Rushby's Resins Deutz - part 1

I like Neil Rushby's range of resin loco kits, they have character, are nice and simple, and are perfect for those times when I want something quick and easy to build (not that I ever build anything quickly!). Now is one of those times.

Neil's kits use easily available RTR chassis, in this case the Kayo 11-104. This means that compromises need to be made, in this case stretching the loco to suit the chassis, but any loco that sits on a ready to run chassis will have compromises of one sort or another.

Here's the kit as it came, before cleaning up;

Instructions can be found here.

Here's the cut down Kato;

I've fitted 7mm dia. wheels, made as described here, but as an experiment I used a NEM 310 Z gauge profile tool as the N gauge tool that I used last time is quite coarse. Another change that I made is that I pressed out and re-used the stub axles from the old wheels rather than turned up new ones.

All of the parts cleaned up quite nicely, and needed minimal filler. The only minor problem was a bend in the footplate, easily cured by dipping it into boiling water and leaving it to cool down on a flat surface under a weight.

Body and footplate;

I'm keeping them as two separate units for ease of painting, with the cab and bonnet glued together.

And together sitting on the power unit;

The other side;

I've turned up a new fuel tank from brass, just because. The exhaust and air filter are also my turnings, a few years ago I made the casting patterns for the exhaust and 'filter for the SRB Deutz etched kit. I made two of each and sent the best ones off, keeping the others for myself, and until now they've sat in a bag. Coupler blocks are rather fine Narrow Planet prints, and were designed by James Hilton to complement the SRB kit. I've glued them onto a .030" styrene backing (so that coupling loops don't hit the bufferbeam when propelling) and will add a pin in the top for coupling after painting. As an aside, the SRB kit came about after Stuart (Mr SRB) bought one of these resin kits and wanted a better chassis, which he designed as an etch. Which in turn led to a complete etched kit.

Primer next, but that will have to wait until the weather dries out.

Paul.