doors) on the summer weather.