jazz

OOPS forgot to add these two images of the build.

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies. Yes, I'm tickety boo and raring to go for another years activity on the WB Kenton, I have seen and tried the rivet punch you mention and found it way too fiddly and slow. Adnitedly, it does the job. I have still to find an equalent punch to the Leakey which is rapid and very accurate to use, easy to set the gauge if required BUT the biggest pluus is the ability to to present the etched rivet into the 'hammer' point and follw down to the anvil. If that makes sense? It takes only a few minutes to punch out a typical GWR tender side. Anyway, on to the BRID tender. Spent a pleasant few hours assembling it today. Yesteday, I had prepared all the etchings and castings and laid them out on the WB, which then makes for a quick assembly all in one hit. Thankfully there was the minimum of nipping and tucking to get the parts to fit. The only parts that had to be chopped a bit was the coal sides inside the tender. The tender sides took a bit of fiddling to get the bends right for a neat fit. Sudying the photos of the build in the instruction, I noted the tuckunder on sides sat on top of the footplate. I would have much preferred them to have tucked under it BUT that was not an option unless scratch building new sides. Then there would have been a problem with the rear and front plate. However from normal viewing angles, it looks quite OK Ready now for the cleanup but first, the loco itself. I think that will be much more of a challenge to get it right. This is the tender so far.

Hi all. May I wish you all a very happy new modelling year. After a break from the forum just modelling repeat models plus a pre Christmas break in Florida staying with our daughter, I'm back at the bench. Just starting a model not having previously crossed my WB. An Acorn special edition Duke of Gloucester pacific loco. This unopened and 1997 limited edition kit looks like it will be a bit of a challenge. (Good thing I like a challenge) Here is the start on the tender. So far straight forward construction. I like the large instruction book, as it is all exploded diagrams and photos of the build. Just the odd helpful notation. Jim Harris designs his kits pretty much how I like to scratch build my locos, so that helps a lot. Finally, I have recently been asked how I punch out my rivets. I use the now discontinued Leakey Lee fly punch. Not sure if there is an equivalent type on the market at present. The last photo shows the punch.

It's just on the etches in the kit, they should be level.

Thanks David. I was pleased how it turned out, the kit will make a nice model. I have one under the bench for Pen Y Cwm, which I will build when I have the two current builds finished. Regards Ken

Hi again.. Been a bit quiet on here due to a break in London doing the sights and buildin a second King Arthur for Geoff. Now just finished a few days for a loco for Pen Y Cwm building this delightful ex Cambrian loco from Agenorias stable. Built with no alterations to the kit, the only exception i fitted pickups the the floating non swivelling front bogie, This is quite a foolproof way of springinging the front wheels. I also add a lot of lead onto the bogie which not only keeps the wheels firmly on the track but also overcomes the slight drag from the pickups. I have used the supplied Mashima & 40:1 gear box. A light weathering of sooty dirt, crew and coal plus great sound from Oliviers, (his pannier tank in this case), sees her here on Pen y Cwm with the first duty on a passenger train. (I think I will replace the etched number plates from the kit with Guilplates, I don't like the 'dropped' 9 rather spoils it, I think.

Thanks, Rob.. It does make a very nice looking model, I have one on order for Pen y Cwm from the production run.

Gladiator Model Kits (His web site is still under construction after a major crash) http://www.gladiatormodelkits.co.uk/

Hi All. Back again after doing a bit of a project for Geoff. This is his new kit expected to be introduced at the Reading show. It's a classic prototype, the ever popular Jinty. Here are some photos of the build and the finished model.

OK. Got it primed & the chassis painted black yesterday. Today has the final assembly completed. She is now ready for delivery. I am now into the second of these locos for Geoff. The first was the Urie verion, this next one is the Maunsel version. Here is the Urie King Arthur.

Thanks David, I feel very humbled by your kind comments. I take great strides to make the solder at joints as invisible as possible. To help achieve that T rarely follow the manufacturers instructions, preferring to figure out which order to assemble to enable as much soldering 'out of sight' as I can. Rob, I too was surprised just how many islands make up the area. Venice is built on hundreds of thousands larch piles, which I found amazing considering that some of those buildings are 800+ yrs old. I must say, I really enjoyed the complete absence of road traffic and did not like the smell of diesel fumes from the ferries & water buses that fills the air. I guess you cannot help that. Although we are going to return I would hate to live there, especially as it floods on high tides. That was a real pain shuffling along those high walk boards. The photo shows what I mean, and on most board walks it was 2 way and a great balancing act. The gondola ride, which we shared with another couple whose wife is in the pic, was great but quite scary when a water bus and fast taxi flew by rocking us alarmingly. This was a relatively peaceful back water returning to the gondola station.

Well, I'm almost there. Dosn't look like a lot of progress but it's been time consuming researching photos etc. Geoff has mailed me photos of the prototype he requires for the final bit and bobs to add. Mostly the visible pipework under the footplate. (the photos I had in the kit did not show this.) The deflectors and the cab interior detailing being the biggest jobs to do. The deflectors will be made removable usinh locating pins to ease the job of the painter. All has gone quite well on this build, the main problem has been sorting out the many variations relating to class. Not helped as SR is very alien to me. (Having said that i have just purchased myself two SR kits in a moment of recklessness. The D16 I will most likely sell on when I have built it though. The J11 looks qiute nice and will probably end up on Pen y Cwm as a visiting loco. Here she ready for the final phase.

Hi Rob. I'm sure Geoff believes that, considering the number of locos I knock out for him. Thanks for the compliments upon seeing the models 'live'. I do have other interests though. Photography, playing keyboards and lots of foreign travel. (Recently back from the best one this year, the Italian Dolomites & Venice) Anyway, off to the bench now.

Realised that Jonathan, I get grumpy when pulled from the WB, sad isn't it.

SLACKING? Well, just been too busy doing other things that has kept me away from the bench. What with selling & buying on ebay, family wedding anniversaries, visitors, trips to the painter, autumn gardening excercises etc etc etc. I hope things can settle down a bit now.

Moving forward with the body now. Good progress has been made today. I am very pleased with the kit, I have had to make NO adjustments to the body etches, all has fitted perfectly. Of course, great care is needed with the various folds to achieve this, but still remarkable. The boiler is in three sections, all bolted together and the whole unit bolted to the cab front. It is easily possible to bolt it to the footplate at the s/box end too. Here she is well under way.

Now done as much as can with the motion prior to painting. Had no real problems with it, just used the photos of the construction on the supplied CD which was very helpful. I did note that the instructions mentioned the castings are predrilled. Maybe Geoff didn't bother with this kit knowing I could manage. The bogie is a simple straight forward affair and like the tender bogies look good when made up. Just the detailing to do on it. It also has sprung side control. First image is drilling out the castings.

Been away from the WB for a couple of days, now onwards with the build. The chassis is now making some progress. Quite amazed that the chassis ran perfect first time, most times you have to tweak the bush holes etc to ease tight spots, this being more so due to using the etched hornblocks. Time to start the valve gear. This is the tricky part of the chassis build. Time needed to assemble and produce a free running set up. Here she is so far.

Got a bit more time in on the N15 chassis. This is going together as nicely as the tender did, so far! The photos do not pick this up but it's actually nickle silver. I have used the provided etched hornblocks instead of my usual method of elongating the axle holes allowing the bushes to float. The kit suggests using a compensation beam, (not supplied). I am not a fan of those so I limited the front hornblock to make the leading axle bush level with the fixed rear one allowing downward movement only. Leaving the centre axle free to float fully up & down. I then soldered piano wire across these bushes to press the axles down onto the track in my usual manner. This it it so far.

Finally got stuck into the Urie tender for the King Arthur class. This kit is of North Star origin, now slold by Gladiator. The tender has assembled with now issues and was quite stright forward. The exception was the tender top flare and getting the bend at the front correct. This took a little while with round nose pliers and much trial and error. the came the 60 thou brass wire I used the form the beading, again it was the front bend that caused a fare bit of trial and error. The bogies are of very simple design and very effective when assembled Here are some images of the build.

OOOPS - hands not keeping up with the brain. (Appologies to Jim, if he saw the post.)

Rob, you will NOT be dissapointed with Jims kits. I think they are lovely kits to build and look very nice on the layout. On with the next build now. Another one for Geoff, his King Arthur Class. Ex North Star design. Made a start on the tender, so far so good. Will post pics on the next update.

Back again with another one for my own layout. Quite how one of these SWB vans, all based in Acton, is seen running on the S & M L R I have yet to work out. But I just loved it when I saw the kit on Big Jims (Connoisseur) stand at Telford. As with all Jim's kits I have had the pleasure of building, this went together beautifully. I am delighted with the result. The thing I liked so much about the design of the kit is the fact that almost all the soldering is hidden. A few pics of the start of the build and finished model.

Thanks Guys. Pete, the spanner is not chrome plated, I assumed they were bright metal when new, (the light shows it brighter than it really is). Anyway it will be 'rusted' next time the paints are on the go.

All finished at last. I'm quietly chuffed how she has turned out. Here she is on her first duties. Just making her first appearance at Pen y Cwm. Discussing the shunt moves with Glyn the signalman. Looking down on her from the overbridge. Setting back to clear the turnout.