Wright writes.....

[Chamby]

I used Kemco waterslide lining (no longer available I believe, but I had a stock.

 

Alternatives are Modelmasters or Fox.

 

Any others?

HMRS pressfix.

 

Phil

[65179]

The GC 4-6-0s seem to bring about almost as much debate as T******n pacifics (sorry), but regardless of the names attributed to the B7s, not from what I've read by any GC men though, there are a number of books which repeat the coal consumption figures showing them to be comparable or even lighter on coal than their near contemporaries the B16s. As someone born 25 years after the last B7 was withdrawn, I'm just very thankful that in whatever scale the efforts of people like Graham, Graeme and Nick make it possible to model the wonderfully diverse scene of those days.

 

Simon

Edited December 20, 2018 by 65179

[thegreenhowards]

Who makes the red and white lining used on the C12 and others?  A C12 is probably the last loco that I want and as of today will have to build.  There was a significant number based at Louth.   They used to haul the local stopping/commuter train from Louth to Grimsby 6 days a week and I still have a very vague memory of taking the train with my mother to go shopping in Grimsby and at Christmas to have coffee and listen to the Christmas Carols at Guy and Smiths.

And they are such a pretty engine

I used Modelmaster for mine (67364 in Tony’s post).

 

Andy

[t-b-g]

The B3 and B7 classes were very similar apart from the wheel diameter, which did allow the B7 a better ashpan arrangement. This was generally seen as a weakness on the B3.

 

Both classes gave around 30 years of service across one of the toughest main lines in the country.

 

So although not perfect, they did a hard working job for the GCR and the LNER for many years.

 

They also make very fine looking and unusual models!

[CF MRC]

A B3, ‘Valour’, coming to a screen near you in 2mm Scale, fairly soon. Watson locos can have a slow gestation... Courtesy of etches from Nick Easton & Paul Craig.

 

Tim

Edited December 20, 2018 by CF MRC

[Headstock]

... hopefully not an ex-GCR / LNER 9P / B3. First batches of production kits already shipped out to prospective kit builders (some of whom call in here from time to time). Hopefully we'll see some of the finished products in due course.

 

WP_20181203_23_05_34_Pro.jpg

 

It looks smashing, I hope you sell lots of Valours, fingers crossed for the B7 if you do. If the B7 comes to fruition it will go straight onto the workbench. Do you have any suggestions with regard to tender kits?

[jamie92208]

A quick visit to London from our temporary home in Lincoln today.  I'll be waving at Tony and LB as we speed by in the HST in about and hour and at about 8.20 this evening hopefully.   I'll be able to catch up with the thread tomorrow.

 

Jamie

[jwealleans]

Do you have any suggestions with regard to tender kits?

Mike Edge, if the one he does (non self trimming) is appropriate.

[t-b-g]

Some work is being done on an etched kit for the self trimming type too but a decent RTR version suitable for the locos can be found behind the Bachmann D11.

[Woodcock29]

Some work is being done on an etched kit for the self trimming type too but a decent RTR version suitable for the locos can be found behind the Bachmann D11.

I have a Bachmann self trimming tender set aside for my B7. I was going to kit-bash a Ks B2 into a B7 using a GW Hall chassis but I won't need to now!

 

Andrew

Edited December 20, 2018 by Woodcock29

[2750Papyrus]

Tony, why does he need some dead Wasp? Is it useful for weathering Vans?

P

 

It's for warning stripes on the front and rear of diesels - not required on LB!

[Tony Wright]

The Kirk Gresley TK is now complete.

 

 

 

This is, without doubt, a 'layout coach' in every sense as is understood on this thread. My 'sketch book' approach has missed off the train alarm gear and the little footsteps at the ends of the roof. Everything else is pretty basic, too. 

 

All the above said, as one of over 180 passenger-carrying vehicles, will those omissions be evident as it goes by in a train? I'm not condoning slipshod modelling, just advocating 'pragmatic' modelling.

 

Painting was my usual mix of Halfords acrylic car aerosol - red primer and a top coat of Ford Burgundy Red. Ends/underframe/bogies and roof were brush-painted using Humbrol enamels. Lining is by Replica (waterslide) and the numbers (again waterslide) by Modelmasters. 

 

Do plastic kits like this still have a use? If you can get them, my answer is an emphatic 'Yes'! Nobody makes an end door Gresley TK RTR (or loads of other types made by Kirk). Making metal kits is still a huge stumbling block for many, so, in my view, this sort of thing is (or should be) within most modellers' grasp. 

 

My thanks to all those who've shown us various refinements/improvements in the finishing of their Kirk kits. I'm not noble enough to follow most of them. 

[Flying Pig]

It's for warning stripes on the front and rear of diesels - not required on LB!

Warning stripes also look quite splendid on industrial steam in my opinion - the older the loco the more delightfully anachronistic the appearance. Black and white (or red and white for supporters of Sunderland) is perhaps preferable to yellow and black in this application.

[davidw]

The Kirk Gresley TK is now complete.

 

Kirk Gresley TK 02.jpg

 

Kirk Gresley TK 04.jpg

 

This is, without doubt, a 'layout coach' in every sense as is understood on this thread. My 'sketch book' approach has missed off the train alarm gear and the little footsteps at the ends of the roof. Everything else is pretty basic, too.

 

All the above said, as one of over 180 passenger-carrying vehicles, will those omissions be evident as it goes by in a train? I'm not condoning slipshod modelling, just advocating 'pragmatic' modelling.

 

Painting was my usual mix of Halfords acrylic car aerosol - red primer and a top coat of Ford Burgundy Red. Ends/underframe/bogies and roof were brush-painted using Humbrol enamels. Lining is by Replica (waterslide) and the numbers (again waterslide) by Modelmasters.

 

Do plastic kits like this still have a use? If you can get them, my answer is an emphatic 'Yes'! Nobody makes an end door Gresley TK RTR (or loads of other types made by Kirk). Making metal kits is still a huge stumbling block for many, so, in my view, this sort of thing is (or should be) within most modellers' grasp.

 

My thanks to all those who've shown us various refinements/improvements in the finishing of their Kirk kits. I'm not noble enough to follow most of them.

Ive often wondered why kits of railway rolling stock (specifically coaches and freight produced) haven't been produced to the dame standard as a high end airfix or revel aircraft kit. A niche in the market not exploited or would modellers not be interested?

[Jol Wilkinson]

Ive often wondered why kits of railway rolling stock (specifically coaches and freight produced) haven't been produced to the dame standard as a high end airfix or revel aircraft kit. A niche in the market not exploited or would modellers not be interested?

Wouldn't the Ratio or Slaters 4mm kits fit that definition?

[PMP]

Wouldn't the Ratio or Slaters 4mm kits fit that definition?

And Cooper Craft, and most of the Parkside range

[davidw]

In part they do. But perhaps not to the detail of a modern aircraft kit. I appreciate that detail can be added as demostrated here. It would be helpful for some if the detail was described and step by step instructions provided.

[micklner]

The only one of the 4mm Plastic kits which is "high ended" are the Coopercraft range of superb mouldings. Slaters are nowhere as good e.g the NER Hoppers have zero interior side detail and the Brake Van is "interesting"  to build. A number of old Parkside kits I have had to throw out as they distorted with age, basic detail on the older kits as well.

 

Aircraft and Military modellers are much much better served in a huge range of high detail plastic kits , add on etches and paint ranges . Look at one edition of any Modelling Magazines covering their hobbies, every a month a plethora of add on parts etc are always being made available.

[jwealleans]

Roger Chivers plastic kits are the gold standard IMO. All the others should dream of being that good.

[Craigw]

The only one of the 4mm Plastic kits which is "high ended" are the Coopercraft range of superb mouldings. Slaters are nowhere as good e.g the NER Hoppers have zero interior side detail and the Brake Van is "interesting"  to build. A number of old Parkside kits I have had to throw out as they distorted with age, basic detail on the older kits as well.

 

Aircraft and Military modellers are much much better served in a huge range of high detail plastic kits , add on etches and paint ranges . Look at one edition of any Modelling Magazines covering their hobbies, every a month a plethora of add on parts etc are always being made available.

 

 

The Coopercraft kits are indeed very good mouldings. The under frame arrangement is (at best) idiosyncratic and all of the GWR kits have issues with accuracy in one way or another. They are very much a product of their time. The later Parkside kits in particular are excellent. Comparing them with the current crop of Military kits is misleading - most of the injection moulded AFV kits released of late are actually multi media. I am not sure that railway modellers want that and are prepared to pay the price for things they generally buy in multiples.

 

Regards

 

Craig W

[Tony Wright]

I find all these discussions about various plastic railway kits most-interesting.

 

I'm coming at it from the position of someone who is really quite ignorant of what is (and what has been) available. Certainly, the number of plastic wagons I've built, running on LB can be counted on the digits of a human body. Yes, I've built a few Kirk carriages, though, ironically, I've sold most of those after I started building carriages in metal. 

 

Like many modellers of my generation, I built the Kitmaster range, motorising (rather crudely) many of the locos. I built several of the Kitmaster Mk.1s, though they didn't run that well on Tri-ang track. For their day, they were outstanding, as were the Airfix rolling stock kits of the period.

 

It would appear, though, that many of the plastic wagon kits aren't that good - lacking in detail, incorrect and with a tendency to distort. A pity, because I would have thought that plastic wagon kits provide a perfect 'entrance exam' for those who are getting started in building things for themselves. Have I done inexperienced modellers a disservice by recommending these as starting points? 

 

I think it's unfair to compare kits for railway wagons with kits for aircraft. Surely the market for the latter is much greater, and with a much larger number of different scales. I really don't know, because the last aircraft kit I built was an Airfix Dakota, 60-odd years ago! The fit of parts was perfect. 

 

Because there are so many different wagon types, the RTR folk are never going to nibble away at the kit market on such a scale as with locos. 

 

As I say, most-interesting.  

[DavidB]

 Kirk Gresley TK 04.jpg

 

Very nice indeed - and the best bit for me is the way the coach sits so realistically on its bogies, conveying a real sense of weight despite the plastic bodywork. That's very clever modelling. Just one question: what's going on with the ride height compared to the blood and custard Gresley coupled behind it?

 

David

[gazman424]

Evening All,

 A Kirk Gresley related post, in that it has a Kirk roof!

 

 

Scratchbuilt, with the addition of Hornby bogies, MJT parts and oodles of inspiration from this thread.

Gaz.

 

 

[Tom F]

 

Because there are so many different wagon types, the RTR folk are never going to nibble away at the kit market on such a scale as with locos. 

 

 

 

 

Although they don't always get it right do they? Doesn't the Hornby Blue Spot Insulated Fish have an incorrect roof profile? I would guess the Parkside kit is still probably the best option?

[polybear]

It would appear, though, that many of the plastic wagon kits aren't that good - lacking in detail, incorrect and with a tendency to distort. A pity, because I would have thought that plastic wagon kits provide a perfect 'entrance exam' for those who are getting started in building things for themselves. Have I done inexperienced modellers a disservice by recommending these as starting points? 

 

Recommending the achievable to a beginner is surely a good place to start.  A Finney kit surely wouldn't be.....

Edited December 20, 2018 by polybear