Does anyone here have Beyer Garrats, or K's model

[CG9602]

That's the type of pick-up kit that the kit has: phosphor bronze strips that I had to solder. The bronze strips are to be adjusted and set in order that they will touch the back of the wheels. I'll have to get to the store later on today in order to buy some spare wire ( as a replacement in case of error ) so that if the wires are too short in length, I'll have some extra with which to work. Thanks for the tip on the location of where to attach the wires to the motor. Believe it or not, the instructions don't indicate where to attach the wires to the motor unit ( not that this is a mystery ). I'm not certain if I could get ahold of those plungers you mention, so I'll work with the bronze strips first. Those bronze strips look tricky to keep in contact with the wheels, but it'll only tkae some experimentation.

Thanks for the tips
--CG9602

[BR60103]

The pickup gear on my 4-4-0 was a phosphor bronze strip soldered to the lower terminal of the motor and rubbing on the back of the wheels. Any improvement?
There has been major discussion of pickups in the British press, with two major alternatives. One is sprung plungers rubbing on the back of the wheels (tyres), the other is metal strips rubbing on the treads. Also traditional wire/strip rubbing on back of wheels.
(I tried plungers on one loco, missed when I drilled the holes, and had them coming on the insulation or between the spokes.)
--David

[CG9602]

You're not kidding when you wrote that the kits were a collection of parts from which to help build a locomotive. It's proven to be a challenge, and the instructions from K's leave something to be desired if one is a novice - like me. I also noted your comments regarding the soldering, and wi***hat I knew that before last night. However, damage was successfully contained to a small area along the connecting rod head. The castings are in pretty good shape, with only a modest amount of " flash, " so just a few parts require adjustment in order to fit correctly. You're also correct regarding the cab & so forth. I had to use CA glue to attach the motor to the rest of the frame because I would've had to destroy part of the motor in order to mount the worm screw the ways that the instructions implied. I never thought that white metal would be so soft and malleable, but then again I began this project with the expectation of learning some lessons. In some ways, the assembly of locomotives from kits is similar to my experience as a boy assembling model ships in that there always were a few pieces ( sometimes more than a few ) that required " modification " in order to fit the way that I thought they should. Again, thanks to all for the advice. Now to assemble & test the pickup gear.

[BR60103]

I've seen the older white metal kits referred to as a set of parts to help build a locomotive.
Most of your problems should be that the parts don't fit together too well. The problem places tend to be cabs and the smokebox/boiler/firebox.
I have a 4-4-0 and the frame is bending a liile because the cab and smokebox are pushing down on it. A lot of the detail parts look like blobs of solder.
Oh: Joining the parts. The metal castings melt at normal solder temperatures. The natives use "low melt solder" or various glues.
The Garratt was a late issue from Ks, so the castings should be in pretty good shape.
The visible edges, especially the cab, will look to be made from "armour plate that a battleship would be envious of".
--David

[CG9602]

Well, you might see one sooner or later. I'm right in the middle of assembly, & there have been a few lessons involved in assembling this kit, as the instructions leave something to be desired for the novice ( such as myself ). It's the LMS garratt, all right, & I had to substitute the metal Romford Drivers for the plastic " regular " drive wheels. It's mostly white metal & brass, & it'll have a few home-made " modifications " due to parts being lost, broken, misshapen, etc. However, the wheels & valve gear work in adequate fashion, now that I've learned what to look & test for. it's actually proven to be fun, while a learning process at the same time. I was wondering what success other modelers have had with this particular brand name. Did you find them to be of good quality ? Have you had any problems with their kits ? Also, now that the wheels are in working order, what are the things most likly to go wrong due to assembly ? How might I avoid or test & correct those issues ? Thanks for your replies.

[BR60103]

I don't believe that I've ever seen an assembled K's B-G. I saw the DJH (I think) that someone bought and completed in a few weeks, to the astonishment of the dealer that sold it.
I made the Kitmaster plastic LMS Garrat in the early 60s, and Linn Westcott published a letter I wrote about them at that time.
--David

[CG9602]

I've looked at that company's website, & I'm rather intrigued. I model in HO scale, so their models of the South African & the Australian Beyer Garratts look impressive, though technically demanding & expensive. However, I guess one of those might be fun to build. Thanks for the www info. I was also curious to find out just how popular models of these locos are, & if people keep them at home for use only on one's personal layout, or if they bring them to the local club meeting for use on that layout.

[nfmisso]

Hi;

No I have no experience with Garratts. You did not mention a scale.

You may find this company interesting:
http://www.djhmodelloco.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

Nigel

[CG9602]

Hello everyone,
I'm currently assembling a 2-6-0+0-6-2 Beyer Garrat, and was wondering if anyone else has done so. I'm using an older kit from K's model locomotives, and am curious if anyone else has had experience that they would share.