Peco Parkside kits for a novice

[Philou]

Top tip for you @gary_lner (and anyone else out there, of course) who may be considering doing the long wheelbase ex-LNER CCT. The under floor lugs are too close to allow the solebars to be placed where they should be AND take the axles provided. I did my approach and glued the solebars in place and then presented the axles - WRONG! My solebars now splay very slightly outwards. It needs a little packing or a shim (maybe 0.5mm) each side. It's not the top hat bearing as it's in the axlebox as far at it will go.

 

I'm not too bothered as it certainly can't be seen from 450mm away - but annoying, especially as I took care in ensuring that the vehicle didn't crab.

 

Another tip, the windows are definitely not the same size, found out after I cut 8 the same. There are 4 the same inboard, and two pairs of different sizes at the outer ends. Ho hum. Nonetheless, I'm pleased overall and I'm ready to tackle the last one tomorrow - the bogie brick wagon - oo-er - moving parts in this one.

 

Sunday will be doing the brakes and levers, and then cutting up pieces of lead sheet as weights followed by glueing the roofs on where necessary.

 

For those who have done these kits, a question again if I may? What couplings did you use? I'm tempted to go for the small Bachmann type (because most of my stock has those already) but I did also consider the older style Peco/HD type too. There are no NEM pockets with the kits. Thoughts?

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[John Isherwood]

5 minutes ago, Philou said:

Top tip for you @gary_lner (and anyone else out there, of course) who may be considering doing the long wheelbase ex-LNER CCT. The under floor lugs are too close to allow the solebars to be placed where they should be AND take the axles provided. I did my approach and glued the solebars in place and then presented the axles - WRONG! My solebars now splay very slightly outwards. It needs a little packing or a shim (maybe 0.5mm) each side. It's not the top hat bearing as it's in the axlebox as far at it will go.

 

I'm not too bothered as it certainly can't be seen from 450mm away - but annoying, especially as I took care in ensuring that the vehicle didn't crab.

 

Another tip, the windows are definitely not the same size, found out after I cut 8 the same. There are 4 the same inboard, and two pairs of different sizes at the outer ends. Ho hum. Nonetheless, I'm pleased overall and I'm ready to tackle the last one tomorrow - the bogie brick wagon - oo-er - moving parts in this one.

 

Sunday will be doing the brakes and levers, and then cutting up pieces of lead sheet as weights followed by glueing the roofs on where necessary.

 

For those who have done these kits, a question again if I may? What couplings did you use? I'm tempted to go for the small Bachmann type (because most of my stock has those already) but I did also consider the older style Peco/HD type too. There are no NEM pockets with the kits. Thoughts?

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

Peco / Parkside sell packs of NEM mounting blocks.

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/18791/parkside-dundas-pa34-oo-gauge-mounting-blocks-for-Bachmann-36-027-mk2-couplings-nem-shaft-cranked-with-pocket-x10-?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg7ul3Ju76AIVR7TtCh2PSQnqEAQYAyABEgLjjvD_BwE

 

John Isherwood.

[cheesysmith]

I have to agree with everything said, except most of the tools are not required for a first attempt. 

 

I just built a PC02A, 5 plank wooden open wagon. Time 1hr30. Tools used were a tweezer for small bits, a cheap brush for EMA plastic weld, a jar of plastic weld, a craft knife (one out of a cheap 3 for a £1 from B&Q), and because I was lasy a snip for removing the pieces off the sprues along with a set if drill bits from home bargins for the buffers. Because I wanted to experiment, it has been fitted with accurascale buffers and instanter couplings. Just needs paint, ballast and a vac hose/transfers and is done.

 

Find attached the photo of the tools and the completed model.

 

 

 

[JohnR]

I've just started out trying to build kits, and the Parkside range are excellent. They are easy to go together, and you can produce something very reasonable with minimal equipment.

 

The other plus thing for me (in 4mm) is that if you muck up a kit, they're only £10-£15, and you get experience. 

[gary_lner]

22 minutes ago, cheesysmith said:

I have to agree with everything said, except most of the tools are not required for a first attempt. 

 

I just built a PC02A, 5 plank wooden open wagon. Time 1hr30. Tools used were a tweezer for small bits, a cheap brush for EMA plastic weld, a jar of plastic weld, a craft knife (one out of a cheap 3 for a £1 from B&Q), and because I was lasy a snip for removing the pieces off the sprues along with a set if drill bits from home bargins for the buffers. Because I wanted to experiment, it has been fitted with accurascale buffers and instanter couplings. Just needs paint, ballast and a vac hose/transfers and is done.

 

Find attached the photo of the tools and the completed model.

 

 

 

That looks great thanks for sharing. Great shout for the accurascale buffers. The really do look like great models when they are put together even though it's not painted yet.

 

Thanks again

 

Regards Gary 

[gary_lner]

6 minutes ago, JohnR said:

I've just started out trying to build kits, and the Parkside range are excellent. They are easy to go together, and you can produce something very reasonable with minimal equipment.

 

The other plus thing for me (in 4mm) is that if you muck up a kit, they're only £10-£15, and you get experience. 

Sounds good to me thank you

 

Regards Gary

[Guest WM183]

Ratio's wagon kits are also very good, and Cambrian's kits build up well, though some are a bit harder to build square. We're spoiled for choice for good wagon kits these days!

[cheesysmith]

2 hours ago, gary_lner said:

That looks great thanks for sharing. Great shout for the accurascale buffers. The really do look like great models when they are put together even though it's not painted yet.

 

Thanks again

 

Regards Gary 

 

It would look better if I could take a better photo lol. Will post a better photo tomorrow using daylight (I find daylight is better than artificial light for photos of trains).

[brossard]

@cheesysmith I admit to being puzzled as to what you used those enormous drills for.  I was castigated earlier for recommending 0.020" and 0.032" drills.

 

John

[cheesysmith]

I only used the 1.5mm for drilling through the moulded buffer, then opened it out with the 2mm for the sprung accurascale ones to fit in. The larger ones are kept for things like bogie mounting points etc.

[Fat Controller]

14 hours ago, JohnR said:

I've just started out trying to build kits, and the Parkside range are excellent. They are easy to go together, and you can produce something very reasonable with minimal equipment.

 

The other plus thing for me (in 4mm) is that if you muck up a kit, they're only £10-£15, and you get experience. 

Given you can probably salvage things like wheels, you are losing quite a bit less than £10, and 'failed' projects can serve to practice weathering on, for example.

[Guest WM183]

Their 0 gauge kits are a bit more expensive, but given that 0 gauge wheels, couplings, and buffers are a good 20 pounds on their own, even botching one of those isn't a big deal. 

 

[cheesysmith]

This raises a question, which kit would you recommend for a beginner? 

 

If you ignore the baskets, I find the grampus goes together nice and square without any extra tools, gives you some spares on the sprues for V hangers etc, and can be used on any layout set in BR times.

[JohnR]

I started out with some of the Southern PMVs/CCTs etc. I'm now working through various LNER/BR vans. All very straightforward. 

[brossard]

Under the heading of pitfalls is 4 shoe (some wagons had only 2 shoes) brake push rod orientation.  I've cocked this up this myself and it is flamin' annoying, requiring disassembly and rebuild.

 

Make sure to orient the push rods such that when the brake lever is pulled down, the brakes go on.

 

Check, double and even triple check the instructions to make sure you get this right.

 

John

[Steamport Southport]

5 hours ago, cheesysmith said:

This raises a question, which kit would you recommend for a beginner? 

 

 

 

One of the later models would be easier to build. I doubt many people who can build something like an Airfix kit would struggle with a four wheel van or wagon though.

 

Some of the lower numbered kits date from the 1970s and in some ways you can tell as they are a bit more basic.  Many have been retooled though. Those are the ones suffixed with an A. Most of the older kits are gone, but you still find them in bargain bins, often for a couple of pounds. Be careful as some had plastic wheels. Those are in the light pink cardboard headed packets.

 

ISTR the Bogie Sulphate and Brick wagons were heavily flashed and needed a lot of work. I also struggled to find any information or photographs of them apart from basic stuff in the original LNER Wagon book by Tatlow when I built mine. I haven't got the new books yet. 

 

I also remember the LNER Cattle Wagon being a bit of an ordeal.

 

 

One word of advice. If you are going to be using proper couplings then replace the buffers for better ones from someone like Lanarkshire Model Supplies, Wizard/51L or MJT. Worth doing even if you aren't. The same goes for vacuum pipes. 

 

 

Jason

[Philou]

@Steamport Southport Vacuum pipes. I had a lucky find this morning whilst trying to find a tube of silicon grease that I squirrelled away as I came across a pack of Kenline whitemetal vacuum pipes priced at 1/10d - but overwritten with 1/11d (not allowed these days ) for 8. Shows how old they are! It means that I can complete the CCT van especially as metal buffers were included. I shall source buffers for the others once this crisis is over.

 

I have a further question regarding the CCT van, I saw that elsewhere that the originals would have had steam pipes as well. If I understand it correctly, the vac. pipes are placed to the right of the drawhook when looking head-on, but where do the steam pipes go? Same side, centre or left side?

 

Cheers,

 

Take care out there,

 

Philip

[brossard]

I think the Lanarkshire products are excellent and used them on some of my wagon builds.  Sadly they don't ship to North America anymore.

 

If you are using prototypical couplings (and I do exclusively on my 7mm stock), I think sprung buffers are important.  I never thought proto couplings were a practical choice for 4mm so I used Kadees.

 

As for vac pipes, these go under the buffer beam.  I used to glue some plastic strip behind the beam and drill.  I liked the Romford type wire wound pipes.  These can be bent and cut to suit for different configurations.  I generally don't like whitemetal pipes because they are fragile and don't like being bent.

 

John

 

 

 

[brossard]

Here's a shot of my Mk 1 CCT:

 

 

Vac pipe to the left of the coupling, steam pipe to the right.  The BR type vac pipe had a fixture to attach the pipe to when not in use.  The steam pipe had a chain to keep it from flopping around.  I made the chain from twisted wire.

 

John

[Philou]

I have some Romford ones - but they're 'somewhere' in my collection of bits together with my pin vice and mini drills that I shall need eventually. I was saving the Romfords in case I ever did a steam loco kit - I do have Pug or three and an Electrotren ex-TVR 0-6-0 that I want to make into something else.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[brossard]

Just to add that Gibson lost wax brass vac and steam pipes are really good.  However they are on the dear side.

 

John

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, brossard said:

I think the Lanarkshire products are excellent and used them on some of my wagon builds.  Sadly they don't ship to North America anymore.

 

If you are using prototypical couplings (and I do exclusively on my 7mm stock), I think sprung buffers are important.  I never thought proto couplings were a practical choice for 4mm so I used Kadees.

 

As for vac pipes, these go under the buffer beam.  I used to glue some plastic strip behind the beam and drill.  I liked the Romford type wire wound pipes.  These can be bent and cut to suit for different configurations.  I generally don't like whitemetal pipes because they are fragile and don't like being bent.

 

John

 

 

 

 

In Dave's defence, LMS castings have some pewter in them to make them a bit less fragile, even me and my sausage fingers can manipulate the pipes into various poses.

 

Mike.

[brossard]

4 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

In Dave's defence, LMS castings have some pewter in them to make them a bit less fragile, even me and my sausage fingers can manipulate the pipes into various poses.

 

Mike.

 

My comment about WM castings was directed at older metal that isn't as refined as Dave's.  I've had WM pipes come with 7mm kits that are really useless.  Nothing wrong with LMS stuff at all.  That said, my preference is for brass pipes.

 

John

[Phil Parker]

9 hours ago, cheesysmith said:

This raises a question, which kit would you recommend for a beginner? 

 

If you ignore the baskets, I find the grampus goes together nice and square without any extra tools, gives you some spares on the sprues for V hangers etc, and can be used on any layout set in BR times.

 

Cupboard door side mineral wagon. Really easy to build and not appearing as a RTR model.

[JohnR]

35 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Cupboard door side mineral wagon. Really easy to build and not appearing as a RTR model.

 

Thanks for highlighting that - I'm putting that one next on my list.