Bucoops

With the extreme volatility of it I'd be surprised if any take it?

Are there any suitable locos in the Southeastern Finecast range? Dave at SE Finecast is great for supplying spare parts. http://www.sefinecast.co.uk/Locomotives/New%20and%20Revised%20Loco%20Kits%20Page%201.htm

I just need someone who is skilled in producing etched coaches to produce a quint-art set and I'm all set...

I'll take the 7 o'clock we got!

Happy Christmas everyone The littlun (well she's 4 so not so little) is thoroughly worn out from over excitement so fingers crossed she's not the first one up (ha ha!).

I would agree that the Mousa site is a little strange, but at least it is clear at the point of ordering when/if you are likely to receive the product and a small deposit is taken rather than a full product cost. Is taking a deposit for a prospective product the right way to do it? Debatable, but it would probably prevent someone pre-ordering one of everything with little actual prospect of following up with the full payment? At some point when I'm a little more up to speed with building kits I would like to order some coach bits. I would however like to see more information on the site (and this is the same for other sites that sell coach kits in different levels of completeness). Coach sides are fine - but what's actually in a coach etch kit? What's needed to complete? What's in a coach kit? What's needed to complete? I'm sure people who have built many kits don't need the info, but occasional builders or new to the range do. Whilst I'd much prefer a one-stop shop for a complete kit (minus wheels, paint and transfer of course) I do understand that that's not always practical.

Oh ok they're the equivalent of tesco value motors are they?

His website was certainly taking money in July: And it would seem I am one of the lucky ones - it "only" took 3 months of requesting to get it back:

I sold a new unused vintage motor for £15 recently - a D11. That's half your kit price back towards a modern replacement.

Happy Christmas to you too I fully believe you - and still don't understand why he hasn't refunded you.

I do think that metal brake gear would be better, but there really isn't much clearance and I do still have my L plates on I found a Jamieson V2 build in Tony Wright's thread where he has added brakes to it and he (obviously) makes it look very good indeed - but the axle spacing and therefore clearance on the V2 is more than the A1 - and of course I can't compare skill levels!. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64295-wright-writes/page-56&do=findComment&comment=1469320

Hi John, Yes I saw those but as the loco has 6'8" wheels that's quite a jump up from the sizes quoted

Re-read the instructions - apparently there's some half-round wire in the kit for making the coal rails. Can't say I'm looking forward to THAT little exercise! I see more modern kits have them as one piece etches. Hurrah for technological advances I've ordered some Slaters brake shoe things. Still not 100% that I'm going to fit them (it is of course an old kit that didn't have them so wouldn't be appropriate to fit them - that's what I keep trying to tell myself anyway!).

Couldn't see anything in the Gibson catalogue, or Markits (not that you can buy from them...). The Slaters don't look right but might be able to do something with them. Thanks both

You could paint it to look like ice and have it in an arctic layout? That's some heavy paint!

I can't see any plastic brake parts on the Roxey site? Only thing I have at present with curves is a few 2nd radius Hornby points - The bogies are very loose (described as clearance for the shoulder screws by Jamieson) but the axles also have a lot of sidewys play. I'm thinking a pretty thin bit of wire just for a little bit of flex control, but can always nip it off later if need be?

So managed to get a bit more done on the tender. Tank is just sat on top for the first pic - little bit of the trademark wavy in evidence to try and sort. The bogies that the wheels attach to have a little bit of pivot that isn't really needed and risks shorts so I think I'm going to link them with a bit of thin-ish brass rod, that can flex a bit but not too much. The frame width was a bit of a compromise - I think it should be ever so slightly narrower but then it would hit the buffers.

Think I want to try plastic shoes at a first attempt, to try and avoid the risk of shorting. I've realised something with this kit - there's nothing supplied for coupling the loco to the tender... Something else to think about!

Yargh don't do that to me go on then I'll bite - where sells suitable bits? I don't think I want to scratch build brake bits.... Still not promising I'll fit them - I do want to actually finish this thing!

I don't suppose these will look like brake rigging - especially as I am very unliekly to be fitting brake shoes, but it's worth a go!?

Hmm, just noticed that every tender picture I look at has the rear handrails in a different position. I guess I really should have selected a suitable prototype by now and checked... One thing the kit makes no mention of, but has on the drawing, is the coal rails. That might be an interesting part to do.

I've been plucking up the courage to build the tender tank for a while - but as I'm *still* waiting for the bus bar wire (not got anything thick enough to be rigid enough) I though I'd best crack on. Nervous of it as the parts were very... wavy... and I've still not done a lot of seam soldering. But I think I did ok The footplate seems a bit short compared to images of the real thing but I guess that will give clearance on sharper turns. I wonder if I had the iron too hot as it went a bit brown straight away. There's still hints of wavy on the tank top but hopefully that can be hidden with coal. Interesting that it's just flat, not even a remote attempt at adding some depth to the coal space. Makes for an easier build I guess. I should add there are a few detail pieces to go on the top - it's not just flat and done. But nothing under that level.

Interesting news I don't hold out much hope of the Kirk/Cooper-craft kits seeing the light of day any time soon, if ever, but at least part of the range is coming back.

I'm not an NER man but the pseudo rails on that first tender I've always found strange looking!

Quickly threw together the chassis for the tender - looks like it's about the thickness of the footplate high - should be pretty easy to drop that