Bit of a long-running saga this one, in that this pair of coach sides must be getting on for 30 years old or more, and I'd imagine they've been painted and stripped down four to five times each, with every attempt at lining being abandoned.

Suitably impressed with Wenlock's 7mm carriages, I decided to have another go. Out with the paint stripper, spray on a dusting of grey primer, then GWR coach cream from a can, followed by brush-painted chocolate. The latter was Railmatch chocolate but it covered surprisingly poorly, requiring four to five layers to achieve enough density. I thought about spraying on the chocolate as well, but was worried about it bleeding under the panelling, but I'll do that next time as there is a danger of obscuring the fine panel detail with too many paint layers. I must say that I've also found the covering power of Railmatch cream to be a bit disappointing when brushed painted, even with fresh tins that have been well stirred. I'm doing a B-set at the moment and the cream is very translucent, needing more layers than I'd like to cover a small area of filler.

I've never managed to brush paint lining to any kind of acceptable standard, but I've generally had better luck with a bow pen. Using the paint neat from pot, applied to the bow pen with a toothpick, I first ruled in the gold bits, using a metal ruler as a guide, as well as allowing the bow pen to follow the edges of the panels where appropriate. I then ruled in the black, both vertical and horizontally, and then used a small brush to fill in larger areas of black between the ruled bits. I also used the same brush to touch in the curved corners to the gold lining, where it was required. Once it was all dry, I could touch in small areas of brown and cream where things had gone astray. My aim certainly isn't perfection, and I'd never achieve that anyway, but neatness and consistency, such that the lining doesn't jump out at me from a normal viewing distance.

I was pleased with the first side, but - isn't it always the way? - I ran into more problems with the second, which needed a bit more corrective work. Then - horror - the chocolate began to lift away from the lower panel after a touch of sanding, and I had to selectively repaint. In the end I achieved two coach sides that are relatively neat, but the consistency is still a bit off in terms of the placement of the lining. I painted in the reddish droplights last of all, using a fine brush, and the Ratio box artwork as a guide, and still need to retouch a few small areas of cream where the red strayed.

That said, I'm now happy enough with both sides to proceed with the other carriages I need to finish for the rake. From the basic chocolate and cream background, I would estimate that the lining need only take an hour or two if all goes well but it is the correcting of mistakes that adds up.

I have three Mainly Trains chassis etches, but four sets of sides, so I may end up with three or four carriages depending on how things go. Of course these are well before my rather loosely defined period, but I look forward to seeing where else I go with them.