Paul Cram

picked up some LNER goods vehicle methfix transfer for a fiver.

Just the one waiting to be converted to P4. Commonwealth of Australia. I also have a GBL Mallard to convert.

Picked one up at Asda in Chelmer Village. Although bent I think this will straighten when taken apart as it seems that it is not well assembled. Still for the price seems a reasonable starting point.

This was a Scottish built loco delivered across the former LNER with allocations in Scotland and East Anglia in addition to those in the North East. That doesn't make it a North Eastern loco in my book. The J72 was A North Eastern design built by BR. Edit Just to further clarify the development was of the K4 as stated elsewhere which itself was a development of the K2 which was a GNR loco. Ref: RCTS Locos of the LNER part 6a

I have to disagree that this is a North Eastern engine. The Thompson one was hardly in the North East and the rest were built by British Rail.

The J72 frames now finished and just need cleaning up and priming. This was a very enjoyable kit to build and apart from some of the part numbers being the wrong way round fairly straight forward.

Apart from missing the signal wires it looks pretty close to the real one.

Thanks for that, I'll look at mixing the comet parts for the motion as these are already built.

Hi Morgan, thanks for that but I have already assembled them. It was when I came to fit the exactoscale hornblocks that the cut out size became apparent. I have acquired a set of Branchlines frames from ebay and I am considerer binning the comet ones and using these. This is partly why I haven't progressed this further yet.

No the V2 is on the back burner. Having cut out the hornblocks in the comet frames I now find that they are too deep as well as being too wide. I have corrected the width with strips of brass and now need to do the same with the tops.At that point I was contemplating a new set of frames and starting again. Other things have than taken priority not least progressing the layout for which a V2 is wrong.

It has been awhile since I updated this thread. Having purchased a High Level J72 chassis at the weekend I have been putting it together. Frames and Hornblocks now assembled so just the valve gear and brakes to add. Lovely crisp etch and has gone together well.

I would be interested in a couple in P4

surely their legs must be rather far apart if they are 00 gauge .

Very good Tony. I have come to the conclusion that it is the unnaturally bright colours that detract from the realism and the selection above all look very realistic.

Not exactly but less than a fiver I was told. We got 4 to fit.

Yes they are. Friend ordered couplings last Wednesday and had arrived by Friday. £12.25 for a fret for 20 vehicles. Just making them at the moment.

I have to say that I am with Larry as well. It occurs to me that it is the brightness of the photography that makes a lot of layouts in the magazines seem to have a toy like look not helped by peco track.

Well in respect of North Eastern Prototypes we couldn't be better served. Arthur is expanding his range of Etched kits and Dave Alexander is expanding his whitemetal range although I believe some parts are now etched. London Road Models seems to continue to add to the range. I don't build models very quickly so I have enough to keep me going for a long while yet but there is no rush as for me the pleasure is in seeing the model emerge form the flat metal or castings.

That doesn't answer the question so do I presume you will not be buying any more Hornby models as it is not just the P2 for which there is no RTR alternative?

How will you become intolerant given that Hornby are the only manufacturers and supply will be limited?

I agree with you 100% on the satisfaction of building something point. I purchased a couple of Hornby Gresley suburbans in teak and they are very good models.. I won't be buying any more as I found that the pleasure of owning them was less then the Kirk equivalents that I built myself. In some ways I am fortunate that I model in P4 as this reduces the temptation to buy ready to run as usually there is a lot of work just to convert them. Whether I rewheel the Hornbys or not remains to be seen but I am in no hurry as I need to widen the clearance to get P4 wheels in. It may be easier to replace the bogies.

That looks superb.

I use an Antex 18w iron and the trick is not to touch the iron on the white metal. If soldering 2 white metal parts together I just touch the solder on the joint and lrt it flow down the joint. You can hold the iron there quite a long time without melting the casting. If soldering to brass make sure the brass is tinned and then only put the iron on the brass..

i haven't looked into it closely. Brassmasters do a detailing kit for the A4. Would need a chime whistle but a comet chassis and Gibson wheels. I have a portescap motor in stock so for less than a Hornby great gathering price it is possible to have a P4 A4. This is also cheaper than converting my bargain Commonwealth of Australia using an Easichas/gibson conversion.

Agreed, but they aren't targeting modellers anyway.