Etched Loco Construction

Etched metal locomotive kits allow even relatively new modelers to build realistic models. Mr. Rice, who designs and manufactures etched kits, has written a detailed history of their evolution, the pros and cons of various designs followed by clear advice about how to construct them. "The book includes a short history of etched kits and their evolution and some of the current professional techniques for producing them. The book also covers tools and materials, most of them are easily available and I suspect most hobbyists already have most of them on hand. In addition, preparing and forming the etched parts is covered in its own chapter along with some simple and easily constructed tools. A nice meaty chapter explains how to solder and assemble the basic unit and another chapter covers detailing in a fair amount of depth. The last chapter is a chapter on finishing, it's not very meaty, but as Mr. Rice points out, it's a subject worthy of its book. There's still enough information here to do a good job with. 80 pages, very well illustrated on glossy paper." From James Eckman's blog.