7mm The Derby Line - Rolling Stock Gladiator Crab
AJC
Western Thunderer
I do get the general point: and agree with the value for money and quality/perceptions of the UK model market. That said, our old friend opportunity cost is a factor here. I simply don’t have a grand to spend on one hit on a hobby (nor a couple of hundred on RTR), because that kind of money is for other things. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest, I do think the quality and value is there for the money.
Adam
Adam
simond
Western Thunderer
Yes, a O gauge loco is going to be a few bob. And there is the dilemma of trying to spread it out, too. If I buy the kit now, will the wheels still be available next year? it’s probably pretty safe to rely on motors, decoders, crew, lamps etc., being available but specialist stuff is another question, particularly in the “less mainstream” scales.
Ian@StEnochs
Western Thunderer
How many hours of pleasant leisure time will building your £1K absorb? Plus you will have something to show, and pass on, at the end.
Contrast that with golf which can take up quite a lot of leisure time, perhaps not when it’s wet, nor in the dark, costs quite a lot too and nothing to show except a few score cards.
simond
Western Thunderer
I wonder if there’s a discussion at the golf club bar, comparing their way of passing their time /spending their cash with ours. I’m not sure why, but I suspect not.
anyway, I can get on with my £1k of kit build (actually, probably nearer £600 but in any case) whilst keeping an eye on the rugby.
anyway, I can get on with my £1k of kit build (actually, probably nearer £600 but in any case) whilst keeping an eye on the rugby.
I’ve taken to ensuring that I buy in wheels etc when I get a kit. It’s a big outlay at one time but at least you know that you have the bits and what they are going to cost. Really important with commissions where the price you quote has to reflect the cost of bits. Wheels are a good example and I know that cost pressures on the suppliers are ramping up still.
P A D
Western Thunderer
Thanks for the compliment Tony. I look forward to seeing your take on the kit.
Mine is on the back burner for now along with the Ivatt 2 and Fowler 4P, until the weather warms up so I can get back out to the garage.
Cheers,
Peter
dibateg
Western Thunderer
You could always build another one Peter!
dibateg
Western Thunderer
Something about teh rear brake cylinder set up didn't look quite right to me, so I delved in to the drawings find a more elaborate arrangement. It could be that both versions are suitable, I don't know enough about these engines to be sure. So I fretted out a pair of new pivot brackets.
The drawing shows this arrangement.
And the crank loosley fitted to see it it works.
No critism of the kit, just me being fussy and it can probably hardly be seen when the loco is on the track....
and what did I find in the springs and axleboxes box after buying a set? - a complete set of Griffin Crab springs... grrr!
The drawing shows this arrangement.
And the crank loosley fitted to see it it works.
No critism of the kit, just me being fussy and it can probably hardly be seen when the loco is on the track....
and what did I find in the springs and axleboxes box after buying a set? - a complete set of Griffin Crab springs... grrr!
This area of the kit caused a lot of grief - and money. As John had originally drawn it the brake actuating rod was supported by holes in a drop down portion of the frames. One of the early builders pointed out that these was no space for the exhaust injector which sits at 45 degrees to the fore-aft axis. I had a look in the Wild Swan book and could see that changes were also required to the drag beam.
I asked John to make the changes, which he did. Unfortunately, by this time he was on strong medication and the first set of modified etches resulted in a pair of left hand frames not a mirrored pair!
The next modification resulted in a pair but with the spring detail etched on the wrong side. Cue another tool and we now are where we are.
This has been done on a supplemental tool so there is a lot of waste on the original tool. It needs someone to play Tetris and replace the errant parts on the main fret with the correct ones from the supplemental etch. I don’t have the tools (or skill) to do this. PPD refused. It’s on the to-do list.
We already use Laurie Griffin’s backhead castings in the kit so adding his springs is a possibility. It’s a question of cost. There are so many brass and nickel silver castings in this kit that the cost of production is higher than anything else bar the U1!
Anyway, all suggestions welcome. Good luck with the rest of the build.
Dave
I asked John to make the changes, which he did. Unfortunately, by this time he was on strong medication and the first set of modified etches resulted in a pair of left hand frames not a mirrored pair!
The next modification resulted in a pair but with the spring detail etched on the wrong side. Cue another tool and we now are where we are.
This has been done on a supplemental tool so there is a lot of waste on the original tool. It needs someone to play Tetris and replace the errant parts on the main fret with the correct ones from the supplemental etch. I don’t have the tools (or skill) to do this. PPD refused. It’s on the to-do list.
We already use Laurie Griffin’s backhead castings in the kit so adding his springs is a possibility. It’s a question of cost. There are so many brass and nickel silver castings in this kit that the cost of production is higher than anything else bar the U1!
Anyway, all suggestions welcome. Good luck with the rest of the build.
Dave
Dave Holt
Western Thunderer
Perhaps the redundant pivot brackets can be used to the forward brake cylinder located between the leading and centre driving axles? Even then, they're not really the right shape but, as only the bottom area near the pivot is visible, you might be able to tolerate the mis-shape?
Dave.
Dave.
dibateg
Western Thunderer
They are provided in the kit Dave- you can see them below.
Anyway after feeling rather smug about the brake gear I discovered I'd done a right botch job on the axle boxes. On lining up the brakes with the wheels, the axles seemed a bit skew... and after a check with a rod, they certainly were! I must have got the frames at an angle in the jig somehow. There was nothing for it, but to take the brakes off and torch out the axleboxes.
Back to first principles and check the leading axle is square.
Then put in the jury axles and fit the rods.
Right - lets have another go at the brakes.....
Anyway after feeling rather smug about the brake gear I discovered I'd done a right botch job on the axle boxes. On lining up the brakes with the wheels, the axles seemed a bit skew... and after a check with a rod, they certainly were! I must have got the frames at an angle in the jig somehow. There was nothing for it, but to take the brakes off and torch out the axleboxes.
Back to first principles and check the leading axle is square.
Then put in the jury axles and fit the rods.
Right - lets have another go at the brakes.....
dibateg
Western Thunderer
I've only had the odd hour to work on the Crab, sorting out the crossheads and slidebars. Bits on the brake gear and modified Griffin sand traps fitted to the loose ( at the moment ) sand boxes. Like PAD, I've split the slidebar support bracket to make each side removable seperately. The expansion link pivot is tapped and fitted with 12BA grub screws to allow removal.
