Gauge 1 North haul

 

Well, this wasn't part of the plan. 

 

At last year's show, there was a kit for a B4 tank engine, complete with its chassis and wheels turned to G1 standards. I've always wondered if this should have been added to my pile. However, I've since seen one of the kits made up, and there was something odd about the proportions that made me feel happier about my decision not to buy. 

 

The kit was still on sale at this year's show. But next to it was an Accucraft live steam B4. 

 

Now, I saw one of these running at Swindon last year. It trundled along at the proper speed for a shunting engine, and talking to the owner, he was very pleased with it. There had been a couple of modifications, adding radio control, and sleeving the poker burner which is a bit large (I'm told) for a small loco. But it looked great, and is very much my sort of locomotive. 

 

Anyway, there was a slightly tatty example sitting there for £500. To be honest, I was surprised it was still on the table, but chatting to a couple of people, other locos from the same stand had already been snapped up. I asked for some advice from my friend Bob, who was perusing a kit on the next stand, and he said it was a lot of loco for the money. I was assured the loco was a runner, and it could be seen in action on YouTube. 

 

A (very) little pondering later, I negotiated fifty quid off the price, and handed over my credit card. A pleasant surprise was that the model was then boxed up for me with the original packing, including a boiler certificate. 

 

OK, it's not perfect. Some of the paint is tatty, and a sandbox is mostly missing. A few fittings need to be screwed back in place properly, but nothing that I can't do. An interesting modification is the regulator that had gained an arm rather than the T-bar that it had as supplied. 

 

To be honest, I have wanted a Gauge 1 loco for a long while. There is a Barratt kit in the stash, but when I'll get around to building that I have no idea. This means I can steam at the club with the other G1 guys, using a loco that is much more me than anything large, and expensive. 

 

A couple more bargains were also snaffled up. Part of Ken West's retirement sale, a laser-cut wood wagon body that cost a couple of quid, and I think will become a grounded body project. 

 

More usefully, a massive etch for a class 02 diesel from wagon and carriage works. £25 has solved another problem. Our club plans an indoor G1 shunting layout, with diesels. Since I have a suitable motor and gearbox, all I need is wheels and castings. The later might be tricky to find, but there's not much in an 02 that I can't modify or scratchbuild. After all, I've built several in 4mm scale and one in 7mm!