Ever have a kit build......

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

that just kicks you in the pants??? [V][}:)]

I’ve been trying to build a 200 ton crane kit from Athearn. It really is getting the best of me. It shouldn’t be this hard but I can’t seem to visualize what thing are suppose to look like from the plans. I lost count how many times I have had to rebuild this thing and now I discover I’m missing a part.[|(] Athearn has been good to me getting replacements but I’m so frustrated with this build little things become big annoyances.

Ever have a kit that bashed you instead of the other way around?

2

I bought a kit a long time ago that was a kitbash out of the box. It was very challenging but I finished it. Too bad they don’t make those anymore.

But more to the point, I bought a tichy train group kit of a 40 ton hopper car and have been working on it for more than a year. It has many tini tiny parts and you must make all the grabons yourself. It’s still not finished.

The best advice is if you start getting frustrated with it set it aside and come back to it later.

3

about like putting together anything like a swing set or a desk kit, then you have this one screw left over…

4

I’ve got some resin kits for B&O wagontop cabooses (cabeese?) that I haven’t even started. Lots of delicate parts held together by a layer of fla***hat must be cut away. I just ain’t worked up the nerve to try one yet!

Oh, and let’s not forget about my MDC Shay kit…[:-^]

5

Yup, I put together a UP 200 ton crane myself and found I was missing a pulley, spent the better part of a day trying different ways before discovering there was a part missing.

6

yep i have the same kit. got so mad i had a friend put it together for me. he blew the plans up on a copier and that made it much easier. as for me next crane i get is gonna be RTR

tom

7

Well one bonus…I found the missing part. [B)][:D]

I think I’ll take another break before starting back up. Getting the “pins” into the pulleys is an excercise in patience.

8

Athearn’s 200 ton crane can be a pain at times. So many pulleys, so many ways to lose them :slight_smile:

9

What I do is put it away, even as long as a year and come back to it. Somehow during that time I always seem to learn some new thing that makes it easier [notice I didn’t say easy, just easier] to fini***he project.
I hope that helps you out there,

10

Yeah that crane can be a real pain in the tuckuss. The bright note is that it is a nice looking crane. I gotta find the decals to reletter the one I have to the Milw. It’s in PRR right now and sitting in it’s box.

11

Not until today! I just got a kit in the mail from Japan! To bad the instructions are totally in Japanese!

David

12

I am still makeing a tall steel viaduct
wow its been over a year and I just have the 4 towers done
one part it on backwards ouch
I dont think I ever have the 4 hours I will need to get started again