Just to introduce myself Modelworks 9F restauration project.

[peterdebeus]

I'm Peter, 25 years old and i live in Veenendaal (Netherlands).
I hope you can understand all my english writing.

After building smaller guage 1 engines for a while, i'm looking to buy or build a 5'' locomotive.

Below, you can see my latest build.

peterdebeus.nl.picturepush.com/album/182678/p-Regner-99222.html

After looking around on many different websites for a while, i still cant deside wat to do, i found only one company building a 5 inch locomotive ''kit''

www.hot-coals.com



I cant find many experiences with this kit, or a full build example of this company, and is this the only company offering 5'' building kits?

also i have seen some websites like steamdays.co.uk, and antique steam, i guess they sell quility models.

is there anyone that knows a good website for me to look at?


Greetings,

Peter de Beus.

[gwrfan]

Hello Peter, and a very big welcome to this site, which you will find very helpful to you.

As for kit models, you could do no better than looking at Polly Models:

www.pollymodelengineering.co.uk/

They have smaller locos than the B1 you have already looked at, although there's nothing wrong with the B1, many of us have one!

There are other sites too, and I'm sure some of the other Forum members will be along shortly to give you their advice. Nice to meet you, virtually!

Geoff

[Rex Hanman]

Hello Peter, if you built that superb model you don't need a kit!

[peterdebeus]

Thanks for you kind answer Geoff, I will have a look at this website.

I'm a fan of the big high speed steam engines used in the UK, as you will know we dont have many over here, and would like to build one of those.

I did a rail trip trough the UK 2 years ago and have seen the ''dutches of sutherland''.
From that moment i realy wanted to go for one of those engines when building a 5'' locomotive.

Also have a special feel with the Regner 99222 as shown in the post above, as we have a vacation house at the Wernigerode Hasserode railway station.

Peter

[peterdebeus]

Feb 10, 2013 17:12:19 GMT Rex Hanman said:

Hello Peter, if you built that superb model you don't need a kit!

i whish i did that all on my own, it was also delivered as a building kit, but it still took me many, many hours ;D

[alanstepney]

Some years ago I worked in the Netherlands, and met two active model engineers.
Both were building in 5" guage, and both lived in the Harderwijk area, so not far from you.
I understood that there were two clubs in that area.

Of course, and as I am sure you know, you have a superb museum at Utrecht, to look at some of the full size articles. (A model of "SS326" would be interesting.)

Good luck with your efforts.

[leliev]

Hey Peter, een warm welkom uit Den Haag!
Just to continue in english, welcome on the forum. Long, speedy engines have always had my preference, but a little while ago my heart fell for a 5 inch Enterprise (tender loco). I bought this as a restore project for a very good prise at Wim van Breen www.steamenginesales.nl Go talk to him, he also has a kit for a 5 inch King George V. Tell him i sent you.

Good luck with the search and maybe we will meet someday at one of the many (at least 8) tracks in the Netherlands.

Greetz, Paul

[peterdebeus]

Paul, thanks a lot

I will send them an e-mail.

Also have an offer from Lynx model works, they sell some very nice models as a kit.
Cant diside between the Brittania class, and the Pruisian P8. (cant find any images from the P8 from lynx as a model, i hope someone over here has some for me??)

I will have look around to be part off one of those clubs, but i will take my time for the build.

Peter

[fostergp6nhp]

Do some searching on the internet as regards Lynx as i am sure there are a lot of unhappy customers of theirs out there.

[peterdebeus]

Till now they have answered all my quistions with a pages long e mail and pictures and all i need to know, but ofcoars its all about what they do after that, can you tell me more about what happened to those unhappy customers? problems with service, or badly machined parts?

They also invited me to come over and see the workshop before buying anything, so it dousnt look to bad to me till now, but i would be happy to hear from people that have other experience.

What would you sugest, i would realy love to build a brittania, or equal locomotive, and it has to be a complete kit, as i dont have tools to machine the parts myself....

Thanks,

Peter

[wiltsrob]

Peter..

as someone who is currently building a kit loco ( not Lynx, but modelworks ) Lynx bought out the modelworks kit stock and such .. i would have a look at the modelworks Dutchess on this forum to give a better indication as to how Lynx treat thier customers..

I personally wouldnt touch them ever ...

If you are looking at any of thier loco's i would make sure all the kits are finished and available to buy so you dont end up in the situation i found myself in a few years ago..the company closed and i had only 15 of the 18 kits and have had to either make or source the parts elsewhere..
This has resulted in the loco costing me many thousands of pounds more than it was originally advertised and instead of 18 months it has taken me nearly 13 years to get it finished.

Just my 2c worth

Robert

[peterdebeus]

Thanks Robert,

But are there any other options as lynx model works?
I couldnt find other company's that sell them as a kit.
And i would realy like to put it all together myself.

Peter

[wiltsrob]

Peter.

The honest answer is there arnt many at all for the very reason i listed above... a lot will depend if you have access to any form of machinery...

1. Polly models as has been mentioned above to a whole range of kits for freelance engines.. a well known and respected provider...
2. Slightly different is again Polly models who are producing a 7.25" 060 deans good as castings and drawings but will provide ( for a cost ) most of the bits as cnc machined ready to fit, you would need to make probably 15% or so yourself.
3.Engineers emporium ( never delt with them so dont know the quality ) do a 5" grange kit
4.Hot coals as you already know.
5.you could buy a part built or engine needing restoration from one of the many companies.
6.Maxitrack again 5 and 7.25" industrial or continental loco kits


Kit built loco's in the uk have a very bad reputation ( truely deserved IMHO ) but not from the loco point of view but from the supplier as the last 2 big companies producing them went broke leaving many many ( me inc ) with part built kits and no recourse to get either our money back or the engine completed )
for what i have spent building and getting the last 3 kits done i could have bought a ready finished one from the ilk or station road steam for a lot less .. ( exept i have never sean a 7.25" LNER A4 model other than a couple of pics )

The last thing i would add ... whatever route you take.. welcome to the club and enjoy. if you have questions i am sure there will be many people willing to help.

Robert

[peterdebeus]

Thanks Robert,

I will try to contact engineers emporium, see what they offer.

But about lynx, i think they have sone happy custommers to, how would they survive?
They are working with 9 people without any satisfied customers?
I have no idea for how long they are in the buisiness?
Thanks for your help!

[Deleted]

Hello Chaps-------------- steady-on there guys, the LYNX MD is on here as JOHN1949--- we don't want any more probs. re}-- Tel's big stick etc. do we now ?? Use the PM system to get that important message across to Peter....

[peterdebeus]

I think its clear not to order from lynx, as there is a big chance i will get in trouble with them.

Time to search for other solutions

[springbok]

Peter
Could you set up a mail address in your PM details so if anyone wishes to contact you privately they can.
Bob

[peterdebeus]

sure, no problem!


Steamdays offered me a 60% build brittania kit, with all the paperwork, boiler certificate, etc... will this be any good? will post some pictures for the experts! ;D

edit: not working, they are in some kind of online document.
Is there an expert that want to take a look for me please?

[peterdebeus]

Made some screenshots to make things a bit clearer:
you can click the images for a bigger version!









tender already lined and painted:







and more pages full of parts, all in originonal bags:



and the boiler cerfiticate:



will it be a problem if i build this engine to get a fresh boiler certificate, it was tested in 2007, but its new.

Let me know what you think of this kit please

[pondok]

Hi Peter,
That looks pretty good, I'd say go for it. You have plenty of experienced kit builders to help you down to the finest details and niggles, not least John whose site www.britanniabuilder.com chronicles the whole build from start to finish and everything he's done to fine-tune it into a first class engine. Enjoy!