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Manufactured by: Duncan Models, 34 Waters Road, SALISBURY, SP1 3NX Tel: 01722 321 041 |
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Reviewed by Raymond Walley © Raymond Walley - All rights reserved |
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I decided that one of a pair of
Hydra needed a proper load.
A year or so ago I had bought this kit with a view to using it in a station
forecourt or yard but while leafing through some pictures of Loriots and Hydras I came
across one loaded with a similar, but four wheeled, vehicle.
The kit comes as a small etched sheet, white metal castings and bright plated plastic lamps, for which there are provided red and clear brilliants.
Keep the brilliants safe in a bag until needed, they are very easy to lose but are necessary if you want your lamps to look as though they are lit.
The instructions are a photocopy of what looks like very neat hand printing and various diagrams. They are perfectly adequate and no-one should have any trouble following them.
The one problem I did have was the coating of lacquer on the
etches. The instructions tell you it is there and that it will give no
trouble for glue or solder. Well it gave me a problem with the solder
cream I use, which has an acid-less flux in it and so appears unable to clear the lacquer
away. I cleaned it all off with a big fibre brush and had no further
problems. The sharp eyed among will not doubt have seen that the wheels
are different. A quick call to Andy Duncan had a new pair in the post
immediately, excellent service.
Here are the brass parts ready for assembly. Only the body etch needs further folding. I found that the fold lines did not need any scoring on the reverse.
The body mostly made up. It goes together well, with little effort required to make the parts fit.
And here is it as complete as possible until the replacement wheels arrive. The shafts were glued in place using Loctite 480.
The wheels duly arrived and were fitted but I forgot to take a picture before it went off to Ian's paint shop.
Here it is back from the paint shop where Ian has done a great job, especially on the lettering.
Finally, loaded on a Hydra using similar techniques as in Shackles for Goods Vehicles but this time with the addition of ropes too, adapting the method from a picture of a similar vehicle in Atkins, Beard & Tourret.
