First, some new tools:
Temperature controlled soldering iron from Dick Smith: $12 (normally $16)
Weldwell Flux 100ml bottle from the soldering section of the Tool Shop at Bunnings: $15
These have made a huge difference to assembling TG kits recently. I am using an H&M Clipper as the power source for the soldering iron. I thought that some of you may be interested in these items given the number of Dick Smith stores around, and Bunnings' presence in larger centres.
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Anyway,
This is one of the projects that I've been chipping away at for a while now:
As many of you are probably aware, the Kp wagon was one of the most common sights on NZR in the 60s, 70s, and into the 80s– so this is a "must-have" item of rolling stock for any layout based in these periods.
There were two versions of the Kp, with the major difference being the doors – the Kp2 had an extra corrugation in its door. Despite 2000 Kp2s being built – compared to 500 Kp1s – the TG model and the MLM body are both of Kp1s. After buying a couple of MLM Kp1 bodies at the Christchurch show, I thought that it'd be adventurous and modify one to Kp2 standard.
On the left is the finished Kp2 mounted on a TG chassis. The body on the right is an assembled MLM Kp1 body without any modifications. The handgrabs on the Kp2 ends are .040" brass, while those on the Kp1 and the doors of both bodies are made from a .011" steel guitar string. I used a spray can from Supercheap Auto for the silver on both wagons over acrylic automotive surface primer, and Humbrol #86 Satin Black on the Kp2 chassis – this is a much deeper black than the #33 matt. I chose to paint them silver so that I use them from the steam age through to the 80s without offending the rivet counter in me
Here is a comparison between the TG and MLM Kp1 bodies:
Observations:
* The metal TG model is a much crisper casting than the resin MLM
* the MLM is missing the distinctive roof rib which is nicely captured on the TG model.
* the TG model is too narrow and its doors don't look right when compared to a scale plan. This is a more obvious flaw than the missing rib on the MLM model when viewed from a distance. On the plan below the distances I have marked as 'A' and 'B' are practically the same. In the photo of the TG model above, the proportions B-B are noticably different.
Conclusion:
The TG model with it crisp casting is undeniably a better product and as it includes the chassis as well (and couplers, if you choose to use those suppiled), is the more economical option. However, the MLM model has proportions that better match the prototype. I would continue to buy the MLM body to convert it to the far more numerous Kp2, as I'd rather remove resin than metal (even if it means filling in all the air bubbles in the body), and for me, the TG model is noticably too narrow.
The NZ120 Kp body which appears on the VCC Models website as a Rapid Prototyped test is a superior to both the TG and MLM bodies. It remains to be seen whether VCC will place this in production in the Chosen Scale, however. And again, it's a Kp1!!
For more captioned photos of the MLM Kp, see my Flickr set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41631621@N05/sets/72157622031749353/
