HOW TO… BUILD A WHITEMETAL ADAMS ‘G6’
In the 1960s, making the move from train set to ‘proper’ model railway was not as easy as it is today. There were few really good ready-to-run models and Hornby-dublo’s separate wire handrails were considered the last word in ‘fine detail’. I had a Hornby-dublo layout, but was frustrated by the Liverpool company’s apparent lack of interest in anything from ‘down South’. Then we got the ‘West Country’ and the ‘Castle’, and the little beginners’ locomotive, the ‘R1’ 0‑6‑0T, which (if memory serves me correctly) retailed for under £2. Suddenly it was possible to model the south. I did, but I soon wanted more than a ‘Pacific’ and a tank locomotive, which was not relevant to my interest in the South Western section of the Southern Region. As a reader of Model Railway Constructor, I became aware of the cast whitemetal kits produced by K’s and Wills. The Wills kits had particular appeal because they were body kits designed to fit on ready-torun chassis. There was, for instance, a ‘King Arthur’ 4‑6‑0 body which used a Tri-ang chassis. Much as I fancied a ‘King Arthur’, Tri-ang wheels would not run on Hornby-dublo track, so it was no use to me.
BOX TICKED
However, one or two Wills body kits were designed to use the Hornbydublo ‘R1’ chassis, and the Adams ‘G6’ 0‑6‑0T would have fitted my needs perfectly. I put it on lots of birthday and Christmas lists, but I never actually got one. So, just before my 70th birthday, I visited the website of South Eastern Finecast, which now owns the Wills range, and was delighted to find that the ‘G6’ is still available. Indeed, it still comes in the classic Wills box and even has the same Wills label! That was easy enough, but how would I get a chassis? There’s a suitable etched brass chassis kit, but I didn’t want to get into lots of kit building, and chassis ‘aren’t my thing.’ I searched for ‘Hornby-dublo R1’ on ebay and was surprised to find a choice of no fewer than 16 of the little 0‑6‑0Ts, ranging in price from around £15 to £35. I invested £19.50 and an old but quite respectable ‘R1’ duly arrived from a vendor in the Shetland Islands. I had everything I needed to build a ‘G6’ at last, but how would it compare with modern, super-detailed, ready-to-run models, particularly its SR sister, the Kernow/djm ‘O2’ 0‑4‑4T and the Hornby and Oxford Adams Radial 4‑4‑2Ts?
PERFECT STARTER
The Finecast kit comprises a set of good quality cast whitemetal parts. It can be assembled with glue or low-melt solder (MR9, July 1999). I wanted this to be a beginner’s project, so I opted for glue. You can use your preferred adhesive, either cyanoacrylate or a quick-setting epoxy. My personal preference for whitemetal kits has always been Evo-stik Impact (because that was readily obtainable in the 1960s) but I appreciate that some modellers don’t find it easy to work with. The ‘G6’ is an ideal project, either as a first whitemetal kit or as a practice piece. In due course, if the Hornbydublo chassis proves unsatisfactory, there’s a Wills etched/cast chassis kit to fit this kit and improve its looks below the running plate. I am writing this feature as I build the model and, while I had intended it primarily to inspire newcomers to give kit-building a try, I would also commend a project like this to those who, like me, cut their modelling teeth on whitemetal kits but haven’t built one for years. Get the tools and glue out, open an old-fashioned cardboard box, read through a good quality, detailed instruction sheet, bung a Beatles album on the record player and re-live the 1960s!