Since last week, I didn't get as much done on the doggies as I would have liked mainly due to some action at the salt mine which prevented me from venturing out to the train cave. But I did manage to get to the point in the build process where I start on the bogies for the elliptical roof LFX and nearly to that point for a Mansard roof car. I also have cleaned up and drilled all the commode handle holes and the door handle holes for a third.
So it's been a painless build so far. All things fit and match where they're supposed to except the ends which needed a small amount of filing to make them butt against the roof line correctly. This is also suggested in the instructions as being possibly necessary. One thing I've learnt with these kits is to be more patient and use a lighter touch than usual. This can't be a bad thing for a modeller to learn and will help me with all the other kits I have filling my cupboards.
The footsteps on the ends of the cars look fantastic with half etch detail of the bracket on the underside so, if you happen to have a derailment, you'll see them when the car is on it side! The point is though, you know the detail is there! Love it. The light switch handle on the other end is especially fine and takes some careful filing with the aid of a jig that's provided with the kit. This allows you to get the piece finished correctly without bending it. It's a half etch that needs to be folded over and soldered and it looks impressive once cleaned up. I'm also impressed with the interior detail which went together easily and helps makes sure the car is square and true. There is no warping or bending in any of the urethane parts so you end up with a completely straight car, so unlike many urethane kits I've built before. It's not hard to remedy a warped side but it's annoying. So here's a piccy of the current progress
So it's been a painless build so far. All things fit and match where they're supposed to except the ends which needed a small amount of filing to make them butt against the roof line correctly. This is also suggested in the instructions as being possibly necessary. One thing I've learnt with these kits is to be more patient and use a lighter touch than usual. This can't be a bad thing for a modeller to learn and will help me with all the other kits I have filling my cupboards.
The footsteps on the ends of the cars look fantastic with half etch detail of the bracket on the underside so, if you happen to have a derailment, you'll see them when the car is on it side! The point is though, you know the detail is there! Love it. The light switch handle on the other end is especially fine and takes some careful filing with the aid of a jig that's provided with the kit. This allows you to get the piece finished correctly without bending it. It's a half etch that needs to be folded over and soldered and it looks impressive once cleaned up. I'm also impressed with the interior detail which went together easily and helps makes sure the car is square and true. There is no warping or bending in any of the urethane parts so you end up with a completely straight car, so unlike many urethane kits I've built before. It's not hard to remedy a warped side but it's annoying. So here's a piccy of the current progress
Doggy 1 and Doggy 2
So this week the doggies will go into the kennel while I do some bench work and track work. The plan is to do 1 week on each project that way I don't get bored with either of them.
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G'day Linton.I have yet to tackle a couple of these kits 2013 maybe keep up the good work.Peter
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
DeleteDo it man do it!!! They'll look fantastic on your fine layout
Cheers,
Rob
G'day Peter.
ReplyDeleteI would love to take the credit for Robs fine work however I see him fairly often at exhibitions and he may not be as kind next time I see him!
My blog is the other Picton layout, Stonequarry Creek.
Rob,
Your models are looking great. I really need to get back into finishing my LFXs. Your right they are so good to build, patience being the key!
Linton
G'day Linton!
ReplyDeleteNoice, very noice indeed!
How did you get the purchase of 2 of Mike's doggies past the Minister of Finance???
Keep up the good work.
At the opposite end of the scale, I've got hold of an original TrainOrama BX kit and a Main West BX kit, one of these will be a CX (converted BX) - I haven't decided which one yet. The TrainO BX will have an interior fitted with ILM seats (that's the plan at this stage....)
Cheers,
Tom.
Umm Guys, I think you might have the wrong guy here :-) Linton and I both model Picton but here the similarities end, He's a far more handsome guy than me as you can tell by his avatar....why he could be David Hasslehoff's brother by the looks. But thanks for your comments as well...much appreciated
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rob
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteYou might get upset with me if I tell you how many I've got. I'd been talking with Mike about these cars and I'd committed to him way back in 2006 that I'd buy several of them so he kept the price low for me. And in the time it took for the kits to come out, I'd squirrelled away enough money to pay for them. Some people whinge about waiting for models to come out but sometimes, this is a good thing, particularly when you get a model as good as these. I'd encourage you to buy one if you could, that way there's more chance the BX and CX might come out. Like any manufacturer, Mike needs the sales to make the next model financially viable. I've also got an TrainO BX fitted with an interior but I scratch built an under frame before I knew too much about these things and the solebars are way to thin. Plus the decaling I did on it was more like a post-war BX than a pre-war one. It's got full '30's lining but the weathering is awful....maybe I should post a photo to show how not to make a model ;-)
Cheers,
Rob
G'day Rob!
DeleteMy mistake!
(This highlights the dangers of blindly following on from previous comments - Maybe it's oldtimers disease I'm getting!!!).
I'll talk to you direct more about sprung buffers etc.
Agree re the new underframe on the TrainO BX - that and new truss rods etc are on the list - I ditched the AR bogies and got ILM ones (ILM have finally shut up shop, BTW).
I'd soooo love to buy the MMM doggies, but the pressures of a young family and the implied pressure of having to buy Austrains 'latest & greatest' now rather than paying the Ebay Highwayman is sending me broke.....(nice 4 wheelers though!)
Cheers,
Tom.
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteNo problems, drop me a line whenever you feel like it. A pity that ILM have shut up shop, I hope its only temporary. Aaah, the pressures of RTR. Sometimes I think the market is a bit too flooded with models, luckily for me my era means there isn't much available except for some of the 4 wheelers you mentioned.
Speak to you Soon,
Rob
G'day Rob.
ReplyDeleteCan you drop me a line please - tompall5096 AT gmail.com - interested in the manufacturer, part numbers etc. for the spung buffers; Mike McCormac has put me onto Wizard Models in the UK as a source for these bits.
Cheers,
Tom.