On Saturday 19th September was the annual Modelling the Railways of South Australia Convention, this event is the highlight of my modelling year and even though it fell on the day that my oldest son (now 14) wanted to hold celebrations for his birthday I attended my 10th convention (the pain and suffering that my partner went through preparing for the guests that came over that night, Iam yet to pay for ;) )
This year there were the usual high quality clinincs on Locomotives (600 steamers) infrastructure (Signal Cabins and Oild Depots) a retrospective on modern rollingstock and a guest presenter.
As much a part of the day is the attendance of the traders and this years the number in attendance was plentiful, with Model Etch, Endo of Line Hobbies, Orient Express, BGB models, BGM, Mumorz, Bills TrailerTrain, Powerline, and a few others.
My wanted purchase was at least one of the new Model Etch CF 4 wheel cattle wagons, and when I arrived at the start of the morning break I managed to obtain the 3rd to last one he had instock.
This kit which is the first Model Etch kit that I have actually built (since finishing this i have started on the 2 CS that I bought 2 years ago at a previous convention) area a dream to build with some handy and well thought out build steps and alignement tools.
The biggest assistance is the side angles have an extra length "tab" built into each one that sits into corresponding holes that ensure that you not only get the right angle for each piece, but make it easeier to solder as the tabs when bent over as the instructions suggest actually hold the parts in place.
With the 5" Hold & Fold that I purchased from IR Models, I have had no troubles at all with any of the bending reqiured with this kit.
There is only 1 unclear instruction, which is to do with adding the side doors, but looking at the pictures and photos will assist with this.
Tony of Model Etch is to be commended with another fine kit that will suit any layout up to the end of live cattle transport in the AN era.
Here are the unpainted pictures of my completed CF cattle wagon
Nice work Iain. I did my first etch kit of a NSWGR 70 class shunting loco in N scale about 20 years ago. I've changed houses and scales since then! A great deal of satisfaction is to be had from constructing an etched kit.
ReplyDeleteYou are indeed fortunate to have a manufacturer like Model Etch that supplies kits in your outline, although a a trains' worth of these would be quite an investment.
Looking forward to some pics 'ex' the paint shop and future projects. Cheers.