About
Reviews (4)
21 October 2015
Life LIke Coaling Tower kit review
This is a basic model of a steam era coaling tower used to supply coal to the locomotive tender. The construction is relatively easy but there are a few areas on the model that are a little 'tricky' in that you can mess it up if not careful. One area is the assembly of the tall structure where you need to keep the corners aligned and square. A liquid solvent cement is definitely recommended; not the thick 'glue'. The second area is the stairs going up the side and around the back. These parts are not always the best fit to the walls and you need to do one section at a time and let it dry. Test fit all part first! I have built about 30 of these kits and when painted and weathered they make a very nice model. If left unpainted they look just like the box photo, not very pleasing. I would not recommend this kit for a beginner modeler or young child.
20 July 2016
Melted smoke stack
I bought this for my great grandson (age 6, but very intelligent) and we were disappointed in the smoke feature. I bought a bottle of smoke fluid at my local hobby shop and it smoked for a short while but then I noticed the tall smoke stack leaning forward. The boiler shell just below the smoke stack had melted/softened to allow the stack to lean forward. I pushed it back to the vertical position and it eventually went back, leaning forward again. That is how it has remained and the smoke unit doesn't work any longer. The engine itself runs fine and is typical of entry level locomotives. Since it was a used engine I guess I can't complain too much but it has been a big disappointment.
10 November 2015
Tichy Coal Chute
I have used this kit about 30 times to upgrade a Life Like Coal tower kit. I replace the chute with the Tichy one and it is an amazing transformation from a detail perspective. The chute is very fragile and not made for a beginner. It is very well detailed and will improve the appearance of any model it is added to. Highly recommend for experienced model builders (I cannot over express this point!).