For SPFs: GHB just announced an L1 in brass

[mmagliaro]

Pay $600 bucks for a brass L1 or buy a GHQ pewter L1 and hire someone to assemble and paint it... hmm... wonder which one will actually be cheaper???

While I hope that they garner enough orders that they will consider other steamers such as the K4 among others their choice for a first offering is rather curious.  Just don't know...

That's an easy one.  Unless the assembler is working for slave wages, the brass engine will be cheaper.
Mikado + GHQ kit = about $250.  Yes, you might find it for less, but if you want a nice, clean, new one, that's a reasonable guess.
That leaves $450, optimistically allowing as much as possible ($699 for the brass).    Let's assume you can hire a very skilled
model maker who will do this for $20/hr.  That's only 22.5 hrs, barely 1/2 of a work week.

I don't know about you, but I sure can't build and paint that L1 kit in 2 or 3 days, so the brass would be cheaper.

(Unless Jason builds the L1, in which case, he would build it, paint it, cast and unrelated engine and make 20 shells, plus
knock out two other molds and put a new roof on his house   )

[reinhardtjh]

That's an easy one.  Unless the assembler is working for slave wages, the brass engine will be cheaper.
Mikado + GHQ kit = about $250.  Yes, you might find it for less, but if you want a nice, clean, new one, that's a reasonable guess.
That leaves $450, optimistically allowing as much as possible ($699 for the brass).    Let's assume you can hire a very skilled
model maker who will do this for $20/hr.  That's only 22.5 hrs, barely 1/2 of a work week.

I don't know about you, but I sure can't build and paint that L1 kit in 2 or 3 days, so the brass would be cheaper.

(Unless Jason builds the L1, in which case, he would build it, paint it, cast and unrelated engine and make 20 shells, plus
knock out two other molds and put a new roof on his house   )

I got lucky.  I have 2 GHQ L1s kits I got via a train show and consignment sale at the LHS and I paid no more than $60 for each.  I have a small pile of Kato Mikados also bought via train shows, ebay, etc for which I didn't pay over $90 each and usually much less.  Yeah, some have shell damage but when you're stripping the shell anyway... (But then there is that $45 traction tire  )  I charge over $40/hr for doing Oracle work, but my modeling skills don't compare so currently my hourly rate for that is close to $0/hr.   I think I can build at least 2 L1's for less than $1200 plus shipping.

[nstars]

It's also a choice between a L1 with (hopefully) scale size boiler (GHB) and a L1 with a boiler a little bit too fat (GHB). The GHQ kit is a very nice kit, but some compromises had to be made to fit the Kato mechanism. Fortunately people at least have a choice. . Well, my reservation is in.

Marc

[chicken45]

The GHQ kit was a great "gateway drug" in to bashing locos. The only genuine hard part for me was getting the dang drum head glued on straight. I did DCC and sound in mine. I can understand people being hesitant, but they shouldn't be when it comes to installing a decoder in an engine that's not DCC ready, especially the Kato Mike. There were 2 tutorials I found online were very helpful. TRW helped me out a bit, too! Max offered me great advice with the tender pickups. I had trouble mounting the boiler, and Lemosteam helped me out.
The best thing about the GHQ kit is that you can make it as detailed as you want. All you have to do to really make it shine is bend wire squarely and drill lots of #80 holes. Detail them to the best of your ability.

[superturbine]

(Unless Jason builds the L1, in which case, he would build it, paint it, cast and unrelated engine and make 20 shells, plus
knock out two other molds and put a new roof on his house   )
[/quote]


HA!!!!!   

Max, 4 small children= 40 little fingers!!! 

[superturbine]

As a UP modeler I am deeply considering placing a pre-order to support a type of manufacturing that is truly a lost art.  The fact is if enough pre-orders are not made good luck finding anyone else with the guts to consider manufacturing N scale brass. 

[spookshow]

So, how does one go about reserving one of these things?

Thanks,
-Mark

[randgust]

I have to admit that when I got the GHQ L-1, it intimidated me so completely the box got shelved for like three years.

Then the Max M article came out in the PRRTHS magazine, and that got me restarted.   It was all about the instructions.   That exercise changed how I do my own kits, again, its all about the instructions.  I love the description of the L1 kit as a 'gateway drug' to steam kitbashing, wow, is that ever true.  After I got that built, I really wasn't afraid to take on much of anything, and ended up scratchbuilding my 28-ton Shay, the 30-ton Climax, and Lima 2-6-0 #5.

I'm an ATSF fan trapped in PRR country, but my logging railroad prototype connected with the PRR.   So that was the rationalization for doing at least one PRR hog. 

I have to admit I'm torn here.  I want to support anybody that still wants to do brass, but wow... I can't pull the trigger when the GHQ model looks better, and pulls better, than any other N steam locomotive I own.
 http://pennsyrr.com/index.php/modeling/175-ghq-l1s-conversion-kit

[Dave V]

I just realized; I have over 10 years on my GHQ/Kato L1, and much of that was show-running.  It's still one of my best pullers and most reliable locomotives.

I'm also interested to know how to reserve one.  I don't like the personal check up front idea...

[superturbine]

I have to admit that when I got the GHQ L-1, it intimidated me so completely the box got shelved for like three years.

Then the Max M article came out in the PRRTHS magazine, and that got me restarted.   It was all about the instructions.   That exercise changed how I do my own kits, again, its all about the instructions.  I love the description of the L1 kit as a 'gateway drug' to steam kitbashing, wow, is that ever true.  After I got that built, I really wasn't afraid to take on much of anything, and ended up scratchbuilding my 28-ton Shay, the 30-ton Climax, and Lima 2-6-0 #5.

I'm an ATSF fan trapped in PRR country, but my logging railroad prototype connected with the PRR.   So that was the rationalization for doing at least one PRR hog. 

I have to admit I'm torn here.  I want to support anybody that still wants to do brass, but wow... I can't pull the trigger when the GHQ model looks better, and pulls better, than any other N steam locomotive I own.
 http://pennsyrr.com/index.php/modeling/175-ghq-l1s-conversion-kit

Do you want to try your hand at a ATSF Northern /GS4 conversion....I'll send you one?

[chicken45]

Do you want to try your hand at a ATSF Northern /GS4 conversion....I'll send you one?

Seriously? Will I have to go to confession after?

[VonRyan]

Seriously? Will I have to go to confession after?

Such sins cannot be forgiven... Unless it was free. 

[Lemosteam]

Ahhh, but with the Kato model one does not get the proper slide or linkage...   

[randgust]

This is now two full standard deviations off-topic, suffice to say we've moved that one to a negotiation!

[Dave V]

Ahhh, but with the Kato model one does not get the proper slide or linkage... 

Very true.  For me, though, the spotting features are the Belpaire, cab, and low-slung boiler and that Pennsy smokebox face along with the tender.  I'm not as attuned to the valve gear.  To me, anyway, it's a small price to pay for a smooth-running stump puller.

The GHQ kit is one of the more viable options for Pennsy steam.  Curious as to why the L1 was picked for this foray versus the Locomotive Whose Classification We Dare Not Speak, or perhaps an I1s.