Connoisseur 4mm Etched Brass Kits

[Steve C]

I started off my brass kit building with one of Jim McGeown's PMK kits, namely the BR standard 20T brake van. To my eyes and with a little bit of fettling it captured the look in a way that r-t-r offerings failed to do and it was disappointing when 4mm kits disappeared from the Connoisseur range.



The outcome of the exercise is seen above but I sold it on (ignore the buffers!) because I wanted some commonality amongst a fleet.

Such kits do pop up for sale occasionally (usually for a high price) but that route could not be guaranteed so I decided to contact Jim, as he himself has redone some of his 4mm loco kits, to see about the possibility of doing the same for the brake van.

Jim kindly organised the order for some and as the photo etchers have a minimum order I have a number of "kits" available for those who might wish to build one. I know Accurascale are going to be doing these but where's the fun in opening a box; Jim's kit is also a good basis to modify into a LNER diagram 61 type as these only had thin sheet steel platforms rather than the cast concrete ones.

It's a kit in the sense of it consisting of the etch, a rolled brass roof and the castings (buffers, axleguards & springs, concrete platforms, side duckets, vac pipes, stove pipe and roof ventilators). There are no instructions but the 7mm version is available online as a PDF and you would need to source to your own brass wire for the handrails.

The cost per kit works out at £32.50 which includes postage.

If anyone is interested then please PM me to discuss otherwise I'm in for a long exercise in soldering!

P.S. If anyone is unsure what you get on the etch or how it builds up then full details of the 7mm version can be found at:

http://www.jimmcgeown.com/Print off BR Brake Van instructions pdf.pdf

 

[Steve C]

The reason of being able to get the brake vans done is that Jim created the photo etch artwork as a stand alone item.

Since then he's contacted me to say that the Stanier brake van is in a similar position and that his LNER single bolsters, LNER Lowmac L and LNER Imp P agricultural implement wagon could be done together.

If anyone is wanting any of the above then let me know and I'll see from the numbers if it's feasible to go ahead.

 

[Daddyman]

Worth pointing out the Stanier brake has the plank lines in the wrong position - or at least in a very rare position. Etched brass is also not the best material for creating the solid corner and other pillars, though they can be backed with square rod.

 

[Harperre]

I started off my brass kit building with one of Jim McGeown's PMK kits, namely the BR standard 20T brake van. To my eyes and with a little bit of fettling it captured the look in a way that r-t-r offerings failed to do and it was disappointing when 4mm kits disappeared from the Connoisseur range.

View attachment 268093

The outcome of the exercise is seen above but I sold it on (ignore the buffers!) because I wanted some commonality amongst a fleet.

Such kits do pop up for sale occasionally (usually for a high price) but that route could not be guaranteed so I decided to contact Jim, as he himself has redone some of his 4mm loco kits, to see about the possibility of doing the same for the brake van.

Jim kindly organised the order for some and as the photo etchers have a minimum order I have a number of "kits" available for those who might wish to build one. I know Accurascale are going to be doing these but where's the fun in opening a box; Jim's kit is also a good basis to modify into a LNER diagram 61 type as these only had thin sheet steel platforms rather than the cast concrete ones.

It's a kit in the sense of it consisting of the etch, a rolled brass roof and the castings (buffers, axleguards & springs, concrete platforms, side duckets, vac pipes, stove pipe and roof ventilators). There are no instructions but the 7mm version is available online as a PDF and you would need to source to your own brass wire for the handrails.

The cost per kit works out at £32.50 which includes postage.

If anyone is interested then please PM me to discuss otherwise I'm in for a long exercise in soldering!

P.S. If anyone is unsure what you get on the etch or how it builds up then full details of the 7mm version can be found at:

http://www.jimmcgeown.com/Print off BR Brake Van instructions pdf.pdf

Yes please

 

[Tim Lewis]

I do quite like PMK kits. Unfortunately, I've already done a Stanier brake van and a Lowmac, I don't need an Imp and the single bolster is the same diagram as the one that Dave Bradwell does. However, if he were able to do the LNER Tube wagon, then I could well be interested in one or two.

 

[Steve C]

Thanks to some enthusiastic support from fellow WT patrons, all of the available brake van kits are spoken for.

I have a list of Jim's 4mm kits so will go through them to check the viability of trying to get others from the series released as some have been superseded since their original release.

Of the three LNER ones mentioned above, the tube seems to have garnered most support but of course it would need to be separated from the existing artwork to allow it to go ahead.

I'd also be open to arranging further brake van kits if the support is there but the forthcoming Accurascale one might have lessened the chances of making it happen.

ADDENDUM

I have now looked through the former 4mm kits and I think the following warrant possible attention (If it's not on the list below then a another kit or ready-to-run variant covers the vehicle type):

GWR Loriot M diagram G.16
GWR Hydra diagram G.19
GWR Macaw H diagram J.30
GWR Toad A diagram AA.7
LNER Longfit Pipe diagram D127
LNER Fitted Tube diagram D95

As stated above, re-introducing any of these would involve having to use only parts of the artwork and may not happen in the long run but do you think there would be interest?