ARII/Otaki 1/50 locomotive kits screw sizes

[kevsmiththai]

Hi all

One of my latest impulse buys was an old ARII D51 1/50th D51 2-8-2 kit. We were at the Crag Bank Swap meet a few weeks ago and it was sat on one of the stalls. Many years ago ,when I was a schoolkid at Archbishop Holgates's Grammer school in York, I used to cycle into town  to Monk Bar models and they used to have these Japanese steam engine kits on the top shelf.

 

Way out of my price league at the time but I always coveted them

 

Anyway. Decades later I talked the guy down to £40 for an unopened example and decided to start if after we got the last Model railway show of the season out of the way ( My  Z scale layout 'Hakuho)' at the Manchester Model Railway show, last weekend. 

 

So its Plastic with some unconvincing, moulded Chrome plated valve gear, held together with brass screws. The screws have a mind of their own and usually go in what we would describe as cross threaded

 

Anybody know what srew thread they are so I can pre-tap the holes?

 

BTW. there was a half started 1/50  Otaki C57 on ebay.Uk this week., Tempting....................

 

Got it for £10 plus postage 

 

Feel like there might be an SL Loco museum diaroma in the offing

 

I'll post some pics soon of the project as it goes on

 

Kev

[cteno4]

Kev,

 

maybe a museum loco rebuild diorama! Partially through reassembly.

 

jeff

[kevsmiththai]

It has turned out quite nice. I've a couple of blemishes on the paint to rectify following final assembly. I've added the seats, arm rests and reverser to the inside of the cab. The rather garish chrome plated valve gear has been toned with Tamiya 'Smoke' Acrylic and fittings  painted with Tamiya 'Gold Leaf'

 

 

Just need to add the numberplates as the last job

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

Cant wait for the half built Otaki C57 to turn up now

 

 

The 1/45th Vulcan 2-4-0T kit in the background was an impulse buy a few years ago. It has its problems, notably the grooves moulded into the body where the lining is meant to go. There are some bits missing which are in the loft somewhere, but God knows which box they are in. And there are some differences with how it is preserved today. I'll put an update on when I get it finished

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

So the £10  Otaki, part built, C57 arrived and I was pleasantly suprised. Assembled to a decent standard the original buiilder wasn't far off finishing it but had put a lot of work in smoothing out the mis-alignment n the mould halves. Some of the pipe work was snapping due to the age of the polystyrene

 

 

I've added some parts that still needed fitting and started to replace some of the fragile piping with Slater Micro-rod. The biggest challenge will be painting it. he had assembled the cab with the glazing in and the valve gear so some fairly tricky masking off is going to be needed. I wont fit the smoke defelctors until the smokebox and boiler and the inside of the deflectors have been sprayed Satin Black

 

 

tender should not be too bad. I just need to mask off the tyres on the wheels treads. The rear grabrails  have been replaced with brass wire ones and the missing brake cross beams fitted. Looking at my Z gauge ones I really ought to fit a rear head light on the tender. Stil got time

 

if I did another Entex 1872 Vulcan 2-4-0T I would go about it in a different way particularly the grooves in the tank sides

 

 

When I put the Christmas decoration back in the loft I'll have a serious look for the missing Coach roof and glazing strip

 

Just need to find some of the Otaki 1/50th freight car kits next. I think they will be Uber-rare in the West however if they are here at at all

 

Kev