Loco kits

(Tonight I was going to present some photos of my progress on the underframes of the Ed's, but I am again sans camera, so you will just have to wait for another night or 2 as it's the weekly group therapy tomorrow night. So, a bit of a ramble)

There's been a few posts flying back and forth on the NZ120 group about etching locomotive bodies. the costs from Worsley works are not silly (75$ for a Dsa top) but that's just the top. Then there's the mech to buy (another $100 or so) and then having to put it together, and all the extras that go with it. Remember that Worsley works sells etches that are described as scratch building aids, so don't tend to come with instructions.

We then had the De model rear its ugly head again (It seems to arise, vampire like, every year or so). its not going to happen until a company makes a mech that is correct (and no one in N scale as far as I know makes a bogie with a wheelbase of 20mm).

One thing that has been pointed out ( and quite correctly) is that any kit needs to have a common, readily available mechanism to pout under it. I think for that reason, steam locos are out for the time being unless someone comes up with something extremely cunning. there are some very nice kato 4-6-2's but I don't think they are easy to find, certainly in the spoked wheel versions.

I'm not saying its a bad idea and I'm the last person to try to stop people making kits, but based on practical experience in my job in the last year or so, I have to just look at a project and point out where I think the problems lie, and trying to sort out how things would actually work in real life. I've got quite good at it.