The oldest surviving loco in my collection of hackbashes is a 'lookalike' D6 that I completed a few years ago. At the time of completion I was very pleased with the result.... however as time has gone on and I have finished other, better models it has been gradually left to languish at the back of a shelf. Of course, this state of affairs hasn't been helped by the fact that since I built the model more information about the prototype has come to light.

Last summer I made the decision to add a D6 to my 2014 build programme; the relevant 'Green Bible' and a copy of 'Locomotives Worth Modelling' by now being in my library means a more accurate model can be contemplated.

My initial idea was to use a chassis kit designed to be used unde the old Ratio Midland 4-4-0 to build the model off of; it struck me today however that I also have a Hornby 2P chassis lying around- which is an even closer match. Handily, this spares me a lot of frustration fighting with a chassis kit- my soldering skills being comic at best (picking up the hot end being my party trick).

So my current plan is to build a model of one of the superheated examples as they appeared at Grouping- there's a particularly nice shot of number 5858 in the Green Bible- using (you'll love this) a Jinty body.

Yes; a Jinty. It appears that the firebox is the right length, the boiler barrel is the right length and the right diameter and that the smokebox is the right length for a superheated D6.

This is going to be a good one....