I've posted this here as well as in the topic on the Hornby Saint and hope the administrators will forgive me the duplication, on reflection it seemd more appropriate here on my blog.

I think I may also have to change the blog title if thats permitted, since I seem to be straying from the title topic, how about "building all things GW"?

Anyway I've been doing a bit of thinking and am wondering whether I can make a hash at a model of a Saint as follows.

Bachman Hall - rewheeled with correct or approaching correct size wheels.

Cut off the cab and cut out the boiler, discard running plate. keep boiler - might have to use the older modified Hall as running plate on new Hall I seem to recall is metal - Course this depends on the modified Hall having the right wheelbase.

Use footplate of Hornby Castle (I've got a spare body. This gives the correct depth to the curve on the front of the footplate. Probably cut of splashers, make good and refit in correct place and probably cut down a bit, remove and filler where the inside pistons project onto footplate

Extend firebox on Hall boiler by about 2 mm, this should give it the correct length, rest of boiler dimensions seem OK.

Replace cab with correct pattern (probably old 4-4-0 County one).

Replace buffers, chimney and saftey valve as required.

It probably wouldn't win any prizes but I think it might give a passable representation, the cost might be prohibitive, but I'd try and pick up the bits off ebay. And given the costs of even badly built saints on ebay is in excess of 70/80 quid (and there are based on the old B12 chassis and thus incorrect) it might work out cheaper

Any thoughts?

Rovex