Kit build suppliers

Hello everyone,

This is a question on behalf of a friend of mine in Germany who is keen to build something but hesitant about setting up workshop facilities in a house not really suitable for such activities.

Are there makers of kit build traction engines that can be bought in parcels to leave the owner with the task of putting it together and finishing it off? I've seen many for locomotives but I don't recall any in this field

Regards

Brian

.

Nick

Hi Brian,

Check out the Steam Traction World website. They do all manner of road steam engines in a load of different sizes. They send their kits via post as parcels so will be fine I should think for over seas.

Dan.

In the smaller sizes Maxitrak also do kits. As Dan says STW are the ones to go for if its a larger engine you are after.

If you do go for STW then get hold of a copy of Julia Old's build diary of her Burrell even if its something else in teh range that you want. It gives a very good insight into whats involved in making one of these kits, I think Alan at MJ Engineering may still have some printed copies, its also available on the net for a donation to the hosting forum.

J

Edited By JasonB on 29/07/2014 12:35:37

Markie is another one.

I have an idea there are some eg Stuart Turner stationary engine designs that are really ready to assemble and it might be a less costly starting point.

Make sure your friend gets in contact with an actual builder of whatever kit he decides on to find out how 'finished' the parts are. The loco kits around from a couple of supplers a few years ago that gave the impression all you needed was a screwdriver were anything but that. Our club members who built them still needed a full workshop to fettle and make the parts fit.

Another point to bear in mind is that the cheaper more toylike ones would be very difficult to sell at anything like the purchase price and especially not at the factory built price. This is more evident in the model boat world where almost all models now are kits but the value of a finished model is half that of a kit as the whole point of the thing is to build it.

There is the company that advertises in ME, model tanks, and I think they have done locomotives. Ian S C

Hello Dan, Jason, Bazyle and Ian SC

Thank you all for your collective wisdom; I will forward it on to my friend along with the caveats you mention on construction

Regards Brian.

P.S Nick

My friend is a little beyond Lego choo choos now, it was a serious question.

I realised that. Hence the string of

Nick

Another kit engine is the D.R.Mercer nice little engine comes in kit form.

Hello Harry,

Thank you for the addition to the list. Do you know if they have a website or something I can pass on to my friend for contact?

Regards Brian

Not sure if they have a web site but Forrest Classics sell them. What sort of size traction engine is your friend after as these are quite small.

J

Thank you again Jason,

Size----I really don't know, at the moment I'm trawling for information that he can pursue from Germany

Regards Brian

Hi Brian,

Here's a couple of links to German model kit web sites.

**LINK**

**LINK**

Ed.

Hi Brian

Only currently know of these two "link" and "link" got mine from the later some years back at a slightly better price than the completion hope this helps

H

Hello Ed and Harry,

Thank you both for the links, very helpful.

I'll pass them on for him to pursue

Regards Brian

Thank you Jason,

I'll pass that on too, but from memory aren't they more into stationary engine kits? I don't suppose it will matter a lot, Ulrich will sort out his preferences.

I'm indebted to all of you for the useful links and contacts---thank you for the help.

Kind regards Brian

Stuart bought the Plastow traction engine range some years ago. they have their own website but the Stuart brand is there at top right.

**LINK**

Neil

Stuarts sold the plastow range about 5 or 6 years ago to Bridport and then a few years later Bridport also bought Stuart.

None of their traction engines have ever been done as kits

J

Just watched the video from Jason's link to stw. The guys assembling the wheels with threaded rivets, are these commercially available?

Bri