No not a Scrabble hand from hell but a response to the recent comment about having more locos than wagons! Am finally doing something with the 3D printed wagons I got via Shapeways about 6 months ago and, true to form with the other 3D prints they are taking far more work to sort out than you might think. I started work on the Fs about three weeks ago but soon hit a snag as I only had cheese head 8 BA bolts for the bogie pivots and really needed counter sunk ones. Managed to pick up some of these at a show about week later so that was the first delay. Next delay occurred when I decided to use split pins for the stanchions. To get ones the right size (22mm), I had to order 200 from an online supplier (still cheaper than buying 4 packs of 10 at a show though), these took another week to arrive but if anyone ever needs any, I have plenty to spare!

Pic 2 shows me regretting using split pins and my attempts to get the two halves to stay together and pic 3 shows some new loads for them.

Another issue with these is that there is no attempt at any planking on the beds and the pivot screw stands out like a sore thumb. Answer was some balsa sheet, scored and stained which I think looks rather nice.

All this has been done just in time for the next three hold ups - I need more couplings to finish them, oh, and the bogies still haven't arrived arrived. Same story with the transfers but as I haven't ordered them yet I can't really blame anyone except myself for this one!

Next up are a couple of C class wagons. These are basically two B class wagons joined together. It would have been helpful with these if there had been some indication of where the pivots for the bogies should be. Another problem is that the axle boxes are too close to the wagon floor and don't give enough clearance for the flanges. Simply sorted with a sharp knife but could easily have been avoided. If the axle boxes were stretched a bit then it would also have made the coupling height much easier to get correct.

And finally, a single A and B. The A managed to hide very successfully when I was spraying so needs undercoat.

I am really glad I have started these in good time before the Burton show in June as just didn't envisage how long these were going to take.