A Philosophical Matter

[B.Meldon]

The spectacles apertures are actually way too small for the L&Y pug and they are in the wrong place as well!

This strange tapering of the spectacles holes is just one more poorly moulded feature of this kit to add to the moulded handrails on the tank and cab, the split down the middle with the tank top fittings moulded off centre side to side, the weird rivets a scale 6 inches in from the edge of the front of the tank and the over exaggerated raised section in the centre part of the tank.

But as I said best not to get me started on pugs.
I do own an early 1960

[Graeme Dunbar]

Given the kit's venerability ( http://www.kitmaster.org.uk/SaddleTank.htm ) I can forgive it all the shortcomings mentioned. It is amazing that it is around!

It is a pity that there is not a more recent model of some diminutive steam loco that has survived for us to butcher.

[Tigger]

You are all very kind!

I bought a pair of the Roco chassis almost as soon as they were announced but as Brian says, this must be a slightly later batch because they were never fitted with coupling rods.  In the very early days of the L&TR (by 1975 I had chosen the name 'Llanmynach & Tawel-Llety Railway' because I felt the original name of 'The Festin-y-llyn Railway' was a bit twee {and already I can hear a shocked collective breaking of wind from the other side of Offa's Dyke}) I kept scrupulous records of my purchases.  It reckons that I bought "2 0-6-0 Austrian Steam Locos, black" from Hattons at a cost of

[Tigger]

Greetings again.  After yesterday's post I've dug out the one photo which shows No 7 as she was when she first went into service in 1975!  Apologies for the quality, it was taken with a Zenith B at f16 on a cheap film (probably Trifca, which was the sort where if you bought one roll you got about two free it was so bad!)  As you can see, my decision to give her a substantial rebuild for service on the new chassis was the right one and I think you'll agree that in this form she does indeed show all the features that might make Brian run for the anti-depressants! :o
Although I guess for 1975 and for someone's first attempt it was about par for the course! ;D
This also shows the yard at Llanmynach before the groundworks were completed or painted; the earth mix is in the original light brown colouring produced by dumping burnt sienna poster powder paint into the mix and the foundation for the loco shed water tank is also unpainted.

[B.Meldon]

The oldest loco I had that is in a serviceable condition is a FR Baldwin 590 kit with a scratch built cab.

I have related this story before on another forum so if you have seen it before please skip to the next post.

The relevance to this topic is that despite being on its fourth chassis and having had two major rebuilds I would consider this loco to be the same one that dates from when it was first made in the 1970

[Graeme Dunbar]

Fascinating Brian! The loco has a (hi)story that is worthy of any 12":1' NG loco that has seen the world. It wasn't discovered in a jungle (perhaps behind a houseplant) sometime between 1995 and 2010 was it?  :D