Saturday, October 13, 2007

Model engineers have it easy !


puffer hull
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.
At a railway exhibition I have to make things work, fix them when they break and talk to the punters. At this show, all I do is hang around the stand chatting to people occasionally. OK, so the floor is hard to stand on all day, but that’s as bad as it gets.

Wandering around the show there is a huge array of tools for sale. I even understand what some of them do. The world of serious machine tools is still a mystery to me so I do look at a lot of it and wonder why anyone would want such an odd bit of metal.

I found a couple of kits I liked too. One from Maxitrack is for a Sentinel steam lorry at a mere £1875 (gulp) so it’s not going back home with me. For the money you do get a machined kit ready to assemble with the sort of tools I have. It’s got radio control, live steam and everything. Obviously if anyone out there fancies a RTR one, if you get in touch I’ll happily oblige on a “buy 2 kits and I’ll send a finished one back” basis. Don’t all rush at once…

The other “kit” is a set of castings for Polar Bear on the Groudle Glen Railway. Not a kit as such as you don’t get most of it. And the casting need a lot of skilled finishing. And it’s 2.5 inch gauge. Apart from that, perfect.

The photo shows my favourite item so far. A wooden Clyde Puffer Hull. It’s a beauty. The quality of workmanship is exquisite. I am truly awed.

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