I have received the boiler and the cladding (Kit 18), but without the insulation!
The painting programme is ongoing; so far I have removed the pedals, battery box, towing rings and fuel tank, and repainted the spoilt finish revealed. Phase one is complete, with the removed components and foremost sections of the chassis re-painted (except the points where the chassis rests on the axle stands), with emphasis on those areas which seemed to be susceptible after last winter in storage. The battery box can now go back.
Once the battery box is re-fitted, then the electrics and hydraulics can be worked on. Bleeding the brakes will be high on the list. With the extras to be added now that we know that there will be a battery, those can be added as described in my earlier post. The final electrical bits need to be ordered. The batteries are receiving a periodic charge to keep them in good condition.
I plan to braze up a couple of lanterns and put some LED bulbs in them, I expect to apply that experience to building a steam whistle from plumbing parts.
I was having trouble with the grommets, so have used round grommets cut in half for the ends of the oval cutouts, with the supplied straight sections for the longer sides.
I have an A-Frame towbar to make.
I am not totally convinced that the chimney is an optimal design, although it was good enough for the Stanley brothers. I am thinking that a lower point for the exhaust could be better, with the help of a blast pipe from the engine exhaust feeding into an expanding chimney. Feed water could be pre-heated if water pipes were stuck to the smoke box. I am wondering if a small amount of super-heating could be achieved by brazing some fins onto the steam outlet pipe which crosses the top of the boiler.
No pictures yet, there is nothing presentable to show.
