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Post by a4builder on Jun 10, 2009 16:28:13 GMT
hi
Has anyone purchased and built a g1 live steam kit from john barret. Any guidance would be helpful as i am considering getting one of his kits
terry
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Post by spamcanman on Jun 10, 2009 17:51:33 GMT
Hi Terry,
Yes, I have built 2 of there kits a spiret fired Mogul and the coal fired Atlantic what would you like to know?
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Post by a4builder on Jun 11, 2009 17:47:00 GMT
hi
well lots of things - do they go together without to much fettling needed. are they designed well and practically for use not display.
did you find setting the valves easy to do correctly.
when should the painting be done as you progress or at the end even if this requires disassembly. do you run you engines.
the one available is a 47xx gwr heavy freight loco.
I am used to winson kits where nearly everything is wrong or badly designed needing almost scratch rebuilding. I hope a barrat kit is sorted and easyer to put together.
terry
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Post by spamcanman on Jun 11, 2009 20:16:13 GMT
hi well lots of things - do they go together without to much fettling needed. are they designed well and practically for use not display. did you find setting the valves easy to do correctly. when should the painting be done as you progress or at the end even if this requires disassembly. do you run you engines. the one available is a 47xx gwr heavy freight loco. I am used to winson kits where nearly everything is wrong or badly designed needing almost scratch rebuilding. I hope a barrat kit is sorted and easier to put together. terry Hi Terry, Where do I start first, they are a kit but I would call them a kit of parts to build the loco the instructions are very good and precise with plenty of colour photo's for help. Then comes the kit YOU  will have to do some tapping,bending and lots of soldering the boiler will be completed with a hydraulic certificate but you will have to roll the plates for the cladding make forms for bending the plate work on the tender, solder all plate work together and most holes that are pre-drilled will need tapping. Valve timing is easy as per instructions and they have slip eccentrics. As for painting I would paint the chassis once completed and run on air then continue with the rest after you have steamed it in case you need to repair something. I run my Barretts a lot they are built for running not showing and steam well and pull long loads they are a good loco. If you go ahead and still want one I would highly recommend you buy a complete kit not have one on installments as they never hold up to there promises for delivering the next kit some friends of mine have waited 2 years for all there kits! I would compare the Barrett's to your Winsons lots of fettling and going over things to get the thing right there are hundreds of Barrett unbuilt kits about as most peaple that bought them thought they were just a kit like Aster's  |
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Post by a4builder on Jun 12, 2009 17:51:37 GMT
hi
Thanks your reply re kit. As i expected the buyer has to do more than put together no problem with bending/solder/tapping. Pleased that they are good runners an ornament on the shelf is not what I want.
The kit is on monthly Del! not a complete pack of parts so I will have to be patient with john.
Nothing can be as bad as a winson kit for assembling a working loco I can assure you of that.
If there are a lot of kits languishing in cupboards I am surprised to have never seen one for sale.
So I will have a word with john and order a kit
terry
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Post by spamcanman on Jun 12, 2009 23:05:50 GMT
I'm surprised he has no complete kits as he did at the last show they were at. The Atlantic is a very nice coal fired loco she has a large firebox for a Gauge1 engine so steams well, when you say you have never seen any Barrett's for sale I take you are not a member of G1MRA as there is always loco's in the Newsletter Journal for sale in fact an old boy in my club (92 years old) bought a 47xx and completed the tender then relised it was a bit too much for him I could of had the tender and the rest of the installments for £1200 a bargain!
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Post by a4builder on Jun 13, 2009 20:05:48 GMT
hi spamcanman
sounds like I should have joined G1 society before I opened my cheque book! Thats the next thing to do!
terry
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will have to do some tapping,bending and lots of soldering the boiler will be completed with a hydraulic certificate but you will have to roll the plates for the cladding make forms for bending the plate work on the tender, solder all plate work together and most holes that are pre-drilled will need tapping.