After a brisk start , this project seems to have gone to sleep again. 

Not quite true - in the last 10 days I've actually managed to paint the bodyshell, and matters now stand thus:

I see I have managed to capture the corner where one of the window pillars became damaged and had to be repaired. It looks much worse blown up to around 7mm scale. I also haven't removed the Maskol from the handrails

Transfers are Modelmaster (someone said he's dropping transfers?) and the etched NBL diamonds are 247

All it now needs is a coat of matt varnish - and a working chassis to put it on

(As an aside I now have a further excuse to own one of these locos. There's a group talking about building a replica Class 21 Class 21 replica project  - and from them I learn:

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the Pilot series D6100-6109 ran via Newcastle and York to Doncaster, where D6100 infamously seized it's engine on trials to Spalding and New Holland Pier. Eventually, following a return trip for modifications, they and D6110-37 ran out of Kings Cross, and Liverpool Street,

The possibility of running one in Lincolnshire - maybe even at a pinch on the E Lincs line - hadn't occurred to me)

I've also added a little representational buffer beam detail. When I were a little lad (ok, armed with an ABC..) buffer beam detail seemed to be the core of diesel modelling. It was almost the whole of "detailing a diesel" - and as I used tension-locks in those days it was out of the question for me. These days I use Kadees, which though neater still swing, and I've still pretty restricted in what I can do below the buffer beam. I do try to do something but it veers from the representational to the frankly vestigial.

However all Hornby attempted in the 1980s was a vague blob where the coupling hook should be, and so something had to be done to fill up a notably "busy" area. I've now replaced the blob with a proper whitemetal coupling hook, and fashioned a very rough representation of the two large jumper sockets on the buffer beam out of the ends of two Langley cast speedo cables, with a bit of cable - probably overscale - looped up to one side. It's not much, but it's something , and should be a significant improvement on the starting point. I'm not 100% sure about the shade of red on the buffer beam , but looking at the photo above I think it might be ok