Beattie Cl15, Cl21 & Cl24 Kits

[SteveO]

Maybe I know this already, after all I've read Jordan's and others accounts of their Cl22 builds, but I'm faced with the fact I want all of the above locos and, except for the 24, they are not available anywhere else.

It appears the major problem is with the castings, not necessarily the etches themselves, so how does this sound as a plan:

Class 15
I've heard the worst part about this kit are the nose and bogie castings. I can't do anything about the nose but I can replace the bogies with the JLTRT Class 17 as they are the same (so I've been told).

Class 21
If it's as bad as the 22 then I will just have to hope for the best and maybe salvage some replacement parts from one of the RTRs rumoured to surface soon. I could probably afford a Dapol but not a JLTRT.

Class 24
As above.

As a supplementary question, how easy or difficult is it to get parts cast in wm or resin, and is there a preference for either for any particular part?

Cheers

 

[Steph Dale]

Can't really help with the others, but I do know the Class 15 bogies are etched, rather than cast...

I've got one of the 10800 kits and there are many castings in there than just the bonnet ends and bogies. Some are useable, many are not. I'm going to end up replacing the lot with either scratch parts or items from other manufacturers catalogues.

Steph

 

[Pugsley]

As a supplementary question, how easy or difficult is it to get parts cast in wm or resin, and is there a preference for either for any particular part?

Personally, I'd use metal for functional parts like buffers and anything else that lis small and liable to damage. Resin would be better for the larger parts, easier to cast and not so easily damaged in larger sections.

If you can drive a 3D package on a computer, it's becoming more and more straightforward to get parts made to your design. If you can't, but can afford to pay someone else to do it for you, that's another option.

 

[SteveO]

Can't really help with the others, but I do know the Class 15 bogies are etched, rather than cast...

Steph

Cheers Steph, that's interesting. There's a bloke at my club who has one of these kits with cast bogies and he is about to swap them out. Maybe an older kit?

How would you rate the quality and accuracy of the kit?

 

[iploffy]

Steve without wanting to sound too disparaging please don't do it yet, with what you have going on at the moment i bet the Mojo has taken a bit of a battering and you are going to add multiple SB kits !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Steve not only will your Mojo be battered but your brain and all of your sensory organs will systematically shut down as you try to turn a sows ear into a silk purse very time consuming. If you do pursue this line of model making may I suggest you line the walls of your workshop with mattresses as this has less impact damage when you throw your SB missile at it. going back to the original question a lot of the parts are interchangeable between early types of diesel and a lot of them are universal to all. whilst in Telford did you take the time to check out SB's stall as he was more than accommodating in showing you what you wanted to know mate.

 

[BrushType4]

Steve, I do admire your scatter gun approach but you've got a couple of great projects that you could hone your skills on and turn around. The 47 should be quite a straight forward one? You could certainly turn it from near scrap to a £400+ loco. At least then you'd be able to get another SB body if you didn't take Ian's mattress advice.

 

[SteveO]

Yes mate, I think you're right and I agree with what you're saying, I'm just a little worried that two locos I want may disappear into obscurity.

With SB retiring, maybe Reading will offer an opportunity not to be refused...

 

[BrushType4]

I did hear that Steve had several interested buyers, so don't worry too much. I'd wait as whoever buys the business will be sure to try and improve the quality and rerelease the kits, though I'd expect the price to increase in line with that

Alternatively, scan eBay until a Bachmann 24 turns up. They're not perfect, but you can do quite a lot to improve them easily. I've got a Bachmann 25 on my workbench waiting to see the light of day. In fact just been looking at it and looks quite easy to reprofile to S7... Just need some better bogie side frames as the bachy ones are lacking the right profile. Wonder if JLTRT would be able to assist...

 

[SteveO]

Good idea Phil. You reminded me, I was going to ask what happened to the San Cheng range? I heard the chap who owned the factory retired but what happened to the moulds and masters? Many of the faults were easy to fix, and most of those faults were certainly easy to live with. What a shame they aren't around any longer.

 

[Buckjumper]

How would you rate the quality and accuracy of the kit?

I bought this at a Reading show for a Christmas project (either 2007 or 2008) but didn't get too far with it - nothing to do with the kit, well no more than most middle of the road quality kits - I just didn't have the free time I expected. What did take some thought, and what frittered away too much of my free time that holiday, was that among other things the bonnets and cab needed reforming and I've still not got them right. I've also been told I've got a few things wrong in the construction, so one day I'll take the microflame to it and start again. It's been sat in its box untouched since then, not because I don't want to build it, but because other projects have priority, and I do foresee it being a timesink to do it right.

It's not a bad kit per se, but the builder does need some modelling nous gained by experience of building etched kits to overcome the hurdles it presents. The whitemetal noses aren't too bad - though the brass bonnet/roof to whitemetal nose joins will almost certainly need some filler. The resin castings included in the kit are, however, appalling, but I'll not think about them until they need to be tackled. My kit has the etched bogies, but I've not touched the frets so couldn't say how easily they build up.

I hope, if a new owner can be found, that the NBL Type 1 bonfire class 16 kit can be resurrected as I'd happily pop one in the 'one day I'll build it' dreamy drawer too.

 

[SteveO]

That doesn't look too bad Adrian. A quick glance I can see the cab door and window seem too high and that little hole in the side should be toward the front, and maybe the final roll of the roof should be lower. Not bad at all overall though.

 

[Phill Dyson]

The Bachmann Class 24 is pretty awful TBH, bearing little resemblance to the prototype. If I wanted a budget 24 I would go for S/H Steve Beattie one.

 

[garethevans1986]

I bought a Steve Beattie Class 24 kit (resin body) from the person who built the kit. It's not a bad job but he custom made a brass chassis for it to sit on. The loco needs detailing but be prepared to make the best of a bad situation with the bodywork as it's not perfect or accurate.

If you want any pictures, drop me a PM.

GE

 

[SteveO]

Thanks Gareth, I already have one of these. It mostly stays in its box, I have to admit. Every time I get it out I heave a huge sigh of disappointment so I don't do it often - I don't know how much more condensation my loft can take!

When I get to it I will definitely follow the chassis route too, as I will also do for my 31. It seems really odd to me to see a hollow loco which you then add weight to. Why not build the weight into the design? And for convenience for the electrics it's a no-brainer. I'm obviously looking at this from a fresh unexperienced perspective, but attaching buffer beams to the body is asking for trouble in a runaway accident or similar. It's just plain queer to me.

Please add pics to the thread, it may help design my chassis for the 31.