LNER Models in 4mm

[Daddyman]

13 hours ago, PDK Models said:

Hi Daddyman, Its a pity you didn't let me know about this as I would have replaced the etchings for you (I still can if you want). The etchers of that particular kit and others found it impossible to etch both sides evenly and I haven't used them for a number of years.  There is a much upgraded chassis in the D49 now, plus improved cab interior. The original kit wasn't designed by me, and needed some work to modernise.

 

Paul

By the same token, it would have been nice if you'd inspected the kit before sending it out - especially since, as the second sentence of your post implies, you knew about the problem. 

 

My reason for not contacting you was that I started the kit quite some time after buying it. Even now, you only say the kit has a new chassis and cab interior, which hardly addresses the misalignment problem. 

 

[30368]

14 hours ago, PDK Models said:

Hi 30368, The T14 is going slower than I would like, but I should have a sample etch early next year.

 

Thanks Paul, looking forward to it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard Bullard (30368)

 

[Mallard60022]

9 hours ago, Daddyman said:

By the same token, it would have been nice if you'd inspected the kit before sending it out - especially since, as the second sentence of your post implies, you knew about the problem. 

 

My reason for not contacting you was that I started the kit quite some time after buying it. Even now, you only say the kit has a new chassis and cab interior, which hardly addresses the misalignment problem. 

 

Oooof!

P

[PDK Models]

10 hours ago, Daddyman said:

By the same token, it would have been nice if you'd inspected the kit before sending it out - especially since, as the second sentence of your post implies, you knew about the problem. 

 

My reason for not contacting you was that I started the kit quite some time after buying it. Even now, you only say the kit has a new chassis and cab interior, which hardly addresses the misalignment problem. 

 

I can't check every kit before it goes out, I don't actually pack them. And if you'd read the post fully you'd see that the etchers that were at fault haven't been used by me for years, so the misalignment problem IS sorted, its still a mystery to me how they managed to do it. I made the change when I took over the business, as I'd been unhappy with the quality of their etchings for quite a long time. It doesn't make any difference to me how long you've had the kit, I want my customers to end up with a built model, so I'm happy to replace the etch for you.

[Pebbles]

1 hour ago, PDK Models said:

I can't check every kit before it goes out, I don't actually pack them. And if you'd read the post fully you'd see that the etchers that were at fault haven't been used by me for years, so the misalignment problem IS sorted, its still a mystery to me how they managed to do it. I made the change when I took over the business, as I'd been unhappy with the quality of their etchings for quite a long time. It doesn't make any difference to me how long you've had the kit, I want my customers to end up with a built model, so I'm happy to replace the etch for you.

I am in accord  with Mikemeg that this thread has been highjacked. If I have had a problem with a kit producer I have contacted them to resolve. It would only be if I found them unwilling to address the problem would I then raise the issues elsewhere. 

 

Very simply if there is a problem resolve it at the time!

 

Daddyman; simply as clarification how long ago did you have this issue?

[micklner]

Not a problem to me, kits should always be of a marketable standard. Unless any faults are made public , how would anyone ever know before buying,  what they are actually spending their hard earned on. It is also a good learning experience for new modellers, on how to make better models. The same applies to praise where deserved.

 

What I do not appreciatte however, is the recent totally unecessary and sarcastic remarks by one individual made towards a excellent modeller, who has helped me on a number of occasions. Nothing whatsoever to do with him, and he is not welcome on here ever again.

[Daddyman]

13 hours ago, Pebbles said:

I am in accord  with Mikemeg that this thread has been highjacked. If I have had a problem with a kit producer I have contacted them to resolve. It would only be if I found them unwilling to address the problem would I then raise the issues elsewhere. 

 

Very simply if there is a problem resolve it at the time!

 

Daddyman; simply as clarification how long ago did you have this issue?

Mick's said he's OK with this discussion so I'll answer these points without fear of hijack. 

 

Checking emails, I bought the kit in 2017 and started it this year. You're right that the first port of call should perhaps be the kit producer, but I've had no luck doing this in the past. The usual answers are "can't do anything, sorry", "no one else has said anything", "it's always sold well". Or the good old "I can't check every kit"! Sorry? You literally individually wrap each etch sheet for each kit in tissue paper and place each one individually in a box, and you can't inspect the etches? Given this inevitable close contact with the etches during the wrapping process, I could only draw one conclusions, and there seemed little point in contacting the kit producer, especially since, as said, some time had lapsed. 

 

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Daddyman said:

Mick's said he's OK with this discussion so I'll answer these points without fear of hijack. 

 

Checking emails, I bought the kit in 2017 and started it this year. You're right that the first port of call should perhaps be the kit producer, but I've had no luck doing this in the past. The usual answers are "can't do anything, sorry", "no one else has said anything", "it's always sold well". Or the good old "I can't check every kit"! Sorry? You literally individually wrap each etch sheet for each kit in tissue paper and place each one individually in a box, and you can't inspect the etches? Given this inevitable close contact with the etches during the wrapping process, I could only draw one conclusions, and there seemed little point in contacting the kit producer, especially since, as said, some time had lapsed. 

 

 

I seem to recall that you were informed that the kit producer did not PERSONALLY pack the kits.

 

The bottom line is that you are making-up excuses for not doing the obvious - contacting the person who produced the kit!

 

Time to stop imposing on the thread-owner's good nature!

 

CJI.

[rowanj]

I come to threads like this to get information and inspiration for my own relatively paltry efforts ,and a reasonable breadth of discussion is , I feel, healthy, as long as it fits with the title and purpose  of the thread. Mick, I imagine is perfectly capable of managing the content without help from anyone else.

As it happens, I am currently in discussion with PDK to get a D49 Hunt which is out of stock, and has been for a long while, and a replacement chassis fora B16/1 which, foolishly, was my first venture into etched loco kitbuilding. Hopefully I can do a better job now. Whatever else, I have found Paul to be helpful and quick to respond to my enquiries.

Incidentally, knowing Daddyman a little, I doubt he has built a kit "out of the box" since he left his crib....

[30368]

46 minutes ago, rowanj said:

I have found Paul to be helpful and quick to respond to my enquiries.

 

Agree rowanj, Paul at PDK works very hard to please his customers. Without these small, often one person bands, our hobby would be very much the poorer. I can think of a good few more that fall into this category such as Judith Edge Kits, HighLevel, Alan Gibson, Branchlines etc.. to name just a few. What is more these guys take the time to listen in to our meanderings on this website and offer us all much help and support.

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

[Mallard60022]

Not that long ago I asked Paul if he could supply some very small Tender and Loco Parts, normally just available with Kits. It was to make repairs to a RTR SR Loco that had lost some 'bits' before an Auction and my winning purchase.

No issues! All sorted within hours. Thus I decided to buy further parts listed as Spares and a full Tender Kit as well, as I was that impressed with someone who did an individual favour for someone he'd never met, simply because I emailed and asked and we had an online chat.

Admittedly I may well have bought that Tender at some time in the future, but the thoughtful response made me do it then an there.

Phil

[micklner]

22 hours ago, micklner said:

What I do not appreciatte however, is the recent totally unecessary and sarcastic remarks by one individual made towards a excellent modeller, who has helped me on a number of occasions. Nothing whatsoever to do with him, and he is not welcome on here ever again.

 

[Daddyman]

18 minutes ago, micklner said:

 

Is it the one who ruins every thread on RMWeb, Mick? 😉 I see he's responded to one of my posts in this thread, but I've had him on ignore for years - highly recommended! 

 

On other matters, I take people's point that I've been too quick to write PDK off, and should have approached him before doing so. Seems he's trying to do the right thing by customers. 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Daddyman

[PDK Models]

23 hours ago, Daddyman said:

Is it the one who ruins every thread on RMWeb, Mick? 😉 I see he's responded to one of my posts in this thread, but I've had him on ignore for years - highly recommended! 

 

On other matters, I take people's point that I've been too quick to write PDK off, and should have approached him before doing so. Seems he's trying to do the right thing by customers. 

 

Hi Daddyman, If you'd like to ring or email me, we can sort a new etch for you. I am waiting for more stock though. The most important thing to me is that my customers end up with a finished model, otherwise what's the point. Finally I'll say this, are my kits perfect? Of course not, I'm not sure anyone can make that claim, but if a mistake in the design shows up (I've made some beauts) I make the necessary alterations, a drawing might go for test etches 2 or 3 times before I'm happy with it. I try and design with ease of assembly in mind, after all I'm a modeller too! 

 

Paul

[mikemeg]

On 06/12/2023 at 16:57, 30368 said:

 

Agree rowanj, Paul at PDK works very hard to please his customers. Without these small, often one person bands, our hobby would be very much the poorer. I can think of a good few more that fall into this category such as Judith Edge Kits, HighLevel, Alan Gibson, Branchlines etc.. to name just a few. What is more these guys take the time to listen in to our meanderings on this website and offer us all much help and support.

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

 

Personally, I think we have lived / are living through a 'golden age' for model makers. The generation who have designed, produced and supplied the myriad of kits and continue to do so, provide us with a wealth of choice as to what to build and how. Sadly, some of that generation have already passed on and we must hope that a new generation takes up their work, otherwise, eventually, all that will be left will be the r-t-r suppliers and a diminished, increasingly rare and increasingly expensive supply of kits via E-bay and the like.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by mikemeg

[Daddyman]

56 minutes ago, mikemeg said:

 

Personally, I think we have lived / are living through a 'golden age' for model makers. The generation who have designed, produced and supplied the myriad of kits and continue to do so, provide us with a wealth of choice as to what to build and how. Sadly, some of that generation have already passed on and we must hope that a new generation takes up their work, otherwise, eventually, all that will be left will be the r-t-r suppliers and a diminished, increasingly rare and increasingly expensive supply of kits via E-bay and the like.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

I'm not going to say anything as my views on kits are violent and extreme: I think they should resemble the real thing. 

[mikemeg]

On 08/12/2023 at 16:52, Daddyman said:

I think they should resemble the real thing. 

 

I would absolutely agree with that statement but then, in most instances, I think they do.

 

Of course, if examined under a microscope, then there will be divergences from the 'absolutes' of the prototype and, depending on the skill and proficiency of the builder, those divergences may be magnified or they may be reduced. The issue is the interpretation of 'resemble'! When the essential characteristics of a prototype are reduced to 1/76th of the actual size, even with the most modern CAD systems, there are bound to be anomalies. 10 thou on the model is  3/4" on the prototype.

 

The alternative to using these inaccurate and unrepresentative kits, is to build everything from scratch using whatever drawings are available. But then even the works drawings were not always accurate and up to date. The 2-8-0 Austerities, built during WW 2, could vary in length by up to 1.5" and all sorts of 'expedients' were used, due to shortages.

 

I realise that we could debate this 'ad infinitum' and your view is no less valid than mine.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by mikemeg

[micklner]

B16 finished .

 

The Tender was stripped and the Coal plates had 3mm removed from the length and returned to the body. 

 

Avoid this kit unless very desperate !!.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[micklner]

Next up a recent ebay purchase. The instructions list as available in 1985 for £75.00 about £220.00 now. Luckily I got this one for less than the 2023 price !!.

 

It will be City of Kingston Upon Hull 2401in due course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by micklner

[mikemeg]

54 minutes ago, micklner said:

B16 finished .

 

The Tender was stripped and the Coal plates had 3mm removed from the length and returned to the body. 

 

Avoid this kit unless very desperate !!.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mick,

 

Has to be said that you have made a very good job of this, despite all of its shortcomings. I/m not sure about the 'avoiding unless desperate' but certainly 'avoid unless you're prepared to rectify, amend and replace some parts'.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing your build of the Raven Pacific. At what period will you be setting this model;  I note that your locomotives all carry LNER pre-1946 numbers?

 

At least one of these locomotives - 2404 - was rebuilt with an A3 boiler, sometime in the 1930's.

 

Anyway, please allow me to post a photo of City of Kingston upon Hull, once again courtesy Mick Nicholson's collection.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by mikemeg

[micklner]

Mike

        I model the whole of the LNER period 1923 to 1948.

        I already built the Raven A2 City of Durham with the Gresley 8 wheel Tender, this one will be circa  1923/1930 with Westinghouse Pump etc fitted. I havent decided on the exact date/lettering layout version at the moment.

        If you look at my thread on here

https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1624&start=60

 

There are many  of the earlier photos that are now missing on here, due to the recent site crash. Sadly a similar crash occured on this website as well losing a lot of earlier photos thereon as well.

 

Mick

     

Edited December 13, 2023 by micklner

[micklner]

Progress via a flu bug !.

   Main Loco body and chassis done ,Loco needs filler tidying up then detail parts to be added. Chassis ready for painting.

 

[micklner]

 

 

200 error on previous attempt with multiple photos. Reported earlier today.

Edited December 31, 2023 by micklner

[Chas Levin]

Happy New Year Mick and get well soon! 👋🏻

[micklner]

Cheers Chas and a Happy New Year to everybody !!!