Kenton

Something, like sarcasm, I find very difficult portray/understand in print.

No I don't think it can be applied to any kit. The vast majority of true kits only require the supply of wheels, motor, gearbox and time to enable them to be built into very representable models of their prototype. Any kit missing instructions, requiring the fabrication of some of its components rather than source from listed supply, requiring non-typical user tools (lathes ect) and the cutting/forming of items that could have been etched are certainly only scratch aids. From what I have seen of these kits (only a look into a box) they are well deserving of the designation of "kit" Of course there is a whole range of levels of "kit" from those which simply don't go together as instructed, to those that are simply a joy to build.

:lol: only heard - so didn't L@@k first and as for enjoying the listing - yeah I enjoyed watching 2 dumb bidders slogging it out with each other. watch this space - it will be back soon.

Just looks like a bidding war between two bidders with more cash than sense. I expect when they sober up it will go to second chance offer then reappear in a few days with amore realistic asking price. That is stupid money to pay for a fancy box and a RTR loco

If only I could find the time

The problem is that many would see this as advertizing I'm not knocking your product or business in anyway - I have also heard good things - just knocking the approach to your customers by the use of @hotmail and also subdomains (also frequently blocked by corporate and home based PCs that are under corporate control - ie work-from-home)

Is that also a recommended approach for your customers ? Or should that be "potential customers"?

... and that's not counting all the mis-spellings

Personally I think that is completely the wrong approach. The masters might well be poor and of "old" standard but if they are at all usable then selling kits at no better than the used to be would be better than sitting on them indefinitely. As long as people know what they are getting (unimproved kit) then they are not being sold a pup and the sales and customer feedback would go a long way to indicate which kits need more urgent attention in terms of updating. From a commercial perspective the kits would at least be paying their way and the customer base would be satisfied that the brand is not worthless/disappeared. Communication that a kit was currently being updated would enable customers to decide to wait or be able to run with the old option. Communication both website and email is critical, most folk are probably fast forming an opinion about the way he does business, perhaps wondering about things like "if I can't get a reply now, what about when something goes wrong with my order, or I want to consult on the way the kit goes together". As it is we have nothing.

Yet another example popped out of the ether today EBay Link but then it did include the VERY RARE Sharman wheels in P4 - so some might see that price as a bargain. (BTW: the winner wasn't me - after all what on earth would I do with P4 wheels)

I wonder, if that would ever happen? Until then we continue to fight over the scraps on eBay. and mutter about the silly prices reached despite them coming up with regularity.

but IMO far worse than the dodgy description is the ileagal T&C "Please note I no longer accept ANY claim for loss or damage if goods are sent without the Recorded Delivery option." The sender is ALWAYS responsible for the decision on postage method and insurance - if he doesn't like that then he should insist on Recorded Delivery. Charging appropriately of course. As to it being a loc - well I suppose it is - the word loco is applied to traction engines as well.

small tip for the next build: when soldering spacers in place on frames it is normal to solder them on alternate frames rather than all on one frame (does that make sense) this is due to the potential of the frames expanding differently under heat and thus ending up out of alignment. Good to see it going together.

In earlier text it was described as "one of Dick Ganderton's 'Graskop' units" This is what mine also is and mine was one of the last one's sold by him. The London Road Models and Swanage units are essentially the same as this one (as are they all) and although the settings might be labeled differently their use remains the same. It is an expensive bit of kit to spend your cash on £100+ and they are heavy to post. But if you are an avid (near daily) kit builder you are likely to find it an invaluable tool. I wish I had bought one much earlier. Solder cream beats solder paint on convenience every time as the amount used is so small. Solder paint still has its uses for tinning parts but requires care when used for overlays. The trapped flux can boil off very rapidly and blow off the overlay if not held firmly together. There is a real risk when using an RSU for overlays, that is localised heating. The part is expanded by the heat and with thin overlays this can lead to buckling and distortion.

My comments: Yes from the photo it looks like the same RSU but mine has no black terminals. I generally always put the base terminal (crocodile) in the highest coded terminal - do not know why. My main comment is that I think you are doing it all wrong. Sorry. You have one massive heat sink and electrical continuity issue. The RSU works by generating heat at the point of highest resistance. This should be at the point where the two pieces of metal to be joined are in contact only through the liquid flux/paste. In all your examples you have electrical metal to metal continuity through the "solder station" the result is that you are using a far too high a setting, generating too much heat and destroying you carbon tips. An indication of this is they are glowing red. Try again. This time insulate one of the pieces to be joined from the "solder station" using a thin piece of card. Do it so that the only way electricity will flow is through the insulated part, through the join and to the other uninsulated part. Also realise that that massive heat sink is causing as much trouble as it would with conventional soldering, so also insulate it with card. Use the magnet or a small uninsulated area to provide electrical continuity. Also I have found that when using paste the points to be joined have to be exceptionally clean and despite the use of solder cream the join still benefits from adding liquid flux. It is amazing how little cream is required to make a join - if you can see it - it is probably too much. One final note: do not use the RSU for jobs that are better handled with a conventional soldering iron - typically seaming (if you do then use the RSU on the outside of the seam not the inside - but beware of arcing when you remove the carbon tip without turning off the power. The RSU is a great tool to have but it doesn't replace the conventional iron. It is best used for those tiny joins of small components to large components. These are best handled off the "solder station" by attaching the black lead to the main component and the anode to the small part being added. It is then that you appreciate the power being used and the heat generated by the low settings. As on too high a setting the small part can be vapourised.

during your trials - don't forget to put it on setting 6 'A-D' - you will soon realise why you don't ever use it on a kit - even in 7mm. But it makes you realise what happens when too much heat is used. Even on 3 brass wire gets vapourised. Don't forget to acquire some square edged magnets these can prove more useful than a fence with some work as you can sandwhich a business card between the etch and the steel plate, providing electrical and thermal insulation, use a magnet at the edge to provide electrical continuity and you have the perfect arrangement to solder on things like door handles/hinges - using setting 1 of course.

To remove old Selotape residue from brass (another one of those why do they do that!!? screams) Acetone is the best solvent, but you will still need to clean up the usual oxidation. This looks an interesting build - I've seen worse and older kits

20" x 11" ? isn't that another name for a boxfile?

A prototype for everything ... a scenic fiddle yard ladder.

So what was wrong with the £88 being charged by Hattons?

Someone went a little overboard with the new wasp strip transfers but it has a certain critter appeal about it. Nice industrial images, not seen often enough, but I guess gaining access with a camera was difficult.

Buy something other than yet another loco. ... and stop showing off

if it actually led to finishing one ... probably a great deal.

I guess you could argue that a through station is actually a junction when the tracks lead off to private industry/mine/etc. Possibly of equal concern would be big 4/6/8 track sheds full of parked up "on shed" locos's where there are no additional facilities and the adjacent station only has space for one of those locos and 3 carriages. The ubiquitous MPD/TMD is only there to show off the sheer number of locos in the collection, to exercise a cacophony of sound chips, or to blink lights under the glare of yard lighting towers

Plenty of through stations had their own engine shed and plenty of engine sheds were small single loco affairs. Very often the reason was a nearby quarry or mine, or simply the station on a branch/main line had been extended from a terminus as the line was extended.