0-16.5 "Talyllyn" 0-4-2 locomotive chassis etched kit (Branchlines, UK). The trailing bogie and the rear axle share some compensation via a 3-point pivot arm. In practice, however, the range of motion appears somewhat limited. A can motor drives the rear axle through a worm reduction. Pulling power is enhanced by the weight of a whitemetal superstructure.

This was quite a "trial by fire" for me as I had not undertaken assembly of a British kit before. The manufacturers do expect you to have a certain level of knowledge of their local prototypes; a fact emphasised by their omission of "obvious" information that would assist the neophyte during assembly.

At this stage the siderods and main rods had not been fitted. The unit had to be disassembled to install the motor and gearbox. The gearbox rides with the driven axle, so the worm stays in mesh at all times. It could use a torque arm to prevent rotation of the motor in operation.

The kit is simplified due to the prototype having "inside" valve motion which is hidden from view and therefore not included in the fretwork or castings that need to be assembled.

The chassis fitted under a 7mm scale Peco whitemetal body. Covered with automotive primer and ready for finishing. The unit will traverse < 15" radius curves. The nickel-silver chassis was assembled using a standard 30W pencil soldering iron; a process I will avoid in future projects (burned fingers) in favour of a resistance soldering unit. The whitemetal body was assembled using 5 minute epoxy.

The locomotive painted and dragging a rake of carriages on my dad's portable Welsh-inspired point-to-point layout. The carriages are Peco 7mm with plastic wheels and axles. Turnouts on the layout are Peco HO and the remaining track is handlaid code 100 on Mount Albert sugar pine ties.