Saturday, 27 March 2010

Bashing the Pug

I'd like to think of myself as having a calm and rational head, even when provoked. Sometimes this image doesn't reflect reality. I hugely enjoy the internet forum ngrm-online it's an absolute goldmine for anyone interested in modelling narrow gauge railways, and I can not recommend it too highly. A few weeks ago the pros and cons of 'pugbashing' became the focus of debate; pugbashing being models hacked out of the old Kitmaster/Airfix/Dapol kit.Amongst all the comments were a couple of rather negative posts that questioned the value of this particular strand of model making. Having done a few bashes in my youth I thought the best response was to give it a go again and see if something worthwhile could result.

Having two and a half pug kits and three Kato mechanisms I took the tram loco route. So far I have the basic loco pretty well finished and in primer, I leave you to judge whether it's thumbs up or down for the model, but I'm happy with it. Loads of fun has been had, the mechanism runs like a dream and I'm planning a small layout that will use this loco and some other items I've got on the stocks.

8 comments:

Tom said...

That's looking really nice, Neil! I'm tempted to do a pug tram after the thread on NGRM... Better get my skates on to make it useful for NG South!

Simon Dunkley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Simon Dunkley said...

Really nice. A touch of Hudswell Clarke about the cab, perhaps?

This answers both sides of the debate: yes, it is possible to bash a pug for a 4mm narrow gauge loco, but the results are so much better than the unthinking application of an unmodified pug body to an N gauge chassis, which always looks like, well, like a pug body on an N gauge chassis.

All power to your elbow, mate!
[Post resubmitted in the interests of clarity.]

Iain Robinson said...

I love what you have done with the kit. I thought at first the cab had an Isle of Man feel, but I see what regularity means.

So much better than all those hideous conversions back in the sixties. Which I remember, sad to say, because I was responsible for one myself.

Bashing the pug...is that a euphemism...?

Neil said...

Thank you Tom, I'd like to see what you come up with, I trust you'll post on NGRM.

I can see the Hudswell Clarke likeness in the cab too Regularity, though at the time it was the Furness well tanks I had in mind. Think they were Sharpies, but I may be wrong

You're thinking of Bishops Iain.

Iain Robinson said...

That's the last thing I would be thinking of when bashing my pug. Sorry, Neil, I'll stop now.

Roger said...

Looking good Neil. Hudswell Clarke it do be indeed!
Roger

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