Warning: This post is going to make many of you very jealous. I amd slightly sorry about this, but only slightly.
Last week, I was shooting a layout for BRM. It's a narrow gauge model and the owner is a really interesting guy. We both come from the era of kit building, early MRJs and other stuff from the 1990s. He has (among other things) an Isle of Man project on the go, so we talked all things Manx.
"You might like to see this." he said - and handed me a very tiny locomotive.
Well, dear reader, it was a kit I had heard of, but never actually seen. Saltford Models 009 "Polar Bear" from the Groudle Glen Railway. Bearing in mind the tiny size of the prototypes, making this thing work was a masterful piece of work.
As I say, I had heard of the kit, seen a photo in a GGR booklet, and sniffed around a couple of examples on eBay, always being comprehensivly out-bid. And now I was holding one in my hand. Of course, I took photos, with the loco balanced on a 50p piece to give you an idea of scale.
OK, let's be honest. This is not of the quality of Bachmann's Quarry Hunslet. It is a fairly basic model, but then that's what you got. Brian Clarke produced one of the most interesting ranges of models in 4 and 16mm scale. I've built a couple of the later, and know a really top modelmaker who built a 4mm vertical boiler loco. Admitedly, he replaced a few bits, but that's partly because he wanted working valve gear - John was like that.
Anyway, we are chatting, and it turns out he owns more than one kit. I couldn't resist saying "If you ever want to dispose of that, please give me first refusal." Then we went back to the shoot, and more chatting. I do a lot of chatting while taking pictures, it's a bit part of the job and a lot of fun. It helped the room was full of fascinating stuff - including several Centre Models kits and a covetable K's 0F shunter.
When we finish, I can't resist mentioning the Polar Bear kit again, partly hoping he'd name a price, and that price wouldn't be too painful. He didn't. He handed the kit to me and said I might as well have it, since he'd never get around to building the model.
Wow!
Now, to be fair, there are a lot of projects awaiting attention. And the "kit" is more a box of bits, many of which have been assembled in the past. This isn't going to be a shake the box job. There's a good chance not everything required is in here, but I have a loco body, chassis and motor. I'm sure the rest isn't beyond me.
Interestingly, the box is supplied by "Brian's Kits and Bits" - Brian and his wife stayed at our house a few times back in the 1980s when they attended the Leamington Show. Another connection!
One thing we discussed is how some projects are simply meant to be yours. While throwing money around can do the job, if you are patient, and keep your eyes open, very often, the kit/model/car you desire will eventually find its way to you. It certainly did in this case!
12 comments:
Does this combined with your VW
engine mean that you have your modelling mojo back? Let's hope so.
The VW engine has helped a lot, although progress has been nil this week due to work. I do feel a bit more inclined to getting stuff done though, so maybe. Thanks.
I remember seeing an exquisite built example, with coaches, when visiting Tom Cooper's factory. I can't remember the details but I don't think the brief link between Tom and Brian was a success.
I believe the early kits were made at the Merlin works, and when Brian left, he took them with him.
If I wasn't in the middle of the house move I would dig out Tom's first few magazines where I'm sure they were mentioned. I'm guessing they aren't in the possession of Garden Rail now?
I live in Saltford which is a village outside Bath where Brian used to live and which gave its name to Saltford Models. I have a couple of his kits, the Peckett saddle tank which I managed to build and which runs reasonably well and a diminutive diesel which is still in the to-do pile (although I can't exactly lay my hands on it at the moment). The prototype of the diesel languished in the undergrowth near the river in Saltford for many years and had been used by the local boatyard. I always fancied his De Winton kit but was never lucky enough to pick one up and so I now have the RT Models version instead - also on the to-do list!
I have the first 3 volumes of Steamlines, apart from issue 1, and a quick look through doesn't show anything. A long dig might be a good idea.
Trouble is, the adverts are fascinating. I'd forgotten Friog models...
Apparently there were two versions of this kit, the early kits were designed to fit either a cut down Joe Works or Minitrix chassis, the later ones using a chassis built by Brian himself. I'm getting my info here from a thread on the NGRM-Online forum. My guess from studying the parts in the photo is that you have the latter. More photos please!
If you're missing any parts do get in touch, even though I'm deeply jealous I'd be quite happy to help if I can, including making new bearings, muffs etc., as I do rather like Saltford's eclectic range of kits (I counted 6 Pecketts the other day whilst sorted through stuff, two working, three secondhand ones in various states and one still sealed, not to mention two plateway locos...).
Thanks Paul - It's one with Brian's own chassis. More photos as I dig into the "kit".
Brian Clarke was a lovely man to deal with, albeit we never met in person. Back in the 80s when I had money and no sense I owned two Chivers' Russell kits and a GEM Baldwin 4-6-0 with Brian's chassis under them, a Saltford models Trojan (an rtr OO9 model of Dennis on the Snailbeach Rly) and in a fit of madness (I would never have the skill to make them) four (!) of the OO9 Quarry Hunslet kits he produced while working at Merlin.
I'd sold the lot by 1994/5 and for much less than I had paid for them.
I remember having a long chat with him on the phone about motorising 16mm locos. He'd just been MOT'ing his Landrover, but still took the time.
I received a Saltford Models Peckett from a friend of mine who gifted it to me last year along with a few other 009 items he had when he was a teenager back in the 1980s. I was after one for a while but a lot of the Ebay prices on Saltford models items were mad and didn`t fancy paying them so I was immensely pleased that I finally got one from my friend.
Its a very neat kit and I plan to rebuild it into a 009 version of the Taffson, Evans and Jenkins Saddle Tanks that were from his and Tim Maddocks Vowchurch Slate Railway.
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