7mm The next project. (B1)

[mickoo]

The Piercy B1 is a good kit and sets a bench mark to aim for.

MD

 

[FiftyFourA]

If the K3 has a "more brutish appeal" why not do one of those as well?

Seriously though, what is it about the K3 that put kt designers off? I asked DJH why they did the D49 rather than the K3 - no response. Then we have all the expensive RTR stuff that conentrates on duplicating Gresley pacifics (which are sublime anyway) with Heljan ones to come rolleyes:?) so all we have is the ACE K3 kit - pauses to let the laughter die down.

AND I've got one of those to build - pauses for even more laughter - but at least I have built a couple of these kits before so I know how much scratchbuilding I will have to do. It just would be sooooo much better if there was a decent K3 kit.

Plea over - Peter

 

[FiftyFourA]

I agree about the Peircy B1 and setting the bar.

Complex to build but a beauty when finished. I have one I built about 10 years ago, bought from Walter Hodgson himself with my redundancy money from BT. Best kit I ever built.

Peter

 

[Eastsidepilot]

............so all we have is the ACE K3 kit - pauses to let the laughter die down.

AND I've got one of those to build - pauses for even more laughter -............... Peter

The words kit and Ace do not bare any relation to each other.....

Col.

 

[mickoo]

......why not do one of those as well?......

Plea over - Peter

Did I say I/we were not

There are however other priorities ahead of a K3 and whilst they certainly appeal, that appeal is (personally) far surpassed by GEVOs, Br221, Br01 or Br50 on a magnitude that is almost impossible to articulate.....plus about a dozen other engines in my list.

To effective develop a 'commercial' product you have to have a passion and a staggering pile of reference material, in layman's terms I could live without a K3 quite easily and good reference material is hard to come by, especially if your bench mark is the likes of Piercy or MoK.

Sadly big engines sell, even if duplicated several times over; when I did flightsim models, Spitfires, P51's, Fw190 and Me109's just sold and sold, Concorde and B747 too, yet Blenheims, Do17's and Swordfish et al panned.

It'd probably take longer to develop a K3 than say a Princess Royal due to the sheer lack of information, yet the Princess Royal would outsell a K3 five times over. Faced with 500 or so hours of development time it's a brave man who grabs a K3 by the tail as opposed to other sure fire winners, it's a sad fact of business I'm afraid.

MD

 

[Steph Dale]

Oh blimey. Against such unassailable logic, what hope for random LSWR locos. Actually, I know the answer to that question...

Steph

 

[mickoo]

I like Bulleid Pacifics and there's much more water to pass under that bridge in the future

LSWR is okay......in small doses peppered liberally with ER and LMR....depends on your schooling of course

MD

 

[FiftyFourA]

I appreciate the commercial realities, but what you are really saying is that is that I have to put up with my ACE 'kit' - with due respect to those pilots who think this should not be called a kit. Oh .

Peter

 

[mickoo]

Certainly for the next few years...yes

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I appreciate the commercial realities, but what you are really saying is that is that I have to put up with my ACE 'kit' - with due respect to those pilots who think this should not be called a kit. Oh .

Peter

Don't waste money ! spend it on castings, wheels, motor/gearbox and scratch build the rest .....cause you'll end up binning the brass anyway ,
mind you the box might be useful..

Col.

 

[SimonT]

LSWR is okay......in small doses peppered liberally with ER and LMR

Very, very small doses and peppered with something far better looking than ER & LMR

 

[Silverystreaks]

Peter
Was it Anchoridge that did an O gauge K3 kit which looked pretty good when completed, I know as I have one. The odd unstarted kit has turned up on Ebay a couple of times so worth keeping a look out for there. Or if an O Gauge guild member try the "Wanted" option on their website.... you never know you might strike lucky.

 

[Dikitriki]

You're right, it was in conjunction with Jim Harris, with all the connotations that go with it

Tony Geary made a good job of one, but it required cajoling to shape and a good few extra castings. It is a kit we have identified as a possible.

Richard

 

[dibateg]

I think Anchoridge did 50 or so? Then later Jim did a flat pack. The castings are a mixture, some quite good, others completely wrong. They do still turn up occasionally, as mine did and I've seen a few since. With some work, a drawing and bits from Ragstone and DMR its possible to get reasonable result:-


Regards
Tony

 

[FiftyFourA]

Hi Guys,

It was the lack of one of these Anchorage kits 'knocking about' and a rush of blood to the head area that lead to the purchase of the ACE thingy at Reading a while back and I will get it finished. I have already got some of the 'wiggly bits' from Premiere but a start will have to wait its turn in the 'queue'.

If I do spot one then it just means I'll have 2!

I can use that picture of Tony's as an inspiration.

Anyway, back to the DBT - Peter

 

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Mick,

Chris says that if you are providing the Stones Generator that sat on the foot plate of some of the B1's then she will buy me a kit when it's available (as long as she has time to save up for it).

In order to recreate this.....

 

[Dan Randall]

That's a very generous offer from Chris and a fantastic painting, but next time she has her brushes out, the lower half of the guard iron seems to be missing on one side.


Regards

Dan

 

[Rob Pulham]

That's a very generous offer from Chris and a fantastic painting, but next time she has her brushes out, the lower half of the guard iron seems to be missing on one side.


Regards

Dan

Hi Dan,

Thanks

Although it does look like it. On the original photo, the guard iron is just as portrayed but the angle of the shot has it hidden behind the dangling hose.

 

[Scale7JB]

I know the photo well, and that's a very accomplished painting Rob!

Is Chris going to join the guild of Railway Artists if not already?

JB.

 

[Rob Pulham]

I know the photo well, and that's a very accomplished painting Rob!

Is Chris going to join the guild of Railway Artists if not already?

JB.

Hi JB,

She is, she has been a member for about four years or so. When she became ill it was a goal that she set herself as something to focus on after having to give up work.

I have to say that it achieved it's aim, because not only has her painting improved in leaps and bounds (and she was always pretty good in my eyes) but she's getting better health wise too.