Garden Railway Forum

Amazingly I found myself with a spare hour or so this afternoon so I started to tackle one of the Red Star Steam Packet Co. WDLR C Class wagons.

I have built a couple of other offerings from this supplier before and was very pleased with the results. They are amazing value for money and the quality of the cutting is superb.

The Prototypes did not appear to be that successful and were quickly superseded by the D Class, none are known to have survived.

The Kit as supplied (The floor somehow missed the picture)




Bogie sideframes with acrylic bearings fitted.



The Bogies almost complete.



The body with the glue setting. (I needed to hold it together with rubber bands and stuff the pliers in there to keep it all straight as Fatso, our elderly and somewhat rotund moggie decided to sleep on the package and caused a little bending.)


TBC when I can escape into the shed again.

Who supplies these Jimbo?

Red Star Steam Packet Co.
Search Facebook or email redstarspc@gmail.com

Nice to see how Andrew Mawer has organised the frets for these kits - I received my 3 x B Class & 1 F Class loose (Andrew is in the same 16mm NGM Group as myself).

How do you find the acrylic bearings Jim? I opted for supply my own wheels (Swift Sixteen), axles & bearings (HGLW), and it took a little fettling with the solebars to get the axles free running (glued one side to the chassis at a time).

Chris Cairns

No problems at all with the bearings. They seem to run freely enough. I ran a couple of his other kits for about five hours at an open day and they ran beautifully. The only addition I made was a bit of weight.

The weights are stick on wheel weights used for balancing alloy car wheels



Ta Da

That is looking good Jim, I would like some stock with spoked wheels as well.

I can highly recommend them.

Swift Sixteen does the correct 7 curly spoke wheels (I think Andrew is still using Binnie wheels with his kits, although he has 3D printed some as well).

Those stick on weights are ideal Jim. I picked up a roll of lead roof flashing cheap some years ago, so just cuts bits off as required. The B Class wagon has convenient pockets in the chassis behind the buffer beams to glue in some flashing.

Nice to see he has managed to model holders for the side stanchioned lift up side panels using the floor panel. My first attempt using plastikard around a side stanchion on the B Class for the same effect has not gone well, so I am going to try using paper card instead.

Chris Cairns

Glad you've enjoyed the kits Jim - seeing how you've done your kit has made me dig out a half completed C class and continue working on it!

Great.