Now for something completely different…

In June last year I began serious work on designing a new Narrow Planet kit, and towards the end of the year we released the finished product. However, it was at Statfold barn that a plan was hatched for a second version of the model...

The collection of former sugar cane tramway locomotives, with their open cabs and cute little home made tenders was just too much inspiration for me to take! It didn't take long to re-imagine some of these features into my original model, notably the cab style and tender. Design work was swift, but with pre-Christmas effort focused upon the original kit, as well as finishing off the revised Planet diesel, the etches for this continental version have only just arrived.

Based upon the superbly running Bachmann N scale Percy chassis, the model is basically a 3D printed shell with pre-formed holes for the supplied details and handrails (you need to form from supplied wire) with an etch of metal detail parts including hatches, cab front etc etc. You can go to town adding further details such as the steam control regulator and feed pipework. I've also added some backhead detail to the prototype and a whistle cord from 5A wire - some of this will be worked into the production kit.

The model also receives etched overlays for the wheels to hide the spokes, or you can leave these off, as different prototypes had different styles. The tender runs on a Dundas plastic bogie we will supply, and folds up from etched nickel silver with overlays for the rivet and bolt detail. I've personally added a handbrake stand and water filler - I may add these to the 3D parts in the kit, as I think they add to the model. If there is demand we may look to offer the tender as a separate kit at a later date. The tender coupling is a small connector that is free to slide along a bar on the tender and couples to a hook on the back of the locomotive. This is a part out of my scrap box on the prototype, but an etched bar will be provided in the kit.

The assembled prototype is shown here in primer, and I'm so excited. Designing kits like this is such a rewarding process, I get so excited by building and testing the prototypes, and then once it's released seeing how others build and modify it to their own needs. I've got some ideas for other narrow gauge kits this year, but is there a prototype you think I should consider? Do let me know. Expect this kit to be ready after Easter in the EuroNG range. In the meantime, more soon...