Conwy Castle 009 - the handrails

One thing that you notice about diesels of any design is how many handrails and grab handles there are - or you do when you start putting a kit together. It's taken two days of modelling to get all the separate rails measured up, bent from brass, holes drilled (some were marked, others not) and all the bits stuck on. This is only a tiny kit, but there are 20 separate hand rails to fit and my patience reaches a point where I have had enough.

This is the Five 79 kit (ex Chivers - well Chivers junior anyway). Not the fastest delivery in the world and Matt hinted that he wasn't happy with the quality. I think what he was getting at was that people's expectations had now risen and a whitemetal kit that needed the usual amount of fettling/filing/filling wasn't where the modern mood was. I disagree. The cutting edge is supposedly 3D printing of loco kits, and we know what a lottery that can be. Plus I don't think that there is any less work for the buyer to do. These are good basic kits and cheap enough for the novice to learn some important general skills. The problem is that the designs are 25 years+ old and are swayed toward chassis units which are not around anymore. I'd say that the range needs a shake and upgrade for the 21st century and it'll be good for the next 25 years worth of 009 modellers.
Email Matt and tell him.

Film Friday - China narrow gauge railway

I'm always on the look out for something different and inspirational. This part diesel, part electric powered operation carrying coal in China may be just what it needed to kick start an idea for a new layout.

A driver for a Roco diesel

One thing I almost never get around to is adding drivers. Here though, I managed. Although he looks smiling and comfortable he is in fact hacked off below the lungs. The folded arms give away the origins of an Airfix Luftwaffe bomb loader, though with the neat parting and the beard he looks more like Gerry Adams or Peter Sutcliffe....

Now that they have returned from their day out to Arundel, the platform buildings have been plonked into place on Edge. Sticking and bedding-in to do.

Roco HOe diesel

A few days ago I put a cheeky request on here for some brass grill. I've always believed that if you do't ask you don't get. What I also know for certain is that there are some very kind people out there and lo and behold the above turns up on the doormat a day or two later from a certain bearded biker who is easy to spot from his helmet (don't go there...).

 A bit of trimming and super glue.... plus handrails and a drilled-out length of point control tube. This is a bit suspect on positioning being a little close to the radiator, but aesthetically it balances. In the background the chassis unit and the world famous scrap box.

Dodging the showers outside ( Mrs F. grumbles if I spray paint around near her car in the garage) it was given a light coat of Halfords's primer which as usual shows how bad the workmanship is, and here perched drunkenly on the chassis unit.

009 Kerr Stuart diesel

Well the roof is just sitting and there is much to do, but unlike the last time I combined these two items the length is just about as built, only the axleboxes are shifted to match the Bachmann wheels.
Whether it will come apart again is another question.