[Andy]

I was reading a magazine article about Airfix/Kit Master train kits (Kit Master before Airfix reissued the trains kits in 1968, then Dapol bought the railway part of the company from Airfix in 1980), specifically the BATTLE OF BRITAIN class one, but Dapol also still do one now I was wondering if anyone on here has built one or an Airfix one or even the original kit master one?

www.dapol.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=134&category_id=24&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=59

[SkyFire]

Not done any locos, but I have done 2 buildings from Dapol and they went together very well, with very minimal filing of parts to make them fit. So hope their locos go together just as well.

[Andy]

Might buy 2, one just in case it doesn’t go together, after you glue it. building my current Southern Railway Passenger Van once I had glued what look like brake pads on then fitting the wheels it stopped them moving so had to cut them off and glue them back on shorter. That way I can build one as a test and one as best.

[SkyFire]

Sounds like a good idea. It will be interesting to see how they go together.

[Andy]

Well my Battle of Britain class kit came, over all I’m so far happy with it also there are 2 things which let it down, the amount of flash which was left on the parts and the emblem and the name plate which is dark blue on a light blue background. Where’s the gold and red? Going to see if anyone produces these and it’s a shame because so far the model looks good, The parts have so far fitted together really good, expect the tenders foot plate which needs about 5mm shaved off the off it.

One feature of the model is the moving coupling and piston rods; this also gets stuck because they can catch on each other. But the model could easy have a motor fitted in the boiler area to make it a working model. I’ve also added more detail to the model by adding some pipes from a paper clip.

[SkyFire]

Looks very nice and I'm right in thinking this is in N scale. ?

[Andy]

Its 00/H0 Scale, I’ll build anything no matter of scale, few Star Trek models, Trucks, Bismarck and one of my favourites Stargate’s USS Daedalus ;D. Think would be next to impossible to do it in N-Gauge with moving piston and coupling rods, the pins for the rods are hard to get in, scale that down to N, would be like a pin needle.

[SkyFire]

LoL Yes it would be fairly hard. I wouldn't mind trying a n scale loco, but I would want a well made kit that goes together nice and easily 1st.

[berth44]

It's been a long time between replies to this Andy, but I'm actually just reading it, not long on this 'new' forum, when the other one cacked it, I was not going to bother joining another!
Anyway, yes I think I had all their stuff once upon a time', Kitmaster and Airfix both. All I can recall is they were great in their time, Kitmaster being the best of the two, much more expensive kit's though costing at least 10/6, that's shillings and pence!! Their 'Duchess Coronation Pacific' was trully a superb 'scale' model (wish I had one now!!)and it came at a time when TRI-ANG gave us the horribly underscale and totally woeful (in this day and age!!) 'Princess Class, IE 'The Princess Royal"....(That's another kit that was not 'passed on!!)
Motorising these kits way back then was a challenge most of us undertook,(or tried to!!) I still have an 8 car Kitmaster Blue Pullman in my collection, I bought it as a 'complete 6 car motorised unit 850 thousand million years ago and it still goes, mind you, it's way overdue for a new motor bogie, the old TRI-ANG DMU unit doesn't come up to todays standards. (I have the new Backmann unit on order) This Kitmaster unit was never re-issued by any other manufacturer, IE, Airfix or Dapol, I'm thinking the dies must have been worn out or destroyed!()
The stuff that Dapol do now as you say includes some of the old Kitmaster, but mostly Airfix stock IE, ( The 'Deltic' is an X Kitmaster model I'm still looking to purchase it and motorise it, but in reality, I'd love to get my hands on the NRM one, bugger the kit!!)
These kits are so long in the tooth now that they are way past their use by date, all I have read about them recently is the amount of flash that adorns these kits, and that some are moulded in weird colors!!... I still an unmade 'original' Airfix 'City of Truro' in it's box, might build it one day!!......Dave.

[berth44]

An update on the 'Deltic' can be found in the 'noo loco' bit.........the "Airfix" City of Truro will definately be built, I've 'aquired' the National Railway Museum' Limited version (Backmann)at great cost to me,so,I've gave up on ever getting their Deltic!
I have sourced from the UK the Dapol Deltic kit with a view to motorising it (about 1/2 the price you find it on Ebay Australia!!).............Dave