SQL Server
DRIVER={SQL Server};SERVER=sql11.hostinguk.net;DATABASE=gaugegu1_gog2;UID=gaugegog1;PWD=g2Fr8*r6=yN-_4DUs$z!45;

PECO	Steve Haynes
Underleys	Email: steve.haynes@peco.co
Beer	Web: http://www.peco-uk.com
Seaton
Devon
EX12 3NA

Purchased and reviewed by Peter Jary
GOING BANANAS! (With a few slips)

The completed kit

The latest release from this energetic company continues in the form of another Banana Van, but in an LMS guise.

On opening the box, big enough to store the finished model, one finds a set of very crisp and superbly and minutely detailed mouldings with very little flash. They include a set of their sprung buffers and the usual set of Slater’s wheels together with coupling hooks and three link couplings. However, most of the stock in this diagrammed range had screw link couplings, unfortunately not supplied in the kit.

The instructions are printed with helpful tips and are easy to follow, but in my copy, the second page showing the vacuum cylinder and its parts as well as the side frames has somehow become very underexposed and ended up as a black blob. I’m sure this is a misprint that will be rectified. Also, in the fifth paragraph, part 6 should be referred to as 5. It also transpires that parts that identify the vacuum pipes and vacuum cylinder are the same.

The key to understanding instructions is identifying parts with drawings that are represented accurately and Parkside Dundas in all honesty have done this with the exception of the printing faux pas. On page 2 part 22, the coupling chains, should be part 20 as shown on the drawing, but since they’re not used in this case, it doesn’t matter here. However, having said that, there were early examples shown in Essery’s LMS wagon book with evidence of no fitted vacuum cylinder or the star indicating the position of the release chord, and whether or not it had vacuum pipes is unclear - being high level pipes they are hidden behind the body corners and there being no dangly bits to give the game away. However, all had screw link couplings. Another mine field.

I was mystified about the ghosted impression showing on the underframe drawing but this is evident on only the first printing. This was rushed in time for Telford and will be exorcised. There are also two oblong boxes evident on the underside of the floor to which there is no reference in the instructions. Ignore them, as P.D. have used the same floor as on their S.R. version.

The colour schemes can be represented in LMS pre-war, LMS from 1936 and in BR livery, transfers (waterslide) are included to cover all these periods.

Construction is straight forward and being a 9ft wheelbase it has the old but trusted mouldings, still crisp and still encompassing the whole in the usual soft plastic. The fit of the van’s box section and roof is exceptionally good and crisp.

Another hit. I’m sure this kit will be a welcome addition to a rake of banana trains with Fyffe and Geest labels available separately from the Hollar range to add on the model to add that extra touch. Available again directly from Parkside.

I have found that when applying the Hollar labels it is best to separate the paper from its backing thus making the label thinner, as well as being self adhesive which is not mentioned in the instructions and it looks better when seated on the surface.

Parkside Dundas have assured me that these little slips will be rectified in the second printing and with further conversions possible from this kit, I look forward to trying them out.