NOW the doors can be blown off...

Assembly of the basic body shell is very straightforward, with the slots & tabs lining up neatly & fitting well.

Solebars next - a fold and detail job - but here the detailing grows a little questionable in the instructions. Things like the 'spring stops' (part 14) once folded to shape are ''fixed to the solebar - see livery details for position". The 'livery details' are of course the 'in house' drawings contained in the kit. I suppose it is possible to accurately locate them - but I actually jumped ahead in the instructions, built the underframe & positioned it -

and used the axle-centres to position the stops. (I'll deal with the underfame construction later).

It was then that a more serious omission came to light...

"form brake ratchet (15) and locate and fix to solebar - see livery details for position". The brake ratchet is actually formed from a fairly complicated series of bends - and these are not well-detailed in the drawings. A sketch a completed ratchet is on the instructions - on the underframe page, not the page showing the solebars - so in an attempt to clarify the situation I've detailed the steps I took in the following images - and an excellent view can be seen in fig 89 in Russells 'G.W. Freight Wagons & Loads'

The ratchets separated from the sheet.

The ratchet folded up

First bend at the bottom of the ratchet. Note that the brass is relieved for a curve - but is actually started with a 90 deg bend.

NOW the bend (use a 1.6mm drill-shank) is made to bring the outside frame parallel with the ratchet.

The 'return' toward the body - another curved bend (I used a 1.6mm drill shank)

A Reversed bend (etched fold on the OUTSIDE) this time to bring the shank for the sole-bar fixing back to the ratchet frame. I subsequently re-inforced this with solder as reversed folds are inherently weak).

Another 90 deg bend to bring the shank vertical

Final bend - the tab that locates below the solebar

The unit in place (note also the spring-stop previously located - I protected this with a 'bobby-clip' heatsink whilst soldering the ratchet in place with the blow-torch).

Well, that's it for tonight - next installment will cover the underframe (as mentioned already part-built), compensation etc.