Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
As I type this, Mrs Mojo has bimbled off somewhere. When such things occur, I find it useful to fill the aching void with research on upcoming commissions. I don't know how it happened, but reviewing the groaning shelves reveals five loco builds and umpteen coaches waiting their turn on the bench. That's not including the four locos and various coaches already occupying it!
Anyway, enough of my problems.
I had already taken on a commission from this client, a build of 10001 in original 1948 condition, and documented elsewhere. He asked me if I'd consider building an L&YR Aspinall 2-4-2T as well. Not wishing to disappoint, I agreed. Initially, it was to be an elderly kit, from the George Norton stable. Upon inspection, however, it became apparent the kit wouldn't build what the client actually wanted - leaving aside the thick milled brass frames…
What was required was a motor-fitted, short-bunker, Belpaire firebox, saturated boiler 2-4-2T. This was not what the Norton kit provided for, and rather than resort to extensive surgery it was agreed we would buy in a Lanky Kits version instead.
This is what we did. What do we get in the box?
A comprehensive instruction booklet, A4 size and spiral bound. Good start.
Etches in nickel silver. Pre-rolled boiler. Nice. There seem to be parts missing, but we'll come to that in due course.
Brass and white metal detail castings, including alternative parts (and spares if those are boiler gauge glasses!). A set of turned brass and steel sprung buffers, and handrail knobs.
Those missing bits. Yes, well, confession time. As regular readers know, I know my limitations regarding some of the more complex engineering and electrical jobs. A full set of working Joy's inside motion and valve gear falls into that zone. I commissioned a fellow Thunderer to do the work for me.
And a thing of beauty was returned to me from Paul (@Locomodels). I won't go into detail about how much of the LG Miniatures inside waggly bits kit was, shall we say, rebuilt from scratch. Paul may opt to throw light on that in his own good time. It's the sort of thing that confirms my view I'm better paying someone else to do this kind of work. While he was about it, Paul also made lovely working radial trucks, and had to fit the footplate and so on to make sure everything was ticketyboo. I like to just place the chassis on the bench and gaze at it from time to time.
I can only hope my efforts above the footplate will match the marvels below.
I am currently in the research phase. I have several books with images, some loaned volumes with further information, and the internet. There is a preserved 2-4-2T in the national collection, and if I can't make time to visit it at the NRM I may crave indulgence for photos of bits like the cab details in due course.
The finished model will be finished in LMS plain black livery, numbered 10650. I have a photo! It has already revealed I must swap out the Aspinall buffers for the later form. Ah, the joys of engine picking!
This build, hopefully, will kick off relatively early in 2017. Watch this space!
Anyway, enough of my problems.
I had already taken on a commission from this client, a build of 10001 in original 1948 condition, and documented elsewhere. He asked me if I'd consider building an L&YR Aspinall 2-4-2T as well. Not wishing to disappoint, I agreed. Initially, it was to be an elderly kit, from the George Norton stable. Upon inspection, however, it became apparent the kit wouldn't build what the client actually wanted - leaving aside the thick milled brass frames…
What was required was a motor-fitted, short-bunker, Belpaire firebox, saturated boiler 2-4-2T. This was not what the Norton kit provided for, and rather than resort to extensive surgery it was agreed we would buy in a Lanky Kits version instead.
This is what we did. What do we get in the box?
A comprehensive instruction booklet, A4 size and spiral bound. Good start.
Etches in nickel silver. Pre-rolled boiler. Nice. There seem to be parts missing, but we'll come to that in due course.
Brass and white metal detail castings, including alternative parts (and spares if those are boiler gauge glasses!). A set of turned brass and steel sprung buffers, and handrail knobs.
Those missing bits. Yes, well, confession time. As regular readers know, I know my limitations regarding some of the more complex engineering and electrical jobs. A full set of working Joy's inside motion and valve gear falls into that zone. I commissioned a fellow Thunderer to do the work for me.
And a thing of beauty was returned to me from Paul (@Locomodels). I won't go into detail about how much of the LG Miniatures inside waggly bits kit was, shall we say, rebuilt from scratch. Paul may opt to throw light on that in his own good time. It's the sort of thing that confirms my view I'm better paying someone else to do this kind of work. While he was about it, Paul also made lovely working radial trucks, and had to fit the footplate and so on to make sure everything was ticketyboo. I like to just place the chassis on the bench and gaze at it from time to time.
I can only hope my efforts above the footplate will match the marvels below.
I am currently in the research phase. I have several books with images, some loaned volumes with further information, and the internet. There is a preserved 2-4-2T in the national collection, and if I can't make time to visit it at the NRM I may crave indulgence for photos of bits like the cab details in due course.
The finished model will be finished in LMS plain black livery, numbered 10650. I have a photo! It has already revealed I must swap out the Aspinall buffers for the later form. Ah, the joys of engine picking!
This build, hopefully, will kick off relatively early in 2017. Watch this space!
So, with 6 radial axles to do, I have more than a passing interest.