Garden Railway Forum

Ok. It looks like my choice is this: - Parts from DJB - must drill cab sheet (and maybe cut into tank) but steam comes out in the right place - Regner Whistle Kit - must drill and tap water gauge take off I will mull this over, but I think I'll need to wait for the loco so I can have it in front of ...

I'm used to brass and metal! Plastic cable clips make excellent inside bearings. For example Binnie 3mm axles clip in and out of a 3.5mm clip without taking the wheels off. (Fix the clip n way round not u way.) They are available in brown and black as well as white e.g. from Maplins. Very very nift...

Many thanks DLRdan. Yes, it's a new Millie, ordered unadorned and the only thing I want to fit immediately is a Summerlands Chuffer (which looks do-able even for an inexperienced steamer like me - measure, cut down the exhaust pipes, and push fit). Anyway, that's up the other end of things, so shoul...

Thank you Mr Bond! Drilling the holes worries me a bit (as RuneK says, it's got to be done right!) so there's something to be said for avoiding that! But bodging a whistle is somewhat beyond me... However, the effect is terrific in the video - what a lovely sound. Drill and tapping into the water ga...

Thanks! That's both intimidating (drilling and hacksawing my new Millie?) and inspiring (someone has already done the hard work and shown how it can be done).

Doable but not straightforward: probably not something I'll rush into!

By the way, does you Millie whistle now RuneK?

I know some folk have fitted working whistles to Millie... But what's the easiest way to get Millie to whistle? I've just ordered a Millie - my first live steam loco - and a working whistle is high on my wishlist. But I don't think anyone offers a whistle kit for Millie(?) and I don't really have a ...

Just to update this thread: in the end, I ordered a Millie. I found all the advice here really helpful and it convinced me I could build a Katie - and that I'd enjoy it. It's still something I'd like to do and I plan to someday (I doubt this Millie will be my last loco!) But I think a Millie is the ...

Very inspiring! And I have a serious case of shed envy now...

I shall be very interested in progress as I hope to build a Katie myself, sooner or later.

Excellent! As soon as I get round to building my first siding, and shunting becomes a possibility, I shall be ordering the necessary Deltang kit from you to RC my HGLW loco...

I love EVERYTHING about this. Fantastic!

"Exterminate"
"Affirmative"

That's brilliant! What a great idea. (I think it'd need some sort of battery back-up for use here in Wales, though...!)

A year ago I was new to garden railways, and wanted to find out as much as possible. I joined the 16mm Association - it was the best thing I could have done. Not only is the magazine brilliant, but the handbook contained better (simple, but comprehensive) explanations of many of the choices one is f...

Do you have a somewhere that is heated, powered and with lighting to build a kit with tools, bench vice, etc? How much time (and patience) do you have spare from work and family life? No, I don't (yet) have a workshop space - and the time I imagine using for this is mostly a couple of hours here an...

Then pull the gaz nozzle out, take the boiler off, again, usually only a few twists of a spanner, then you are left with a bare rolling chassis, take that apart if you want to, but make sure you have all the instructions and patience on how to re-time it if you go any further, thats where all the r...

Thanks for the Ragleth recommendations. It's certainly a contender. With regard to the body kit idea - I'm actually more interested in putting the mechanism together, and what I might learn from that. The body kits (though I've seen nice ones) still require painting, which is the bit I'm least keen ...

Thanks for the replies! I like the suggestion of making some brass kits robyholmes - sounds obvious now you say it! But I hadn't realised those Slaters kits were brass (I thought they must be plastic). Is this the one? https://slatersplastikard.com/linePage.php?code=16W01 . They'd would indeed be ju...

I'm planning to buy my first live steam loco. I've been looking at the usual 'beginner' locos that my budget could stretch to. But I saw Chris Bird's video of Katie with a Slomo ( https://youtu.be/gnMEGah4cA0 ) and thought - that's what I'd really love to have, one day. Now, my budget doesn't stretc...