After another bout of five or six wagons having new couplings fitted, and generally renovated, I fancy something different.
So before diving straight into a full etched kit, I thought that I should warm my skills back up on an easier RTR conversion. Rather than a simple conversion using drop-in wheelsets, I have two of High Level Kits' replacement chassis for the venerable Dapol Pug.
I bought these two bodies over a decade ago, and made a start at scratchbuilding a chassis for one of them using hand-fretted frames. Since then the HLK chassis kits have arrived, and I've parked my effort to one side.
So this is what I have: one stout white box, and one body with original chassis and motor.
The body will be backdated and repainted in L&Y colours, but that is for the future to worry about. In the meantime, what's in the box???
A comprehensive range of plastic bags, full of all sorts of bits. Several sheets of very comprehensive instructions, including a cross-reference to an article in Model Railway Journal. I've added some Alan Gibson wheels, and with the kit I bought a suitable motor and gears.
So apart from some etched L&Y number plates, the kit is complete.
Let's hope that I get some free time tomorrow to get started!
I'll be watching your progress with great interest as I've never built a chassis before. I am in need of chassis for an old 57xx and the HLK's offering does look very good. So I'm very interesting in seeing how you get on......
ReplyDeleteYan
Well, I haven't had time to look at it today (domestic stuff, friends coming around for dinner, etc) but I hope to get a crack at it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a comprehensive kit - you even get assorted lengths of straight brass wires. I also need to read Robin Whittle's article on it in MRJ 166 (thanks to Matt Ots for the speedy find via the MRJ Index!) as I have no intention of re-inventing the wheel - even if they are small and only four of them.
I also intend to keep a rough log of the hours that I spend on it, for my own purposes, and also to see how "quick" one of these conversions can be. There may be a lot of parts, but if it is well designed it should all fly together.