Both surprised and pleased with the results of my pretend-ODA first kit previously, I bought a Peco 'Parkside' PC60 BR Ale Pallet Wagon.  An excuse to run something more unusual in my Southern Region goods yard, using 'Rule 1' to extend their working life into the late-1970's wagon-load network for breweries nationwide.

Had I the time and talent, I would write a 'missing manual', but will just offer some tips I should have noted so others, if interested, do not make the same mistakes as me, and their wagons turn out better.  I was going to post Peco's instructions, but this would probably break Copyright law, so instead will describe them.  An A4 landscape sheet, with the instructions of five paragraphs taking up a quarter of the space, on the right side are four drawings of the sprues with part nos., sole-bar (including which parts to remove), underside of wagon to show brake-gear, and side elevation showing door pattern, etc.  There is a "Historical:" paragraph giving the history and operation of the wagon plus a couple of references, and livery notes.

Again, not a 1970's Airfix booklet, so read everything several times and find a photograph of 'your wagon'.  Mine is to be B732383, illustrated on p.34 of Trevor Mann's excellent 'British Railways unfitted and vacuum-braked wagons in colour', Hersham : Ian Allan, 2013.  Photographed at Wigan in March 1981, and "one of the few that survived in ale traffic long enough to receive its 'ULV' Tops code".  Sadly, "ULV" is not included in the decal sheet provided with the model, only "ALE PALLET" and "RBV".  And nor is "B732383".  The mouldings are finely detailed - I am delighted with the thin end stanchions - with little flashing.  Unfortunately, the floor was distorted in all three dimensions and had to be returned to Devonshire for a replacement.

Only after assembly, did I notice the floor was a fraction too narrow for the ends, and I should have glued a strip of 0.5mm. plasticard along one side to make it up to width.  Stupidly, I squeezed the sides onto the floor, leaving gaps at the wagon ends (see top right corner below).  Let this be the first lesson.

Second lesson: the floor is not symmetrical.  Again, only after assembly did I realise one needs to align the sides' door pattern with the floor side abutting the brake cylinder - marked 'X' above on the moulding - and the sole-bars (again not identical).  To avoid further mistakes, I dabbed some correction-fluid to mark the end with the 'single door' on the floor and sole-bars:

Now having four sides and a floor, I ignored Lesson 3 ('The Eternal'), 'Read the Instructions!'  Not knowing my 'Sprungs' from my 'Oleos', I used both buffer-beams from the same sprue, thinking they are identical, and it is the buffer that varies.  It is not.  Check your chosen photograph of the real thing.  Two (duplicate) black sprues of parts are supplied, but each has only one type of buffer-beam.

The sole-bars were trimmed of flash and adjusted (removing a bracket on one side), and the brass bearing cups pushed in easily.  Like the ODA, I did not bother securing them with more glue, lest it foul something.  Here one learns the floor is not symmetrical, but has an off-set vacuum cylinder on one side, so check your sole-bars.  I bodged a piece of plasticard as a new mount for the brake-cylinder on the opposite side, and hope I have got away with it:

I put the axle-boxes over the bearing cups before gluing the sole-bars on.  One then can use maximum pressure to secure them, rather than crushing a wagon in one's fingers, and I did not glue them as well.  Do check your photograph to ensure you have the correct sort.  The wheels were inserted and ran without wobbling: my major fear.  The brake-shoe assemblies had a piece of floor to be attached to, and in line with the 'OO' wheels, so all went well there.

Some of the brake-gear is very fragile.  I have mended mine a couple of times, not helped by my lack of dexterity and shaky hands, and suggest adding it last after painting.  The buffers just push into the buffer-beams, and I added a pair of old Bachmann couplings on the mounts after the coupling hooks.

Humbrol 'Liquid Poly' was used to glue parts, and I have still not learned 'less is more'.  The damage to the nearest end, where an excess leached onto my finger and melted part of the side moulding, can be discerned in the photograph below.

Paints used were Humbrol no. 70 (Matt) - a guess for the faded Bauxite - and the new panel Precision Paints no. P129 'B.R. Freight Wagon Bauxite (Post 1964) (Matt)'.  I do not know what the interior is like, so chose a 'generic brown' - Revell no. 84 (Matt).

Weathering and over-head electrification flashes need to be applied to match Mr Mann's photograph of B732383, not to mention a correct number and T.O.P.S. data panel, but until then, here is my model in 'revenue earning service':

My Dad would turn in his grave if I did not have it being loaded with Harvey's of Lewes's kegs, so please excuse the over-sized promo. steam lorry as delivery vehicle.  The only picture I have seen of a correct Harvey's vehicle is a white Foden, not produced in a die-cast range in 1:76.  Aluminium beer/ale kegs are Bachmann 44-520, supplied with excellent service by post by Morris Models of Lancing, Colletts Models of Exmouth, and the Railway Conductor of Northants.

I hope this will encourage others to try this kit.  However, I might have to start buying two of everything, to iron out my mistakes in the first attempt.