Tip description: How to fabricate engine cover handles

---

BillyBoy - Mar 4, 2018
Hello All,
I am building the Tower Class 02 shunter beginners kit.
Integral to the white metal engine casting cover are representations of maintenance panel handles. My problem is that several of the handles did not form well as part of the casting process. The rest of the loco is nearing completion and I don't wish to start trying to paint without addressing the handles first.
If I were a more seasoned builder I could possibly take on attempting to fabricate replacements. However, as I am not - I am wondering if anyone knows of a source of after-market handles that I could purchase?

DLOS, Mar 4, 2018
I am not familiar with this kit but I am familiar with this problem.
Now is the time to do a bit of fettling using brass wire and 0.3mm dia. sounds about right to me; to scale, that'd be a tad over half an inch. There are times when you need to look to the suppliers for parts but, unless these handles are a very peculiar shape, I think this is one of those times when DIY is fine.

Arun Sharma, Mar 4, 2018
I built one of these a while ago and I replaced all of the handles with wire bent into a “staple” shape - 0.7mm on the long bonnet top handrails and 0.5mm on the short bonnet sides. The other thing I did was to use the rear handrail structure as a template and rebuild it with 0.9 Nickel-silver wire soldered at the joints. It is more robust than the framework supplied in the kit.
I've attached a photograph of my rather dusty weathered model so you can see the difference wire handrails make.