Continuing from this post, I've made lots of progress on these wagons, they're almost done. I received some quite helpful advice from the original designer of the kits. The etched floor is a newer addition to the kit and explains why I have been having so much trouble with it. A suggestion of single brakes was met with enthusiasm by me and promptly fitted to the three wagons without brakes.

I decided to invent a coal merchant and name it after a friend so I hand lettered all the wagons for C. STEELE in white. That looked a little plain so I added yellow shading. I think they look rather good. Here's the first one being tested on the layout. Imagine the class 25 is actually a Great Western saddle tank...

Here is a different wagon with most of the shading done.

The full rake positioned on the layout

Fitting these with couplings was an interesting experience. There is a very nice jig which holds Alex Jackson couplings at the correct angle and correctly positioned relative to the buffers. Unfortunately, it mounts on the buffers. I eventually worked out a system whereby I held the jig about where it should be, positioned the coupling on a bit of copperclad, then poked it with a soldering iron. This worked well enough although they will need fine tuning. I ran out of wire before I finished the wagons so there is one still to go. Additionally, one still needs the iron work picked out in black, there is at least one period missing and some of the shading needs touching up. Oh, and two still need their brakes finishing.