Entry updated 28.12.09 with photos and descriptions of the completed panel

I was hoping that this build would turn out to be quite a simple one. The kit as supplied was quite basic and my intention was just to solder it together more or less as the designer intended as a relaxing "quickie".

My first mistake was to try to identify a suitable candidate for the finished loco...

For reasons I shall probably explain later, I wanted an ex Corkerhill based loco. The DVD "Railways of Scotland: Glasgow vol 2" has a great shot of two Class 06s shunting Swindon DMU cars at Corkerhill, but I was unable to identify either one positively (the detail from the 8mm cine film is not best). I may end up chosing D2437 due to this quite wonderful shot of the loco at Barassie: http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=21477

As I trawled t'internet for further information, the third incarnation of RMweb provided a link to Brian Daniels' Class 06 pages http://briandaniels....t/c1462771.html which had some good information, but nothing from my chosen period.

I also found a couple of excellent shots of the cab by jbg06003 on this RMweb thread: http://www.rmweb.co....ass+06+#p794772

Thanks very much to Bruce for posting these invaluable cab detail shots.

Unfortunately this new information meant that I had no excuse not to throw away the supplied etch and build a replacement panel.

I determined the two vanishing points of one of the cab shots and used draughting technique of "construction lines" to project the major dimensions of the control panel onto a surface I had known dimensions for (from e.g. the window sizes). Probably "GIMP" can do this much faster using reverse perspective or some such function, but I couldn't work out how to use it well enough and settled for the old fashioned way and a lot of little proportional calculations to produce the rough dimensional sketch shown.

Here I've roughly cut out a fold up panel and half drilled holes to batter out some rivets. The next stage had to wait until another day to avoid waking the bairn.

Here I've punched out the bolt heads with a sharp pointy scriber and a hammer. I used a centre punch for the first attempt, but this mangled the metal more than creating distinct points. I battered it flat and tried again, leading to a better effect. Most of the holes were pushed through, but I flooded these with solder from the back when I formed and soldered up the box shape.

This part will form the gauge panel. A simple piece of fold-uppery. I half drilled dimples to represent the gauge faces. The two bottom left have a raised bezel, so I'll add them later.

Having enthusiastically studied Ian Rathbone's excellent painting and lining book, I was keen to be able to paint the panel seperately. After much headscratching, I decided to achieve this by soldering the panel onto a backplate which I shall subsequently screw to the cab face from inside the bonnet.

Here is the basic shape of the panel. The scrap etch above the panel shall be shaped to form the panel lights at a future stage.

Here I have started work on the cab front - I've drilled a couple of holes to allow the panel to be screwed to the cab front and added a strip to positively locate the back of the panel. I'll also use this strip and the two shorter strips at the bottom as stand-offs to locate piping. I've used a brass washer to represent the fuel tank gauge and added some conduit up to the cab roof.

I've added some representative piping - including some larger sections for conduit and the vacuum lines to the train brake valve.

Panel test-fitted in place. The strip and piping holds it in place for now, but I've drilled and tapped a 2mm screw thread on the back of the panel for when it goes together properly..

I've added some small etch cuttings and wire to represent the valves and operating mechanisms shown on the prototype photo - I'm not sure, but I think these are either for the horns or the sanders? There are two sets on the photo of 06008. This may be a modification or a variation between batches.... I've also seen an older photo of one of the earlier 3 window batch with only one set, but possibly has an extra lever on the panel. As I want one of the later batch, I've used 06008 as the guide.

Here I've finished the panel sub assembly - I've made the control and brake levers from scraps of bent wire, shaped the lamp brackets and added the shades from tube.

Lastly, a couple of shots of the completed panel in position

Due to a lapse in memory, I've completely forgotten where I bought these drills. I also can't actually recall asking for unhardened steel - but it seems I must have......