Newsletter updated 18/08/2025
Caledonian Railway Class 782. Progress so far. You may recall that I mentioned unexpected circumstances delaying work on the development of this kit. Well we've just had an unexpected circumstance. I've lost the complete content to date of this Newsletter.
I can practically remember verbatim what I had written on the CR class 782 so here goes.
After a few "False dawns" and a couple of chassis redesigns at last I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Although considering the day that I'm having, it's probably a freight train coming the other way.
Up until lunchtime today everything was going really well and so I decided it was time to update the site. That's when things went pear shaped. Progress to date. Six pages of chassis assembly diagrams and the matching assembly instructions are complete with perhaps one diagram left. The Loco Chassis and Loco Body Parts and Packing lists are complete.
The alternate inside brake gear has been drawn and modelled. I have a photo of one class 782 No. 56375 with this gear and on such a large class i doubt it was the only one. I believe there's a photo in Bob Essery's and Philip Jenkinson's book on LMS liveries that has a photo of two class 29's standing bunker to bunker that have the same brakes.
Our original intention was to produce a kit that you could build a class 782 and a non condensing class 29 from. Unfortunately this won't be possible due to space constraints but I intend to produce the extra parts that will be needed to convert a 782 to a class 29 if there proves to be a demand for such a conversion.
GER class B74 / B77, LNER class Y4. George Falkner and I are collaborating on this kit. My role is the design and actually producing the kit and George will actually do the building from the early etched parts that I managed to squeeze onto other sheets.
George has been good with detailed feedback and I've incorporated all the changes that he feels are necessary into the production drawing. I didn't have enough space to provide all the parts needed and this has resulted in George having to scratch build some parts of the valve gear.
Much use is made of 3D printed parts. 3D printed parts include the boiler, the smoke box, the firebox and back head, cylinders the chimney both tall and shortened, the dome and safety valve arrangements, toolbox, sand boxes. and dumb buffers
The kit will include a B74 body and a B77body.
Progress so far. Image of the GER B74 courtesy of George Falkner, all rights reserved.