So I mentioned in a previous post that one of the reasons progress on Buckden stalled for a little while is that I got a little distracted by another project. It all started months ago when I caught a glimpse of something odd and yellow flying past outside my kitchen window late one evening. Some googling later and I had fallen down the rabbit hole of Network Rail test trains (until that point unknown to me) and I liked it!

This obviously lead to a modelling project, spurred on by the gallery of images here:

http://www.railalbum.co.uk/test-trains/test-train-20090617-1.htm

"Well!" I thought, every new railway needed a thorough testing before use and regularly, and I was designing Buckden station to fit three coaches at the time so it all seemed to fit. (we'll forget that this would need to be a time travelling test train to fit with my mid-BR period era but hey ho..)

I found Pete Harvey's excellent conversion kit and got myself an Airfix BSO on Ebay and had a very satisfying few evenings working for my first time in brass. The most difficult bits were probably getting the shell off the chassis (there are lugs at either end and you need to take the corridor off first) and then the very fiddly grill. But all went well! I've documented the conversion in the attached album.

To complete the test train in the railalbum I needed some more Mk2 SOs, which are tricky to get on ebay (I think a lot of people like the yellow!) but a rummage in my local train shop (Modelmania, Bristol) and I came up trumps. Some Network Rail Yellow and Roof Grey from Phoenix Precision loaded into my airbrush and some transfers from Railtec (pricey but very good; http://www.railtec-models.com/catalog.php?&type=5&gauge=4mm&xfer_region=1&livery=104 ) and we're very nearly there.

So I now have Network rail radio survey coach 977869;

977868;

And DBSO 9701;

I think the coach data panels aren't quite right, but they look they part so long as you don't go at them with a magnifying glass. I do think these coach end transfers make a massive difference to the look.

I have a few bits to finish - cantrails (Fox transfers I think), glazing for the cab, some touching up handrails and steps, and as they'll run as a fixed formation I'm going to change the coupling. But I've very happy with them and this has been a very satisfying project. The rake is seen here propelled through the emerging Buckden station by my EWS class 37. The plan was for the tractor to get a coat of yellow too to turn it into 97303 but I've grown fond of the EWS livery so I may need to find another donor vehicle! So, not quite up to the standards of Newbryford but I like it!

I'm going to sea for a couple of months now, so don't expect any updates until closer to christmas! If you want to follow my exploits of a different nature our at sea blog is here: http://tropics.blogs.ilrt.org/

Marcus.