My query is whether anyone has tried to adapt the Minitrains Baldwin to look like Lyn on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway as I am contemplating moving the pannier tanks to make them side tanks.. I realise Lyn was a 2-4-2 but hope that I can make and paint something that looks better than War Department grey!
The new model looks really good, though unfortunately stopped running after half an hour or so, and so has been sent back to Parkside Dundas. Also, I wonder why I keep getting problems with the motors,
Perhaps the Heljan Manning Wardle will solve all the problems!
Nicholas Falk 07811 266538
If, as you say you 'keep getting problems with motors' that suggests to me that you may have an issue with your controller. If it is an older one this may be putting out a current higher than the motor can take (I had an issue with a MinitrainS Feldbahn 0-8-0 and an old H&M controller), and once the magic smoke has escaped from the motor it is pretty much game over.
Without wanting to discourage you if one wanted a model of the L&B's Baldwin 2-4-2T (named Lyn) I wouldn't start with the MinitrainS Baldwin. As an alternative Langley make a white metal (body) and brass (cab) kit to fit the Farish 4-4-0 Midland compound chassis. Afaik Langley still sell the kit, and the Farish loco seems to be fairly easy to come by via eBay, though one may baulk at paying what appears to be a 'new' price for a 2nd hand loco. If one is feeling brace then the Backwoods Minitures etched kit (complete with wheels, gears and motor) is also available, but may not be the best kit for a beginner to tackle.
Another suggestion which may make life easier is the knowledge that a number of ex WW1 locos saw civilian service after 1918. Whilst the majority of these in the U.K. were the War Department types (Baldwin and Hunslet 4-6-0 tanks and the Simplex petrol locos and 45hp petrol electrics) the Penrhyn Railway used 3 of the ex-US army 2-6-2 Baldwin locos (the prototype for the MinitrainS model) for a short period. That gives us the possibility that the L&B management may have been tempted to buy one (or more) war surplus locos to supplement (even replace) their loco fleet, and preferred the 2-6-2 type based on experience with their Manning Wardle locos. Whilst it didn't happen in this reality the beauty of railway modelling is that we can explore alternatives...
If this is the new Minitrains Baldwin (They they sometimes call a Porter) call then the split frame design with the large cast chassis block will make any modifications very difficult:
http://www.minitrains.eu/sources/mod2.jpg
http://www.minitrains.eu/sources/mod4.jpg
(Both photos from the Minitrains web site:http://www.minitrains.eu/mt-mod-spoke.html)
If it is the 1960
Nicholas,
As Brian has just pointed out Mintrains have made several types of "Baldwin" over the years. The first one was an 0-4-0 saddle tank (which initially dates back to the 1960s though the version in Brian's links is a bit more recent than that) but their more recent 'Baldwin' is the US Army's 2-6-2 from the First World War.
I guessed it is the latter you are referring to ("...I can make and paint something that looks better than War Department grey!"), but whichever Minitrains Baldwin it is as they say in Ireland 'If I was going there I wouldn't start from here if I were you'.
The Langley kit for the L&B 2-4-2 I mentioned is available from Parkside Dundas (http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/Loco_Body_Kits__White_Metal_Etched_Brass_.html) as well as direct from Langleys (http://www.langley-models.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Locomotive_Body_kits_55.html) themselves.
Nicholas is definitely talking about the 2-6-2 Minitrains Baldwin, not the 0-4-0.
I agree with what everyone has been saying - Julien's note is very significant - "if I were going there, I wouldn't start from here!
First thing to consider is that the Minitrains Baldwin is smaller than 4mm scale - there has been debate about what exact scale it is, which we don't need to get into here, but suffice to say that if you park it alongside other true 009 (ie 4mm scale) stock, it looks very small.
Secondly - it is rather expensive to cut up for the purpose you want to use it for, unless you have a deep wallet and are quite relaxed about chopping something that costs over