Re: Leadville Designs Baggage/Express 1 in C&Sn3

Posted by Jim Courtney on Oct 21, 2023; 6:02pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Leadville-Designs-Baggage-Express-1-in-C-Sn3-tp19129p19166.html

Thanks, Mike, for the kind words.

Philosophically, I agree with you and Keith completely. Every new C&S model project presents new challenges and problems to solve, which often make future projects easier to build. If I can figure out how to complete the roof of baggage number 1 to my satisfaction, the solutions will be useful when building Bill's other passenger car kits in the queue: the Pullman sleeper, the Pullman coaches, C&S coach 63, etc.

I am in no way denigrating Bill Meredith's clever kit. The car body is building up nicely, the roof is tedious, but coming along. No kit is perfect. I don't expect them to be.

About 15 years ago I came to accept that any C&S model "kit" was merely a box of custom parts to be used to essentially scratch build a C&S model. I haven't built up a "kit" from just the parts in the box since. If I have better, crisper detail parts, I substitute them, or fabricate them to be more accurate. If a kit part seems overscale, I will build a replacement part, some times using other materials. Mike's beautiful C&S number 7 locomotive project has taught me that even brass models can be modified with materials such as styrene and wood--what ever makes the model look right! There is a certain freedom in no longer being a brass purist, especially given my soldering skills . . .

My self imposed pause on this project ended last night. I'll be back to work on the roof this weekend. I'll post more progress as it occurs.