Garden Railway Forum

Well since I have become envolved in making my own garden railway, all the locos so far have been second hand, until today when my new loco arrrived - a Accucraft Leader, based upon a Kerr Stuart Brazil class loco.

Its in dark blue, not the colour it would have been in when working for a living, but a colour that I've begun to like since its almost identical to the blue my 7 1/4 inch Bagnall is painted.

Here are a few photos (not the best quality) of the loco during its first steaming on the office desk.

Congratulations on your first new loco
I remember the feeling

I too love opening up a new loco, from seeing the big box to slowly getting glimpses through the layers of wrapping
Looks like you've got a nice loco there. I did have one on order from track shack but had to cancel because I had just bought a russell. We'll see what stoneleigh brings

She'll look well once she's been run in and you've added bits and pieces to her.

Are you going to paint the cab roof black?

MDLR:47827 wrote:She'll look well once she's been run in and you've added bits and pieces to her.

Are you going to paint the cab roof black?

The cab roof is painted black on the outside - shame they don't paint the inside of the cab cream, I don't want to spoil the factory finish doing it!

VERY nice loco

It is cirtainly a nice loco and a nice colour! The red cranks look excellent, will have to paint the ones on my excelsior.

Mr. Bond of the DVLR:47858 wrote:It is cirtainly a nice loco and a nice colour! The red cranks look excellent, will have to paint the ones on my excelsior.

What? No comment on roof colour???

No that would be far too predictable...


(would look better though)

I really fancy one of those, split between a new Leader or a secondhand lady anne.

Yours is the first one I have seen outside of accucraft website pics. Looks even better..You have got to let me know how well it steams & how strong it is!

Nice one & yes opening up a box with a brand new or even secondhand loco in it, what a feeling.

I didn't realise that she came with a sight glass and top-up valve 'til I saw your pic's.
That'll teach me to read the small print in the adverts!

lovely
i'v seen one go, and they do so very very well. roundhouse are getting a run for their money recently.

Narrow Minded:47872 wrote:I didn't realise that she came with a sight glass and top-up valve 'til I saw your pic's.

Actually Iwas going to ask as well & now thinking about it I remember reading about it...DOh!

Pendo Pilot:47864 wrote:I really fancy one of those, split between a new Leader or a secondhand lady anne.

Nice one & yes opening up a box with a brand new or even secondhand loco in it, what a feeling.

Not tempted by this then Shane??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Roundhouse-Atlant ... 5197ad9ce6

To be honest I think the built quality of the Leader is very high.
I don't think there is anything I would change about the Leader, the cab is nicely layed out, a proper regulator hand apposed to a plastic one. Another feature I like is that the safety valve is enclosed in a dome with the dummy scale safety valves above it, yet with the aid of a allen key is easily accessible if required.

I have a early Edrig and from what I can see they have taken on board some of the faults (i.e paint on smokebox door burning off) and rectified them, for instance there is now a disk of insulation wool sandwiched between the door and an alley plate held in situ with the smokebox door dart & a nut.

When steamed for the first time it ran faultlessly, very smooth and controllable under low pressure, I certainly don't think it will require any running in time.

I own a two Roundhouse locos, a Mille and a Lady Anne, and I would say that the built quality certainly matches them, the only difference I would say is the paint finish on the Roundhouse locos are of a higher quality.

Price wise I know i would rather a Leader than a Millie / Bertie even is its approx £70 dearer.

Keith&Joanna:47883 wrote:strange you mention the paint finish, as i consider the paintjob on my accucraft lawley finer than my roundhouse engines who's paint is somewhat thickly applied all over.

I agree with that. The roundhouse locos seem to have paint around the rivets from where it has been applied too thickly, therefore some of the detail is lost. My Earl has a much better finish and there is no sign of thickly applied paint. It's also in satin which i personally think enhances the model whereas all roundhouse locos are gloss.

Keith&Joanna:47883 wrote:strange you mention the paint finish, as i consider the paintjob on my accucraft lawley finer than my roundhouse engines who's paint is somewhat thickly applied all over.

I suppose its all down to personal preference, I have a Caradoc where the paint is very thin on one side tank, where as the other side is covered considerably better, thus giving an almost satin finish one side and a gloss the other, where as on my Millie the paint is very glossy with a mirror like finish/

Accucraft use a Baked on Enamel paint which is applied thinner and I find is less hard wearing than roundhouses 2 pack paint. 2 pack is really quite hard to apply thinnly) Also the Accucraft rivits are machine punched so are more defined than the roundhouse ones.
The only thing I find about Accucraft is the QC and the piston valves.

They have done a lovely job with the Kerr Stuart, It shows the development from the excelsior!

Nice model!

i prefer the accucraft paint

the roundhouse paint is far far to shiny, an has a finish that looks like its been hammered.