I have a Wills 1854 in need of tlc, given me by Philou of this very parish as ever is, bothering me in my 'get a round tuit one day' pile.  Needs a good bit of chopping about to remove the boiler/undertank skirts, and as my intended prototype (1740, last half-cab pannier at Tondu, wd September 1950) had fishbelly rods, a Baccy chassis will do the do.  It's predecessor was a Hornby 2721, worked up in the usual way with a Baccy 57xx chassis (now back under it's donor 57xx), whitemetal buffers, a chimney, dome, and safety valve cover that originated a very long time ago on a Westward 64xx, but quantum better than the Hornby items, real coal, and a messy attempt to move the centre splashers.  I could not get the Baccy chassis to sit under it without cutting a hole at the firehole doors for the worm to sit in.  I eventually gave up on it because I couldn't come to acceptable terms with the overlength bunker, made worse by the overhang; 1740 did not have this at Tondu. 

Maybe sometime this year.  Green 1942-7 G W R initials livery, and I will have to source suitable 'grotesque' lettering to represent a Caerphilly-painted engine, which also needs a red-painted reversing lever.  The real engine finished it's career as a yard pilot around Tondu and it is debatable that it would ever have been allowed out into the mountain fastnesses of somewhere like Cwmdimbath, but Rule 1 will give it an occasional such outing.  I like these half-cab panniers, more so than the saddle versions, sorry Mikkel!  I rather doubt the crews saw it my way; she must have been a right bag of nails in her declining years!

On 18/01/2023 at 19:59, Dana Ashdown said:

How about Prime Pork, Weetabix and something else that I can't remember at the moment. If all goes well, there'll two for the London, Chatham & Dover/Souther Eastern & Chatham, and two for the Great Western. I have my original Prime Pork van, but I'm not sure whether to save it as is (for old times sake), or make it into something else — maybe even an NER refrigerator van!

Ha, I like that. Circular economy! I've always liked the prime pork van, I wonder if there is a prototype for it.

Somewhere I have a Wrenn Carr & Co. refridgerator van, maybe worth digging out to see what can be done with it.

On 18/01/2023 at 20:43, The Johnster said:

I have a Wills 1854 in need of tlc, given me by Philou of this very parish as ever is, bothering me in my 'get a round tuit one day' pile.  Needs a good bit of chopping about to remove the boiler/undertank skirts, and as my intended prototype (1740, last half-cab pannier at Tondu, wd September 1950) had fishbelly rods, a Baccy chassis will do the do.  It's predecessor was a Hornby 2721, worked up in the usual way with a Baccy 57xx chassis (now back under it's donor 57xx), whitemetal buffers, a chimney, dome, and safety valve cover that originated a very long time ago on a Westward 64xx, but quantum better than the Hornby items, real coal, and a messy attempt to move the centre splashers.  I could not get the Baccy chassis to sit under it without cutting a hole at the firehole doors for the worm to sit in.  I eventually gave up on it because I couldn't come to acceptable terms with the overlength bunker, made worse by the overhang; 1740 did not have this at Tondu. 

I think I remember your 2721 project with the Bachmann chassis. Yes the Bachmann motor does protude slightly into the cab. I put in a new backhead on my 1854 PT to conceal it, you don't notice it once it's in place. The cab floor is more of a compromise, the center part of the floor is slightly elevated to avoid fouling the gears. But once crewed up I forget it's even there.

I like your chassis swopping, Johnster. The various variants of the good old Bachmann 57xx/8750 have been faithful servants in many 0-6-0 conversion projects, I think. My first use of one was under the old Lima 94xx body. Although on that one I didn't attempt moving the splashers to align, which eventually annoyed me and so the chassis was used for another project.

On 01/01/2023 at 00:03, Mikkel said:

It's a pity really, as I like the simple workmanlike livery of the saddle tanks - which rarely had the insignia. 

The saddle tanks adhered to Brunel's statement over company initials, 'People know who we are'.

He he, classic Brunel. Of course one might counter: "How?"

Thanks very much S. I've had some good fun with this one already. And to my surprise it was not immediately announced in RTR!