Multimedia kits are nothing new - we've been using etched brass and whitemetal in the same model for many year. Here though, there is a loco featuring a 3D printed body on to which etched panels are glued. Simple enough for the beginner in 009 (that's 4mm scale on N gauge track to represent 2 footish narrow gauge). The wagon is cast in resing with more etched bits to handle those areas castings don't work well for.
Both kits are well out of the mainstream but are well worth a look. Narrow minded modellers have been snapping them up in droves proving that cottage industry manufacture is still going strong even with all this lovely RTR around.
Clayhanger Yard reaches the point of being a model railway with track being pinned in place. It's a bit scary doing this job in O gauge with points working out at £36 each, but hopefully this is the last big bill for the model. To be fair, with the Peco pointwork, you are getting excellent quality and for something that will sell in fairly tiny numbers, that means you'll have to shell out for than a fiver to build a layout. Bit of a shock that to modellers who still think fivers are white and pop bottles can be returned to the shop to redeem a penny but in the real world, that's how it is and no amount of moaning on the Web will change it.
On the other hand, once the pain is over, the layout should give many. many years of pleasure so it's hopefully worth it.
