Etch Test

An exciting arrival in the post this week was the first test etch for the brass bits and pieces to finish off the ballast wagons.

This kit has been much longer in its gestation that I had ever anticipated – I started out on the project in the autumn of last year – but it’s tantalisingly close to the finish line.

As is to be expected there are a few tweaks required to the design of the parts – a bit longer here, a bit wider there.

What I was most anxious to try out were the brackets and cog wheels which make up the ballast door mechanism.  They are designed to thread onto a length of brass wire , be glued into place to line up with the correct spots on the ballast doors, and then the four sub-assemblies can be fixed in position.

This is roughly how it’s going to look..

 

 

There’s going to be a bit of experimenting required to divine the simplest and easiest way of putting these bits together which I shall write up in the instructions.

With luck I’ll get the 2^nd test etch back in a few weeks and if everything fits then I can start full production.