Firmco 7mm loco kits

[forest2807]

I've Googled and searched this site to no avail; can anyone tell me anything about this manufacturers loco kits? Quality, availability, guide prices? Any information greatly appreciated.

[Kenton]

According to this Googled page

they date from 1973 and the tools were taken over by F.H.Smith in 1980

 

According to the Gauge O Guild F.H.Smith has "No product range available for this trader"

 

So at a guess I would expect them to be quite old in design, probably high in w/m content, and lost in the mist of time (ie no longer supplied and only available via eBay and other sources of "rare" kits)

 

I certainly haven't come across one.

[boeing757]

I built one of these at the end of the seventies, a J39 supplied by C Covey (how I wish they were still trading) The kit was described as " a set of brass parts enabling a model to be constructed" or words to that effect. It consisted of a set of heavy gauge brass stamped parts, a boiler from brass tube and the unshaped chassis was very heavy predrilled strip and brass spacers tapped for BA screws.

By today's standards very crude but it did build into a reasonable model but a lot of effort is needed. Don't expect any tabs/slots to locate things or any surface detail like etched kits. However, this was my first go at a soldered kit and it was finished so have a go.

B

[Kenton]

Hah! The proverbial "Bag of bits" commonly supplied as a "Scratch Aid" ... and not really a "Kit" in any real sense of the word.

 

But then again things used to be like that ... and sadly still are in some cases.