Work will start with the underframe and to facilitate this I have used a scrap piece of protective foam channel and inverted the locomotive into it. Like the vast majority of materials and methods I use this is not a Bonwick original idea. The idea came from Tim Shackleton (who may well have copied it from somebody else) and the channel came from Gilbert of this parish (who may well have liberated it from a skip) as a free gift at a Missenden weekend session.

While the inversion is in effect the wheels can be freely turned by the use of either a 9v battery or a favourite power supply and a couple of fly leads. In this case I want to turn the wheels slowly so a Gaugemaster DC controller will be used.

The enamel paint will be stirred extensively using the Badger paint stirrer (what an imaginative name) to ensure that all of the pigment is fully mixed with the carrier. I don't want tiny particles of unmixed pigment blocking the airbrush at the worst possible moment.

On the left hand side you will see strips of 2mm greyboard that can be used as masks to prevent airbrush overspray going where I don't want it to.

The rear of the tender has been supported by a folded paper towel to bring the whole length of the locomotive to the same level along the channel.

You will have noticed that the spray booth filter will very soon need to be changed for a new one!