Wright writes.....

[St Enodoc]

25 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks John,

 

When I first read about Pendon, in the pages of the late-lamented Model Railway News, it was described as a 'Layout for Connoisseurs'. 

 

I gazed in awe at the pages, even though there was an apology for the 'obvious parallax' in one of the picture captions. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

That's fair enough, as among the earliest exhibits were the Dartmoor Scene and the Madder Valley, but at the heart of it all were Roye's buildings, which were originally displayed as individual structures, then in small groups and now, of course as part of the Vale Scene.

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, Michael Edge said:

Q kits were produced by Mike Cole, originally resin moulded diesel locos at a time when very few were available from anywhere. He later became allergic to the resin and switched to white metal. I have some his earlier ones (including what I believe is the very first one, a Peak) but I only ever built one white metal kit, a USA tank. I think the first diesel bodies were simply moulded from Mike’s own scratch built locos which ran on Sundown and Sprawling - dead straight end to end layout 64ft long if anyone remembers it.

I missed Sundown and Sprawling by a year or two but knew his locos on Leeds Victoria of course. Mike sold me a Metrovick gas turbine kit at a greatly-reduced price as a student, because the body moulding was slightly damaged.

[Tony Wright]

14 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Q kits were produced by Mike Cole, originally resin moulded diesel locos at a time when very few were available from anywhere. He later became allergic to the resin and switched to white metal. I have some his earlier ones (including what I believe is the very first one, a Peak) but I only ever built one white metal kit, a USA tank. I think the first diesel bodies were simply moulded from Mike’s own scratch built locos which ran on Sundown and Sprawling - dead straight end to end layout 64ft long if anyone remembers it.

Thanks Mike,

 

I remember Mike Cole, from the Corn Exchange days in Leeds if my memory serves.

 

I chatted to him, and noticed he was operating a layout (would it be S&S?) in his carpet slippers! Why not, if they're comfortable?

 

Happy days. Where are the pioneers in these times, when most of the layouts one sees at shows, in print and in the media have locos/stock which is RTR-based? Or, maybe, I don't look closely enough.............

 

Regards,

 

Tony

[Michael Edge]

Yes, I remember the slippers (and the jumper with more holes than wool), probably was S&S, it wasn't always easy fitting this layout in the oval Corn Exchange.

This is my Q kits Falcon.

The original Peak is buried in a cupboard somewhere and I don't have a photo on here but it has suffered a bit over the years. All the early ones had slabs of steel buried in the resin along the sides to keep them straight, this worked well until the loco was left in rather damp conditions and the steel started to rust. The result was similar to faulty reinforced concrete as the outside surface started to crack off with the expansion of the rusting steel. These two are powered on one bogie with a big can motor driving the outer axles, I always had trouble assembling these but when Mike did it (as he did with my two) they always worked perfectly.

[St Enodoc]

32 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Yes, I remember the slippers (and the jumper with more holes than wool), probably was S&S, it wasn't always easy fitting this layout in the oval Corn Exchange.

This is my Q kits Falcon.

The original Peak is buried in a cupboard somewhere and I don't have a photo on here but it has suffered a bit over the years. All the early ones had slabs of steel buried in the resin along the sides to keep them straight, this worked well until the loco was left in rather damp conditions and the steel started to rust. The result was similar to faulty reinforced concrete as the outside surface started to crack off with the expansion of the rusting steel. These two are powered on one bogie with a big can motor driving the outer axles, I always had trouble assembling these but when Mike did it (as he did with my two) they always worked perfectly.

As I said, before my time but I'm sure I remember someone (DHT?) telling me that S&S would be set up across the minor axis (the Corn Exchange being elliptical in plan) and everything else had to fit round it.

[Clive Mortimore]

November 1970 Railway Modeller. 

Wow, page 348, there were models of the locomotives I was trainspotting very important to a thirteen and a half year old me. One of Mike Cole's articles on scratchbuilding diesels, it is still one of the biggest inspirations for my modelling.

 

I still have my copy of that edition and it has been worth its cover price of 3s 6d, not only for Mike Cole's article but also Derick Shore's Avondale, Waterfoot and Creston layout, the concept of ex LMS and ex LNER lines coming into a terminus station with a main running line going around the room is one I have used for my Sheffield Exchange layout. Plus it contains one of David Larkin's early sets of wagon photos. 

 

Some of my home made engines which wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Mike's influence.

Edited July 12 by Clive Mortimore

[30368]

On 11/07/2024 at 21:20, Tony Wright said:

I've asked 30368 (Richard) if he'll explain more thoroughly the origins of these lovely locos, most of which are his own work. 

 

 

I am sorry Tony, a bit late I'm afraid. A bit tired yesterday after a longish drive back from your place and Friday morning is booked for a trip to the gym!

 

Firstly let me say how much I enjoyed yesterday's visit to Wright Castle and your wonderful layout "Little Bytham" - if only the station was still open, we could visit you by rail! It was great to meet you and Mo and play trains for a few hours.It would have been so much easier if my loco's had behaved themselves! To be fair to myself, none of these loco's have done any running since build.

 

The pictures:

 

B16/1 61412. This is a DJH kit plus a number of modifications (OIl pots etc.) built and painted by me. It ran a lot better after Tony lubricated the running gear.

I brought this Hornby A4 along just to show how gently filing back the moulded cylinder cover and the addition of a cylinder end plate can improve the appearance of this otherwise very good RTR loco.

AS Tony has said, an interesting comparison.

This Robinson B9 just survived into BR ownership. I built it from a Judith Edge etch which means the firebox and boiler are scratch built although templates are provided with the etch. It needs further attention to prevent shorting between the bogie wheels and the mainframe - this was known but I still brought it along. Again painted by me.

The V4 is another Judith Edge etch which had a template for the boiler and smokebox but not for the firebox. I struggled a bit with this as can be seen! Built and painted by me. It has not had any weight added so it could not pull much but ran very well.

I purchased this as a part built kit. It has a chunky open framed motor and is very heavy since I kept the original cast chassis. It pulled very well! The loco body was already painted and lined as 60800 so I kept it in this state.

 This unbuit kit presented all the known problems during construction. The firebox simply does not marry up with the boiler or the cab. I solved this with a new firebox wrapper and knocked up brass pieces to represent the front of the firebox/boiler section + some filler. It was an intermittant runner - Tony removed (with my permission) the leading axle sand pipes which were fouling the pony wheel. He then lubricated the chassis and it ran ok but, being fairly light, could not pull much. Built and painted by me.

A PDK kit built and painted by me some years ago. It did not run well having paint on the wheel treads - I need to fettle!

A PDK Drummond D15 4-4-0 kit bought by Mrs B for my 70th birthday. I enjoyed building this loco which restored poor old Drummonds flagging reputation after all his terrible 4-6-0 designs. It ran very sweetly.

The history of this trio of H15 4-6-0 models, and for that matter, prototypes, is a bit complex. On the right we have Urie's rebuild of one of Drummond's 4-6-0s. The body and tender was built for me by Paul at PDK a good few years ago. Both Paul and I did not realise that this particular re-build had a longer wheelbase due to the long firebox of the Drummond original. So I built a new PDK chassis for it and set aside its original chassis. In the middle we have Mr Urie's rebuild of another Drummond 4-6-0 E14 class. This was built by me from a PDK kit however it has a scratch built tender the design of which was unique to this engine. Lastly we have 30491. This was a "standard" Urie H15 with the parallel boiler replaced by a taper N15 (Arthur) to create a spare parallel boiler. This has the chassis from 30333 (Built by Paul). The body is a combination of PDK kit fitted with a SEF cast boiler and a heavily modified SEF tender. Sorry about all the explanation, I admit to an H15 "Habit". I have two other H15s.

 

30491 ran very well, could be the "Belle"........

 

I really enjoyed my day at Little Bytham and as I expected, I learnt a good deal from Tony - more work needed to create my version of "a layout loco" - lessons will be incorporated into my B7 build.

I think Tony was a bit bemused by an SR modeller building all these ex LNER locos. I don't have an answer really....

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

 

Edited July 14 by 30368
Typo's and additional info

[Tony Wright]

6 hours ago, 30368 said:

 

I am sorry Tony, a bit late I'm afraid. A bit tired yesterday after a longish drive back from your place and Friday morning is booked for a trip to the gym!

 

Firstly let me say how much I enjoyed yesterday's visit to Wright Castle and your wonderful layout "Little Bytham" - if only the station was still open, we could visit you by rail! It was great to meet you and Mo and play trains for a few hours.It would have been so much easier if my loco's had behaved themselves! To be fair to myself, none of these loco's have done any running since build.

 

The pictures:

 

B16/1 61412. This is a DJH kit plus a number of modifications (OIl pots etc.) built and painted by me. It ran a lot better after Tony lubricated the running gear.

I brought this Hornby A4 along just to show how gently filing back the moulded cylinder cover and the addition of a cylinder end plate can improve the appearance of this otherwise very good RTR loco.

AS Tony has said, an interesting comparison.

This Robinson B9 just survived into BR ownership. I built it from a Judith Edge etch which means the firebox and boiler are scratch built although templates are provided with the etch. It needs further attention to prevent shorting between the bogie wheels and the mainframe - this was Known but I still brought it along. Again painted by me.

The V4 is another Judith Edge etch which had a template for the boiler and smokebox but not for the firebox. I struggled a bit with this as can be seen! Bult and painted by me. It has not had any weight added so it could not pull much but ran very well.

I purchased this as a part built kit. It has a chunky open framed motor and is very heavy since I kept the original cast chassis. It pulled very well! The loco body was already painted and lined as 60800 so I kept it in this state.

 Thsi unbuit kit presented all the known problems during construction. The firebox simply does not marry up with the boiler or the cab. I solved this with a new firebox wrapper and knocked up brass pieces to represent the front of the firebox/boiler section + some filler. It was an intermittant runner - Tony removed (with my permission) the leading axle sand pipes wich were fouling the pony wheel. He then lubricated the chassis and it ran ok but, being fairly light, could not pull much. Built and painted by me.

A PDK kit built and painted by me some years ago. It did not run well having paint on the wheel treads - I need to fettle!

A PDK Drummond D15 4-4-0 kit bought by Mrs B for my 70th birthday. I enjoyed building this loco which restored poor old Drummonds flagging reputation after all his terrible 4-6-0 designs. It ran very sweetly.

The history of this trio of H15 4-6-0 models, and for that matter, prototypes, is a bit complex. On the right we have Urie's rebuild of one of Drummond's 4-6-0s. The body and tender was built for me by Paul at PDK a good few years ago. Both Paul and I did not realise that this particular re-build had a longer wheelbase due to the long firebox of the Drummond original. So I built a new chassis for it and set aside its original chassis. In the middle we have Mr Urie's rebuild of another Drummond 4-6-0 E14 class. This was built by me from a PDK kit however it has a scratch built tender the design of which was unique to this engine. Lastly we have 30491. This was a "standard" Urie H15 with the parallel boiler replaced by a taper N15 (Arthur) to create a spare boiler. This has the chassis from 30333 (Built by Paul). The body is a combination of PDK kit fitted with a SEF cast boiler and a heavily modified SEF tender. Sorry about all the explanation, I admit to an H15 "Habit".

 

30491 ran very well, could be the "Belle"........

 

I really enjoyed my day at Little Bytham and as I expected, I learnt a good deal from Tony - more work needed to create my version of "a layout loco" - lessons will be incorporated into my B7 build.

I think Tony was a bit bemused by an SR modeller building all these ex LNER locos. I don't have an answer really....

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

 

Thanks for those descriptions - most enlightening.

 

And, thanks for not mentioning the derailment of one of my goods trains - always in the least-accessible places, aren't they?

 

As I said yesterday, I commend you on your self-reliance. I need the help of too many others for me to be self-reliant. With more and more folk being less-inclined to actually 'model', what you brought yesterday was a real breath of fresh air!

 

I look forward to the next time.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

In the obscure list of obscure motive power kits, has anyone mentioned MTK?

 

 

 

When Stoke Summit was first on the circuit, Tony Geary built this MTK Cravens DMU (I think it was built in spite of the kit, rather than from it!).  

 

Didn't he do a splendid job? (Though it took ages before the nervous twitching stopped!). 

[John Isherwood]

9 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

In the obscure list of obscure motive power kits, has anyone mentioned MTK?

 

 

 

When Stoke Summit was first on the circuit, Tony Geary built this MTK Cravens DMU (I think it was built in spite of the kit, rather than from it!).  

 

Didn't he do a splendid job? (Though it took ages before the nervous twitching stopped!). 

 

Tony,

 

There is, IMHO, an undeserved reputation of MTK kits being unbuildable.

 

True, by today's standards, they were quite crude - but there were few alternatives if you favoured D or E traction, rather than steam. What you produced was directly proportional to the effort that you put in!

 

In particular, MTK DMU  and EMU kits were, and still are, eminently buildable - especially with the availability of RTR chassis.

 

The combination of an aluminium pressed and punched body / roof, together with cast whitemetal ends, frightened off many in pre-superglue days, but Araldite came to the rescue.

 

There is an excellent thread elsewhere on RMweb, which amply demonstrates that MTK kits are still being built into fine models.

 

I have one such kit for a Park Royal DMU which I anticipate building, with some relish.

 

Please, don't encourge those who dismiss MTK, without having any personal experience of the product.

 

CJI.

[lezz01]

5 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Tony,

 

There is, IMHO, an undeserved reputation of MTK kits being unbuildable.

 

True, by today's standards, they were quite crude - but there were few alternatives if you favoured D or E traction, rather than steam. What you produced was directly proportional to the effort that you put in!

 

In particular, MTK DMU  and EMU kits were, and still are, eminently buildable - especially with the availability of RTR chassis.

 

The combination of an aluminium pressed and punched body / roof, together with cast whitemetal ends, frightened off many in pre-superglue days, but Araldite came to the rescue.

 

There is an excellent thread elsewhere on RMweb, which amply demonstrates that MTK kits are still being built into fine models.

 

I have one such kit for a Park Royal DMU which I anticipate building, with some relish.

 

Please, don't encourge those who dismiss MTK, without having any personal experience of the product.

 

CJI.

Yeh the problem with MTK kits is that people think that you can't solder aluminium. This is not true you can solder it fine. Yes you do need a special flux but these days that isn't a problem and whilst you can't solder it easily like brass, steel, nickel silver or WM you can solder it. It is a skill that you need to practice but so is soldering anything.

Regards Lez. 

[Andy Hayter]

46 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

 

 

I have one such kit for a Park Royal DMU which I anticipate building, with some relish.

 

 

 

Relish??  Would you not be better sticking with Epoxy of superglue?

 

Hat, coat, gone.

 

 

[30368]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

I look forward to the next time.

 

Thanks Tony, appreciated. As we discussed, Buxton beckons!

 

I am looking forward to bringing a further loco or two to LB that incorporates lessons learnt and will therefore run faultlessly!

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

[Clive Mortimore]

Now then everyone don't mock MTK, it was all most D&E modellers had for a long time. The Park Royal DMU has been mentioned but other oddities like the Wickhams class 109, the Gloucester class 100 etc. are way off the RTR manufacturers list and I can't see anyone else doing a kit of them either.

 

While on the subject of diesel kits and obscure manufacturers, anyone else built a Constructeon Models kit? As far as I know they only did the Swindon/Paxman 0-6-0 (Class 14 for the younger audience). I believe it was one if not the first etched kit designed using CAD.

 

Yet another unfinished model, not that I have had any problems with it just in hasn't reached that "gotta get it done for a show" level yet.

 

 

It hasn't run for a few years so tonight it had a spin and ran well at all speed ranges. And was a tad quieter after giving it a drop of oil.

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, cctransuk said:

 

Tony,

 

There is, IMHO, an undeserved reputation of MTK kits being unbuildable.

 

True, by today's standards, they were quite crude - but there were few alternatives if you favoured D or E traction, rather than steam. What you produced was directly proportional to the effort that you put in!

 

In particular, MTK DMU  and EMU kits were, and still are, eminently buildable - especially with the availability of RTR chassis.

 

The combination of an aluminium pressed and punched body / roof, together with cast whitemetal ends, frightened off many in pre-superglue days, but Araldite came to the rescue.

 

There is an excellent thread elsewhere on RMweb, which amply demonstrates that MTK kits are still being built into fine models.

 

I have one such kit for a Park Royal DMU which I anticipate building, with some relish.

 

Please, don't encourge those who dismiss MTK, without having any personal experience of the product.

 

CJI.

Good evening John,

 

'without having any personal experience of the product.'

 

Ah, but I have. I built an MTK Gresley RTO (RSO). The beading was intaglio and the edges were as rough as old boots (one had to try to represent the beading with plastic strip), it was ready-formed (but I had to 'un-ready-form' it to get anything like the right shape) and the cast ends didn't match any part of the sides/roof profile. I built it 'in spite' of the wretched thing, and I've since sold it. It was awful!

 

It can't escape notice that the late proprietor named his 7mm range, 'El Crapo'! Or it might have had to 'p's. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[Northmoor]

On 08/07/2024 at 21:34, russell price said:

Another Mystery is this GWR 9400 , all brass, well detailed if a bit chunky,again it runs lovely and slow. Romford Phantom motor and Hamblings Wheels.

Is that from a Gaiety kit?  I checked and they've been mentioned on this thread before by @Nick Holliday who may know more.

[Northmoor]

15 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

Q kits were produced by Mike Cole, originally resin moulded diesel locos at a time when very few were available from anywhere. He later became allergic to the resin and switched to white metal. I have some his earlier ones (including what I believe is the very first one, a Peak) but I only ever built one white metal kit, a USA tank. I think the first diesel bodies were simply moulded from Mike’s own scratch built locos which ran on Sundown and Sprawling - dead straight end to end layout 64ft long if anyone remembers it.

I have acquired two Q Kits versions of LMS 10000.  The earlier resin one-piece body looks quite good (certainly for its time) and should form the basis of a decent model.  The white metal kit version is comparable to some MTK kits of the time and should form the basis of decent ballast weights.  The castings are really appalling.

[Tony Wright]

Yesterday, a friend and I sorted through models on behalf of a widow, her late husband having started on building a model railway in the garage. Nothing (apart from a couple of wagons) is kit built, it all being RTR OO. 

 

Now, I won't be selling these items (Mo and I only 'deal' with kit-built locos/rolling stock), so I'll be contacting dealers in this sort of thing. 

 

May I ask from the wise and good on here, what kind of prices one might expect for the likes of the following (all are brand new and don't appear to have been taken out of their boxes, other than for inspection)?

 

Bachmann G5 in lined BR black (I've asked about this before, but forgotten the answer).

Pair of Bachmann Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0s, one in BR black, one in BR green.

Bachmann Derby Lightweight DMU.

Dapol Class 121 'Bubble-car' single unit in BR green.

Hornby Class O8 in BR green, 'expertly weathered by TMC'.

 

I've tested these so far and all work perfectly.

 

There are the 'usual' split chassis Bachmann locos - B1s, 39, J72s (he obviously liked the ER/NER), all of which I don't expect much for, but there are also some boxed items of goods rolling stock, some 'expertly weathered by TMC'. 

 

There are also loads of die-cast model cars/lorries/vans/etc, most in their boxes, and in both 4mm and 7mm scales. I don't have the least idea of the value of these. 

 

Obviously, all monies will be going to the widow, with 10% for CRUK.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

[jrg1]

I did not see Kings Cross Models mentioned.  These were coach kits for Gresley stock.  They consisted of  wooden laminated sides (Do your own beading) and various W/M castings I bought one, kept the castings, and gave the rest away.

[davidw]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Yesterday, a friend and I sorted through models on behalf of a widow, her late husband having started on building a model railway in the garage. Nothing (apart from a couple of wagons) is kit built, it all being RTR OO. 

 

Now, I won't be selling these items (Mo and I only 'deal' with kit-built locos/rolling stock), so I'll be contacting dealers in this sort of thing. 

 

May I ask from the wise and good on here, what kind of prices one might expect for the likes of the following (all are brand new and don't appear to have been taken out of their boxes, other than for inspection)?

 

Bachmann G5 in lined BR black (I've asked about this before, but forgotten the answer).

Pair of Bachmann Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0s, one in BR black, one in BR green.

Bachmann Derby Lightweight DMU.

Dapol Class 121 'Bubble-car' single unit in BR green.

Hornby Class O8 in BR green, 'expertly weathered by TMC'.

 

I've tested these so far and all work perfectly.

 

There are the 'usual' split chassis Bachmann locos - B1s, 39, J72s (he obviously liked the ER/NER), all of which I don't expect much for, but there are also some boxed items of goods rolling stock, some 'expertly weathered by TMC'. 

 

There are also loads of die-cast model cars/lorries/vans/etc, most in their boxes, and in both 4mm and 7mm scales. I don't have the least idea of the value of these. 

 

Obviously, all monies will be going to the widow, with 10% for CRUK.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

"Bachmann G5 in lined BR black (I've asked about this before, but forgotten the answer).

 

Pair of Bachmann Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0s, one in BR black, one in BR green.

 

Bachmann Derby Lightweight DMU.

 

Dapol Class 121 'Bubble-car' single unit in BR green.

 

Hornby Class O8 in BR green, 'expertly weathered by TMC'."

 

I think that these items would reach within 10-25% of the retailer prices on eBay. If passed on to a second hand "specialist" significantly less possibly as much as 50% of RRP.

 

Ultimately it's how quickly an individual wants to off load stock. 

 

The G5 should be in more demand than others. Only because it's newer and more rare.

 

TMC weathered rolling stock doesn't necessarily increase or decrease value.

 

 

 

I wouldn't want to be any more specific.

 

 

Edited July 13 by davidw

[Nick Holliday]

11 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Is that from a Gaiety kit?  I checked and they've been mentioned on this thread before by @Nick Holliday who may know more.

I’m afraid my knowledge was culled from memories of adverts in early Railway Modellers. This website contains more.

http://www.binnsroad.co.uk/railways/gaiety/index.html
 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, jrg1 said:

I did not see Kings Cross Models mentioned.  These were coach kits for Gresley stock.  They consisted of  wooden laminated sides (Do your own beading) and various W/M castings I bought one, kept the castings, and gave the rest away.

Good morning,

 

Were these similar to the original Ratio coach kits? From recollection (as you describe), the sides were laminated and the glazing (clear plastic strip) was slid between a kind of 'sandwich' formed by the 'inside' and 'outside' pieces of the sides, after painting. The roofs and ends were wooden, as was the floor pan and solebars. I don't know if cast bogies were supplied at source.

 

I built a couple (Ratio) more years ago than I care to remember, but these were for Thompson cars (which needed no beading), not Gresleys. Where are they now..............?

 

Adding one's own beading was necessary on the couple of Gresleys I built at the same time, from BSL kits. I believe self-adhesive 'Fablon' was recommended, cut into strips, but I used thin plastic strip (which didn't adhere). In the end, I built the basic BSL aluminium bodies and stuck on lithographed, pre-printed sides which Peter Chatham used to supply as separate items (used in his PC range of coach kits). 

 

 

 

With this result.

 

I keep this out of no more than curiosity.

 

At over 50 years old, it's just a mere 'punctuation mark' in my personal modelling journey.

 

As is this..............

 

 

Something I built from a complete PC kit (purchased from Bagnall's in Stafford in about 1972). 

 

Definitely 'of its time', and dreadfully-dated. 

 

I think the PC pre-printed sides worked 'better'.........

 

 

If finished in teak (I had this set for sale from a deceased modeller's collection some time ago). 

 

 

This is a PC kit for a Southern coach I had for sale at much the same period (if memory serves).

 

I built some BSL Thompsons (over 50 years ago!), and here are a couple............

 

 

 

Superseded, of course, today - by Comet kits and the more-recent Bachmann RTR equivalents, but what else was available in the early-'70s?

 

These still run in a pair of Bytham's rakes (shock, horror!), but nobody notices as they flash by at speed. 

 

I acquired some more-detailed ex-LMS BSL cars from Barry Oliver some time ago (builder/painter unknown).

 

They came without bogies, so..........

 

 

 

A friend gave me some LMS bogies he had spare, and I built what else was necessary from Comet ones. 

 

I'm more than happy to run these on the MR/M&GNR bit of LB.

 

When I look back at the antiquities above, I'm very conscious of how far the hobby has come over the last half-century; better kits and far-superior RTR equivalents (though there is still no LNER dining triplet). That said, if every 'earlier' model is discarded because there are much better current alternatives, then, to me, the hobby would be far less-interesting.

 

As has been shown here over recent pages, what a fascinating collection of old and obscure loco/stock kits have been presented before us..........

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

[Michael Edge]

Perseverance kits were mentioned some time back in the obscure category, I've only built a few of them but this LNW 2-4-2T wasn't bad.

Built to P4 gauge with Gibson wheels.

 

[Tony Wright]

As for 'old and obscure' kits................

 

 

What about Mopok?

 

This ex-GWR BG to the right (builder unknown) is seen in company with a modern, Hornby RTR equivalent.

 

Though 'old', Ian Kirk kits are not obscure (are they still available?).

 

A God-send in the past, particularly for LNER modellers, there must be hundreds still running.

 

And, as previously-mentioned, there is no RTR equivalent for..........

 

 

A triplet diner - this set built by elder son, Tom, enhanced with Comet and MJT components. 

 

 

[Michael Edge]

Caley kits are very obscure, this is the only one I've seen but it went together very well.

00 gauge with Romford wheels on this one.