Purchased and reviewed by Stephen Issitt

These kits were purchased from JSModels, who were at Guildex for the first time. On Jonathan’s stand was a whole range of models and his website is well worth a visit.

This laser-cut kit consists of several sheets of parts, each sheet clearly identified. The individual parts are held by small tabs, easily cut from the rear. The instructions are clear and concise, and the parts go together well. The instruction sheets are in colour, with clear diagrams and easily understood text. Two formers are supplied for adjustment to part of the side walls and for forming the smokestack hoods. Also, two ends are supplied, one with windows the other blank. There is a choice of a shed with water tank or without. With this kit if you follow the instruction you will end up with a completed model without any stress.

I purchased the engine shed kit with water tank, in stone finish, but the additional interior kit comes only in brick; in fairness I am happy with that. The interior kit also comes with several items of furniture such as benches and cabinets. Also, to note, if you decide to have a solid wall at the end of the shed then the interior kit does not make allowance for this, and you could end up with two blank window shape portions of material showing. I got around this by using two offcuts of Slater’s brick Plastikard to cover the window apertures on the inside. No big problem really and I’m sure other options will come to mind. The shed kit comes with two types of doors, one for inset track and the other for normal track.

For the slates, precut card sheets are supplied and these simply glue to the roof. Helpfully the roof is marked so that each line of slates goes on correctly. It is only necessary to follow the instructions to complete.

As the kit came together, I decided to coat the exterior with grey primer ready for further painting. The interior walls I gave a light dusting of white primer which gives a nice grubby finish to the walls. If using the interior kit make the windows, when the main shed is completed, the interior walls just slide inside.

As always with this type of kit, the finishing is what gives the individual feel and I plan to use acrylics to complete.

In summary a well-designed kit that goes together as it should. Two things to point out, the supports for the smoke hoods are fragile and require careful handling and secondly there are no downpipes supplied for the guttering on the shed but that is not an insurmountable problem. I believe Jonathan can supply down pipe packs if required.

The engine shed will be finished when its position on my new shunting layout is decided. I was so impressed by this kit that I have also obtained some warehouse backs which Jonathan was happy to modify to suit my requirements.