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Interesting thread Frank. I too will follow. Kind regards Richard B

Hi Paul, It looks as if I got it wrong regarding your kit since it does not have a brass frame. Please accept my apologies. You seem to have had plenty of good advice from Chris and others though. I suspect then that the cast frame may limit your choices regarding a gearbox. I guess a few pictures during the build might help with further advice? I have no experience of 52F frames. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Paul, I have built the Nu-Cast Partners C2X and found it all very straitforward but I had built a few loco's before. The C2X kit had been re-engineered by SEF and Branchlines so many of the original kits negative aspects had been ironed out e.g. brass frames and nice brakegear etches etc. White metal kits are a good place to start because progress is fairly rapid, certainly compared to brass/NS kits. I think your kit is also one re-engineered by Nu-Cast Partners? I assembled the C2X body/tender with low melt solder - clean the surfaces to be joined very well, plenty of flux and don't leave the iron on too long! For the smaller parts I glued these on using good quality superglue. As to the gearbox and motor - I am a big fan of High level gearbox and coreless motors, the latter are very small for their power output which will make life easier with the J21. Chris will help you make the best choice. A few pictures to encourage: I wish you the best of luck and please give me a shout if I can help further. Kind regards, Richard B

Your suggested solution sounds fine. I did something similar with an original Merchant Navy kit that I built a few years ago where the problem is potentially more accute given the clasp brakes fitted to the prototype. I used Hornby brake gear and that works fine. My Little Engines Q1 used the original etches and Alan Gibson wheels. This works well too but I will admit that removing the wheels could prove tricky! Kind regards, Richard B

Arthur, Please ignore my message - I have downloaded your brochure and this gives full info. My excuse is still recovering from our move to Buxton - last Wednesday - no time for doing anything except unpack boxes! Kind regards and keep up the excellent work, Richard B

Arthur, Sorry to interupt the flow! Do you have etches for a G5 0-4-4T? Sorry if you have been asked this too many times already. I plan to build one for a MR Club. I am aware of the London Road Models version but thought I'd ask you too. Kind regards, Richard

Hi Ade, I have built three G6 0-6-0T's, two SEF and one Gibson. The Gibson makes up to a lovely model but is time consuming. The two SEF models, both of whuch used a SEF chassis kit, also make a good representation of the prototype and do not take long to build. In my limited experience, (plastic) kit bashing can be time consuming! A few pics. The second SEF G6 was built as one of the Meldon Quarry shunters for a friend. 30277 was a 70D loco. All three, Gibson model not yet been to the weigh bridge! Kind regards, Richard B

V4 etches look first class Mike and the drawings supplied are very useful. Whilst the etches require a little more work than, say, a PDK kit*, they are very good value. I see the V4 is the next project for the A1 Steam Trust after the P2. I hope to get my V4 finished before theirs! Kind regards, Richard B * No criticism intended, PDK kits are very good!

The K3 is making good progress RowanJ, getting the valve gear fitted and running smoothly can often be really tricky so well done. One comment and suggestion, this is an early SEF K3 body kit which was designed to fit an early Hornby chassis. As a result it had the underside of the boiler "missing". What I have done in the past is to bend a section of brass sheet to the correct boiler curvature and fix this (usually superglue) to the underside of the whitemetal boiler finishing with some "green stuff" filler and W&D paper until the brass boiler section blends in. If needed you can add boiler bands too. It makes a huge difference to the appearance of the completed model. I had to do the same for my very old SEF "U/N" Mogul kit that I built as an early "U" class (prototype rebuilt from a 2-6-4 tank) sorry I don't have a really clear picture but you can just see the boiler insert. and the completed model Its worth the extra effort. All the best and keep up the good work! Kind regards, Richard B

That's good news Tony (Good Evening!) I have one to build that cost very little. Hope that I am not too stretched by the compound curves. 60022 looks splendid. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Clive, This thread has opened up some really important discussions about what matters. I realised soon after retirement (50 years a railwayman) that if life was defined by the work I had just completed then I was left with the question "So is that it?....what is next?" Like many I am immensely proud of my daughters who have turned into women of consequence doing great work in the NHS. I volunteered to work in the NHS visiting and chatting to patients in my local hospital. I have done this for nearely six years. I spend my three morning shifts on the cancer and burns units. This has given renewed purpose to my life and tought me so much. I have watched the nurses and doctors in action over these years and whilst they would say.. "I'm just doing my job" they get to the very heart of what it is to be human. Clive, you made such a great decision to become a nurse my hat is off to you. I agree with Northmoor, our hobby is a great way of dealing with difficult times. It occupies the mind and brings out our innate creativity and delivers a great result...I made that! Sorry I have gone on too long! I am a fun loving old git really! Life is just great! Kind regards, Richard B

Clive, In the nicest way, you are almost famous! A really great thread - keep it going - remember you are only young once! Kind regards, Richard B

Siouxsie and the Banshees were rather special though - The Scream was outstanding I still have my copy of the album. I really enjoyed listening to John Peel's 10.00 PM sessions on Radio 1. Sometimes something really original and fresh turned up (like The Scream ) providing John played it a the right speed, then again sometimes it didn't matter! Happy days! Kind regards, Richard

Just great Clive, our mission in later life is to surprise and delight our kids with the knowledge that our interest in life did not end with the production of them! Kind regards, Richard

Welcome back! Kind regards, Richard B

Yes Clive a very good song. My appreciation of the piece is somewhat jaded given that my eldest daughter (bless her, she is a senior ward sister with three kids of her own now) played this at high volume over extended periods. She was a Goth at the time (Mission, Sister of Mercy, Fields of the......) and whilst I cooperated with painting her bedroom black with the stars and planets on the ceiling (we are both fairly arty) I drew a line at building a coffin to replace her bed. Wonderful times though! Kind regards, Richard B

Clive, I see that Cabaret Voltaire are back after 20 odd years with Shadow of Fear perhaps a bit too difficult in these times? Here is one they did earlier- Kind regards, Richard B

Fortunately I didn't have to dig too deeply. Sorry about the picture quality and I would add that painting/weathering has not been completed. Richard

Sorry David - should have done this first !

Hi David, I can't claim any originality for this! I simply gently filed the bottom edge of the body casting, starting at the bottom and slowly increasing the area filed as the radius increased. There are limits to this given the need to cover the chassis mounted cylinders. Finished with very fine W&D paper. To improve still further the illusion of a thin sheet covering the cylinder casting I made two new front cylinder cover from, in this case ally sheet recovered from old Venetion blinds, and trimed these to fit as close to the body as possible without impeading body removal. I am very pleased with the result - I would love to show you a few more pictures but the loco, together with the other 120 or so of various sorts, not all A4!!, are packed ready for our impending move. As soon as I can I will take some more pics and post them here. Good luck and take it slowly - its worth the effort the rest of the Hornby model is really good. Kind regards, Richard B

As I was packing up the loco's I could not resist giving my very old "Little Engines" Q1 built many years ago but still a good runner and it don't look too bad, in a coffee pot way, either. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks all - the suggestions are all appreciated and welcomed. Kind regards, Richard B

John, Thanks for your comments and encouragement. I build whitemetal and brass kits and both approaches have their pluses and minuses. I really enjoy the challenge of building any kit. Both these are a bit knocked about and tarnished but they were very cheap and I am certain they will build into great representations of the prototypes. Surely part of the pleasure of our hobby is overcoming problems and finishing up with something that we are proud to say "I built that"? It will be a month or two before I start! Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks all for the information guys. I will seek further advice from all you guru's when I start the build! I have had a brief look at the V2 firebox and I can see where there are possible problems. The profile of the firebox does not fit the the running plate curvature. That is correct to prototype in that the firebox etch is of the firebox cladding sheets. I think I can see a way around it though. Will order the appropriate Isinglass drawing. Looking forward to the challenge! Oh no Mick have a bought a "pup"!!! It was a very cheap purchase! Re - Little Engines - Some years ago I built a Q1 kit and the result is very good - can't speak for all their kits but the Q1 is very good and true to prototype. Kind regards, Richard B

I am now in the process of packing up my "workshop" ready for the move to Buxton which looks like being 2nd December. Having said that I could not resist buying two very secondhand Pro-scale kits from Hattons. They were very reasonably priced and whilst a previous owner(s) had started building the kit with, perhaps, a lack of experience or guidance, they are pretty good. I know nothing about this manufacturer, they are for a V2 2-6-2 and an A4 4-6-2 (LNER again!). They do not have any instructions so if anyone can scan and post I would be very grateful. They do come with wheels and the A4 also has a motor and gearbox too although that will have to be replaced. I don't intend to build these for a while but they will be interesting projects. Kind regards, Richard B