remember our Production Editor producing masters for some of these kitsets as well as
four-wheel wagon underframes and bogie sides for them; I still have several in various
stages of completion. The late Bob Stevens was a great NZR modelling protagonist with whom I found a common interest. Bob
Wallace was a renowned airbrush painter and Noel Atrwood was Natty Accessories. Ihere was a time when the Sunlander
F-class was the one and only loco kit avail able. 1 can't remember whether around 1981 a Da or a Dg kit was the next one on the
market: a market that was starting to look prett)' good. There was .some stupidity in earlier days, which resulted in duplicated manufacture of some locomotive kitsets, but
happily some burnt fingers put a stop to this costly and counter-productive competition. Cxilin McHarg was into photo engraving and produced some locomotive and wagon etches in zinc or bra,ss, as well as locomotive
number plates which allowed builders to
put really great finishing touches to their models. He also produced the original wagon number sets and gold carriage
Starting in 1984, Ken Cloughs Railside range provided a big boost in the quantity
and quality of locomotive kitsets to haul all
the rolling stock then available. 1 was initially dismayed when the late Ciraham Selman, on launching North Yard, promoted RP25 wheel profiles and metric
fastenings. Most of the imports to that
time followed the British BRMSB standards and used BA thread fastenings. However,
his vision was greater than mine and my
Top; Competition time spent on models.
An inch to the foot drawing of this underframe made me do it. and it shows
vou can get detail Into 1;64-scale models. It's an X 25243, as used under the 1934 50ft wooden A cars and some 50ft steel cars. Mine wil be used under my 1934 wooden A car if I ever get it finished.
Right: North Yard l:64-scale A-class loco. The first North Yard A loco I built, and still operating today.
ibc introduction of the Ajin NZR brass
transfers.
standards have for a long time now followed
Prior to one of his many overseas trips, around I98t 1 think, John Agnew supplied
(itaham's lead. Nowhere in NZ or Australia
ready-to-run guards van, also in 1988. was
have I seen a comparable range of materials and hardware for our hobby: we are indeed
modeling, a.s was the laterA,m Ka loco
me with Railmaster stock and convinced
another notable event for NZR 1:64-^=110
me to open a mail-order specialist NZR supply business as an addition to my normal employment. So, I re-entered the
fortunate. Graham's A-class kits were the
motive. Sales of both these were slower
equal of any locomotive kits produced over seas. His bogie range also brought .sophisti
climate at the time. Additionally the Ka
commercial arena which had started with
cation and runabilty to the local scene while
my previous employment as manager of
widening the selection of types available.
unfair trade review. At that time u required
Model Railway Manufacturers' catalogue
tins kind. Today, brass etchings are more
Stoker Model (ientre after the death of Bob
Stevens. I believe that much of the early
popularity and growth of i:64-.scale NZR modelling can be attributed to the extensive range of Kailmasier kit.seis.
Publication of two issues of the N/.
- the first in 1988 - enabled purchasers to
than expected, due to a poor econonuc
wasnt' hep l ed bv what 1 slticonsd i er was an an enormous capital outlay for a proiect of
know what was available; information that
readily achievable and can be done ocaly in smal production lots without such large
previously had been very difficult to obtain.
capital outlays.
22 NZ MoDI-.I RaIIWAY joURNAl MAK<.il20l2