I've pretty much finished the main work on the 3F now. In the photos taken of it in industrial use, you can still see the BR smokebox number and the overhead line warning flashes, so these have been added using Fox transfers. This was my first time using the Fox transfers, and I must say how impressed I am - you can barely make out any carrier film and the detail is excellent. The only downside was having to buy a whole sheet of 100 or so smokebox numbers of which I wanted just one! I have also painted the chassis. I started by using a permament marker to blacken the faces of the wheel rims, which seems to help to key subsequent paint to the wheels. I then mixed up a grimy black/brown and painted wheels, coupling rods and the visible bits of the chassis. The bunker now has the patch which can be seen prominently in photos of the actual engine, in 5 thou styrene (courtesy of Adam of this parish).

I'm just waiting to scrounge a lump of coal from a neighbour to coal up the bunker, and a set of fire irons and lamps from Springside (bought from an Ebay seller who listed 10 items in stock for immediate despatch and them emails to say he's waiting for a delivery from Springside - grrrr), in order to detail the loco to match the prototype pics. Hopefully by the time they arrive I will have summoned up the courage to weather the loco. I'm lucky in that there are a nice set of prototype photos which show all sides of the loco in industrial service, so it should just be a case of copying what the photos show (famous last words!).

I have also finally finished off a loco which has been some 8 years in the making! It's a Thomas Hill Vanguard, again in 4mm/EM.

I built it from styrene on a Black Beetle way back, based on drawings published in the OPC book on the Bicester Military Railway, then promptly forgot about it and didn't get much modelling done for quite a few years. The main body is a mixture of 20 and 40 thou styrene as appropriate, with details added in thinner material. The cab was built in 40 thou clear sheet, with overlays of 10 thou forming the actual cabsides. This gives a strong cab, but with acceptably thin looking sides. The railings around the footplate were added from hard brass wire, soldered up with plenty of singed fingers. It was painted, but I never got around to finishing it off. However, I have just unearthed it and found it still runs acceptably. A quick order from Mainly Trains saw the loco acquire some Alan Gibson 24" sprung buffers and that, together with some 3 links, saw it join the fleet. It does still need the lifting lugs which are quite visible on the buffer beams, and some more grime particularly around the underframe.

Not sure if it really passes muster compared to the recent Judith Edge kit, but it was fun to build and I'm pleased to see it finally nearing completion. I'm toying with the idea of building one of the Judith Edge kits as a comparison, but might have to keep them at opposite ends of the layout!

Next in the loco sheds - a Dapol Austerity, but it will have to wait for the Bachmann mineral conversions I have just started.....

Cheers

Alastair