We have had this Slater’s kit in the cupboard for a good few years, so time has come to do something with it. The plan is to use it as a basis for a model of Lady Joan on the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway.
To make it like Lady Joan the smokebox needs raising, chimney extending, cab cuting out, we would like to mill new rods, don’t think laminated brass will look right for Lady Joan. Plus it will need a pair of BWLR couplings. Inside motion looks to be dummy, which may or may not be a problem.
Emptying out the box results in this lovely collection of bits.
Notice anything wrong?
This give a bigger clue?
That’s right, two smoke boxes and no firebox guess we need to make a phone call to Slater’s.
There are some really lovely castings in this kit.
Time was spent having some relaxation therapy by cleaning up and cutting out etches and castings, rather enjoy this process of kit building, nothing difficult, a nice drink to hand, radio or podcast playing and while away the hours.
Cleaning the etches with a scotchbrite mop in a mini drill, certainly quicker than a fibreglass brush and a lot less painful!
Did not take long at all buffing up the three sheets of etches.
We prefer to use a piercing saw and Xuron etch shears for cutting out parts rather than the suggested method of sharp chisel or knife.
Some of the smaller parts are left in the etch for the time being.
The castings really are a delight, very quick to cut out, thankfully the brass and nickel silver was not over hard and cut nicely, just filing and final buffing needed on these. Some of these won’t be used because we are making this into a model of Lady Joan.
