A tiny diversion
009 kits model-railways narrow-gauge new-products slate
After a few weeks “off”, I’m getting some motivation back to actually make stuff. A good little one evening project has been this new kit by RT Models for a North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways slate wagon.
I’m not sure of the prototype design’s parentage but it seems quite distinct from the common 2/3 ton Festiniog slate wagon, especially in the taller proportions of the body and the tie bars on the underframe. The kit is etched in nickel silver, and although some of the smaller parts are pretty fiddly to fold and fit, everything fitted together accurately and the instructions ran in a logical order. The only improvisation on my part was to leave the fret tags on the mounting points for the brake gear so that I could poke them up through the etched holes in the chassis, fold them over and solder up inside. A floor piece fits over the top of this anyway so the ugly blobs of solder are never seen!
I noticed after taking the photo that one of the corners of the body had pinged open, but a touch with the soldering iron was all it took to remedy that. I have another of these nice little wagons to build, and then I just need to think of something to do with them…
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