The mythical Ratio 528

One issue that has presented itself on Edgeworth is the disintegrating Hornby resin water tower. I commented on this a couple of months ago and the only good news is that a couple of applications of superglue and some internal splinting with brass wire seems to have cured the problem.

If I'm honest though, the join is a lot more visible than it should be. Exhibition repairs and less than perfect breaks don't make for a clean restoration.

Since this is the only ready-to-plonk structure on the layout, the solution is obvious - replace it with a kit.

I recalled that Ratio produced something appropriate and set out to look for a kit at exhibitions. Surely this couldn't be difficult, after all the range is widely distributed.

Sadly, no. Doncaster, Alexandra Palace, York. All were scoured without results. Eventually I began to doubt that the kit existed at all. Searches on the web didn't seem to bring back anything either. I assumed that I had been mistaken.

But no. This is not the Big Footed Loch Ness plastic kit. It really exists. Spotted on the Rural Railway stand at Sutton Coldfield exhibition at the weekend, I grabbed it and added it to the stash of projects. At least it will be finished quicker than the 1970s Hornby lifting bridge I also bought at that show. Now that is a rare kit...