Before its too late ...

: : I don't think there are many common components anymore, other than : couplers, motors and gears.

What about wheels [1], coupling rods, connecting rods, tenders - if such items were common between various prototypes then something must be very wrong if they are/can not be common across models (There were even shared boilers across different classes, whilst diesels and electrics sometimes share basic bogies, but admittedly, these might throw up moulding issues between different models).

In some ways the manufactures have caused their own worst problems, since they (seemingly) turned everyone in to box openers rather than modellers...

[1] as anyone who has studied Mike Sharman's (sp?) definitive work on the subject will know

Exactly, was thinking of tenders especially. As an example, Fowler tender goes a long way, in Hornby's current range - 2P, 4F, Compound. Didnt the Clan and Brit share major parts that meant Clan was worth doing even though may sell fewer.

Cheers, Simon

: Didnt the Clan and Brit share major parts that : meant Clan was worth doing even though : may sell fewer. :

Hmm, you would mention the one era for UK locomotive tenders that probably have more variations (even within the same class of locomotive) than there are breeds of cows! :~(

Am just completing an old Wills kit of a 4F that I bought part built off ebay, decided want Midland version of around 1920. However the tender isnt flared so its a later Fowler one without extensive work. Do have a kit of Johnson tender but want that for a compound. Luckily theres a picture of

3835 taken between 1917 and 1922 with flat sided 2950 gallon one. That will do me even though mine has Ross pop valves. So very useful, can find picture of most tenders behind most lms locos - eventually :-)

CHeers, Simon

On 01/01/2011 4:40 PM, simon wrote: [...]That will do me even though mine has Ross pop valves.

Why is a locomotive like a naughty schoolboy? They have a tender behind.

Wolf K.

: : Why is a locomotive like a naughty schoolboy? They have a tender behind. :

Ouch, that joke is so bad it hurts!...

Memories of your own schooldays?

Why did it have a tender behind?

Because it kept passing telegraph poles.

it's the cross-arms and the brackets for the insulators that do the real damage.

it's the cross-arms and the brackets for the insulators that do the real damage.

-----

And how did it pass the telegraph poles? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With a goods train

I see the "Silly Season" has started early this year....