Metropolitan

Ah! Yes, my previous F was a SEF kit.

Ordered from Rails by phone. But the guy said they are very busy so it might be a few days before it's dispatched. I had tried to pre order it but no joy. Don't know what went wrong.

What??? I shudder at the thought..😀 The LNER bought some of the larger tanks and disgracefully neglected them.

What? Comet do a Class H? If so I'd be grateful if you could post a link.

Nope. It's not Comet. It's a bespoke etch I commissioned long ago for the H Class. Managed to get drawings from the the NRM but no longer available. Now struggling to get drawings for the Class G which are held by the Sheffield Archives. But they are insisting that I visit in person. I don't won't to go to Sheffield!😀

Next up is a Class H. Basic etches to work from only. The Metropolitans finest loco. A 4-4-4. Built one 20 years ago and I'm determined to make a better job of it this time. P

Comet do a Deans Goods chassis which I am in the process of building. Feels like cheating using a RTR one.😀

She's alive! To varnish or not to varnish. That is the question..😀

Crammed mine full of lead shot in every nook and cranny. Now it's a nice runner.

Of course I am going to buy it. Do you think I will be able to resist? I've tried and tried but don't possess the willpower.😂

The price.

Good question! They are a problem. HMRS used to do a loco sheet for the Met but no longer have any stock. I've had no reply to my emails so I assume that they have been discontinued. So I ordered them bespoke from Fox Transfers (not cheap!) but the scale and colour aren't quite right unfortunately. I do have some inkjet printer transfer sheets and at some stage I will have a play with them but If any one knows of some one producing transfer sheets I will be eternally grateful if they could point me in the right direction.

I doubt its worth buying. That's why it's EFE. Needs to see what Sam's Trains has to say.

OK I've made a start in replacing my full range of Met locos. The low hanging fruit of the lining and detailing is complete with the Class F. The nightmare lining is pending...

Hi Graham. So nice to know you are still about! Who can forget your Leader locos!

Twenty years ago I built the full range of Metropolitan Locomotives. A class, C class, D Class, E class, F class, G class, H class, K class, the camelback electric, the bo-bo electric, the Manning Wardle and the Peckett. i sold them all bar one which no one wanted because it was rubbish. Here it is: She still runs smooth as silk. Now I'm going to build the whole lot again to a higher standard.

Yes, SE Finecast do both an E and an F. But I expect the moulds are by now worn out? Anyway I do not think I'll be working with white metal anymore. Brass and nickel silver being more to my taste. What I meant is that many of the old firms I used to use for detailing parts seem to be wound down or gone. There's still some old stock around but it doesn't seem to be being replaced? I believe Markits is still going, though I haven't been able to get through on the phone. Alan Doherty is still up for producing basic etches from drawings and I'm about to commission him to produce G Class if I can persuade the Sheffield Archives to send me a copy of the engineering drawings which are held there. They want me to visit to do it myself but it's such a trail. All they need to do is photo them on a phone and send them to me on WhatsApp but no, no, it's too much trouble..🥵 As for the black art of CAD I fear that that is beyond me.

Funnily enough I've just begun building a new Metropolitan F Class using a Comet Dean Goods chassis kit as a starter for ten! It's been a while but I just can't believe how dead the loco kit building hobby has become? It's so hard to get any parts now? I have an etch to enable me to do another Met Class H but it looks as though I'm going to have to buy up loads of scrap kit built stuff to get the detailing parts I need such as chimneys, domes, smokebox doors, backheads etc, etc. What on earth has happened? It was such fun!

Any chance of an update Rod? I've seen the WIP a couple of times and can only say I'm in awe!! I forgot to ask you how it was going when we met at Scaleforum Regards

If you can't put one of these chassis together you might as well give up any hope of kitbuilding a loco. All the valve gear holes are etched out to the correct size. Simply remove the rods from the fret, insert a rivet, tap it and that's job done!! Make up up the valve gear and the brackets and fit them to the frames. Simple as that. No filing, fiddling, fettling or tearing your hair out necessary. I have one small bone to pick with the designer which looses the kit a mark! The valve rod bracket is in my opinion unnecessarily complex. It consists of five parts which have to be soldered together and, being very small, it's not easy. I can see no reason why the bracket could not be etched as just one part with fold up lines??? Still, this is (even though I say it myself) a sensational chassis. Smooth with great low running to match any new RTR. It's run in and now ready for a final clean up and a bit of filling where the wheel weights are not quite right.

Bognor? There are more hormones in the air there than there are here I can assure you!! It's so hot I decided to model outside. But a near miss by a seagull forced me to give up. You can't go wrong with this kit. No, honestly you cannot go wrong. All the parts are tabbed so there is no possibility of getting the body anything other than square. There are also half etched alignment grooves to aid assembly.

I know!! I think I am getting too old! God's Teeth:I cannot see the damn parts unless the sun is shining or I am wearing +2 glasses! No wonder I think my models are OK? They are probably rubbish because I am too old to see the imperfections!! I wish my belly would not keep growing and that hair would stop growing out of my ears!!!!! It's a young persons hobby and yet few young persons show any interest?

No. But jigging the chassis square, making the pistons and painting it only took two hours! The reason? All the holes are correctly etched to size. And all the parts fit. You simply remove the parts from the etch and solder everything together. No fiddling and breaking 100 0.5mm drill bits necessary. So far so good. Still gets a Gold Star. (Avoiding the term Gold Medal just in case!!!)

This is the second DMR SR Class Z I have built Heaven knows how many 00 gauge loco kits I have now built. Most have been an unequal struggle!! I have in the past pondered what makes for a perfect kit. What are the qualities of a really good kit? Of all the kits I have built, most of which I have taken notes of during the build, two stand out as perfect. The first is the Comet Ivatt 2-6-0 and the second is this DMR Maunsell Z Class. It is difficult to be precise about why I rate these kits above all others but here are some of the reasons. By the way I am not prejudiced against whitemetal in any way. In no particular order: 1) Good instructions, pointing out any foibles, and clear drawings. This kit has nice clear drawings blown up to A3 size. 2) Excellent design for ease of assembly. All the parts on this kit are tabbed for accurate no fuss location. Brass etches are very lightly tabbed allowing easy removal of the parts. 4) The minimum of complexity to achieve a prototypical model. Overlays only where necessary to avoid having to punch out rivets. No microscopic demon soldering necessary. 5) Whitemetal - Perfect castings with no flash. Brass - Boiler and other parts preformed. 6) Proper use of materials. Etch that with should be etched. Turn that which can be turned. Lost-wax only those parts that should be lost-waxed. And cast in whitemetal those parts which should be cast. This kit is perfect in this respect with turned chimney and buffers etc, Lost wax injectors and cast backplate etc. 7) The kit has been designed to allow a motor and gearbox to actually fit in. The wheels, motion, valve gear and brakes do not foul anything if the kit is built as per the instructions. 8) The finished model runs well and looks perfect to prototype with the minimum of hassle. 9) It's fun to build ETC!

I'm finding it hard to navigate the new site Graham!! The Bulleid Light's look superb but as Horsetan says the cab casting is 'interesting'!!! Let me know if you run out of filler!!