We have been checking the TEA samples for any problems and other than a little tightening of some of the tooling and a couple of tiny niggles there seems to be little at fault.
Apoloigies for the indifferent quality of these images – they were snapped on an iPad. To make some of the details clearer I have converted them to black and white.
This image shows the underside. The brake pipes and discharge links are fine wire. The circular witness marks are left by the ejector pins on the tool and are not visible when the model is on the track.
The handbrakewheel on the bogie can be seen in this shot, along with the detailing at the ladder end. We are particularly pleased with the strengthening ribs on the rear faces of the buffers. These are prototypical but rarely depicted! The etched catwalk is slightly distorted due to clumsy handling. Although fairly robust, the fine detailing does mean these models will need to be handled with care.
We are now awaiting painted samples to check the liveries. Once this is done we will be ready to start full production, and at this time the order book will be closed. Don’t worry if you haven’t ordered yet though – all registered subscribers will receive an email reminder.