Who still kit bashes?

I bash quite a lot of kits. Sometimes it takes a while and sometimes nothing comes of it but it is fun. I also try and make a silk purse out of some other persons left offs or battered kits. That is also enjoyable. I have several on the go at the moment including 3 x O gauge Scotsmans, an O gauge Mallard, and O gauge 0-4-0 shunter and about ten 00 locos. There are wagons and coaches too when I find the time.

 

I have also got an Airfix J94 kit to build up. I am using the original plastic chassis with top hats in the wheel holes, fitted with Romfords and coupling rods made from rail. It should work allright.

 

I last built some Ratio wagons in 1988 I think!!

 

I like kit-building and kit-bashing, although I'm less into scratch-building. I do make a few little detailing bits myself, within my own limitations.

Recent projects include several Cambrian wagon kits, with two more on the way, a kit-bash of three Parkside kits into one SECR 6-wheel brake van, several bus kits, and some coach conversions using old Triang/Hornby underframes and comet brass sides. There are also the vinyl overlays on a class 350/1 to convert it to a 450, with a couple of bits removed to suit, and some Golden Arrow Productions locomotive kits using modified proprietary chassis, and simpler hacks like fitting lights to Hogwarts Castle (which subsequently had more major surgery to fit a newer, better running chassis).

Then there have been some EMU kits for SR and LT units too. I have been tending to fit Hornby 2 BIL running chassis into Ayjay kit bodies. The 'tin' 2 HAL and 2 HAP units used the complete 2 BIL running units, while the 4 SUB used only the motor coach chassis. With the Harrow and Radley LT units, I use Black Beetle motor bogies, which involves a little hacking as they are taller than the intended Tenshodo SPUD motor bogies.

Quite a few of these things are still underway - sometimes I think I bite off more than I can chew, not so much in my abilities to do these projects, but more in my taking on too many things at once!

 

I still kit build/bash most of the time as early Edwardian stuff isn't really available RTR, I think the only items I have that are is a few Tri-ang clerestories that are being altered anyway.

Currently though I am scratch-building a small 4-wheel all third that was absorbed into the GWR for use on the Culm Valley branch.

A picture to show state of play.



Jim

 

Hydrengas grow big in this part of the world