On the cover!

A while ago I built a narrow gauge Ruston 48DS, based on the preserved example at Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. I've always been rather pleased with it, in fact I'd say that its my best work to date. So, I wrote a short article on the build and sent it off to the editor of 009 News along with a few photographs. Yesterday the latest copy landed on my doorstep;

I have to say that I'm quite chuffed! Not only has my article appeared in print, but my loco made it onto the cover as well. Happy days!

Paul.

Judith Edge Ruston 48DS - part 2.

I've fitted the derail beams (easier than it looks), side window surrounds (filigree thin but again easier than I thought), steps and resin filler caps. I didn't use the supplied sandboxes as they were too wide and would interfere with the tails of the sprung buffers so I knocked up some from plastic. The loco now weighs 55 grams, I might try and fit a few more grams of lead in yet. Still to fit are the brakes, but I'll do that while I'm giving the body a coat of primer.

A final look at the loco in bare brass before it visits the paint shop;

Once this one is sent off to its owner I can concentrate on getting mine running.

Paul.

Judith Edge Ruston 48DS - part 1.

I've been building a pair of these, one for myself and one for a friend, for quite a while now. I've put my own to one side for the time being and I'm currently concentrating on my friends as he's been waiting for far too long for it!

Anyway, here's a couple of shots of his as it stands at the moment, firstly the chassis;

 

And the chassis, body and frames bolted together for testing;

The loco comes with a High Level Kits mechanism included with drive to both axles, gearing is an impressively low 108:1 meaning that the loco crawls along quite nicely, and it can be built compensated.

There's still lots more work to do, such as adding weight to the body, fitting the resin sandboxes and other details and soldering the derail beams in place onto the bufferplanks.

Paul.