Well all you N gauge modellers out there will have to line up to thank me, I started working on a Fairburn tank last year and Farish release one, so thanks to me some RTR manufacturer will release a Stanier and the Fowler 2-6-4T.

Yes today the Foster Street fleet was increased by two "really usful" large tank engines today, well they are running, but they could still do with a little more detailing, and maybe some or more weathering, and one that is waiting for its wheels if I can remember where I put them for safe keeping

Firstly is my version of a Fairburn tank, I managed to fit leading and trailing that were near scale, which I thought was a good idea, so much so that I made sure I have enough in stock for my intended Fowler and Stanier tanks. I must admit I like the look of the Fairburn's, and the LMS livery is simplicity in itself, no lining, bonus. I added a little weathering to my example, just to give it that working loco look, I might go back and revisit the weathering on this loco but I'm not sure.

The next loco to be added to the roster was an interpretation of a Fowler 2-6-4T, the problem which is familiar to all of us N gauge nuts it that unless we want to build scale chassis, we have to adapt bodies to suit rtr chassis. Though I'm not as afraid as I use to be to hack around I think in this case I will leave well alone. The big decision was which livery to run her in, but in the end black won.

Though I have yet to decide if I should add red lining of just go with unlined black. As yet she has not been weathered, just a bit of matt black on the smokebox and cab roof, I think maybe I will try and improve this with a coat of my favourite dirty black, but I may leave it a few days, what I think I need to do after looking at the photographs is lower her body a little??

The third tank to make its way into the fleet is my version of a Stanier tank, they share many similarities with the Fairburn, so I managed to build the two pretty much in tandem, I even added red lining, but a coat of weathering covers up a multitude of sins. I have been racking my brains trying to remember where I put my scale wheels as for the moment I cant be bothered to fit the smaller leading and trailing wheels like on my Fowler as they just don't look right? I have an idea that I may be able to use the scale bogie wheels I have yet to fit to my Jubilees. or fit the scale ones to the Jubilees and use the bogies I replace??

Yes I know I need to add vacuum pipes and headlamps and other details but hey we need to leave ourselves a few little jobs to do, don't we?? Well let me know what you think, until the next time Happy Modelling