I mentioned last week the intention to start building up a small 1998 Class 33 fleet for the new layout (along with the rationalisation of my existing post 2000 33 fleet.)

The first of the new locos is 33116Hertfordshire Rail Tours in BR Blue

The planned work:

- Correcting livery errors

- Painting unpainted parts

- New fuel tanks

- Bogie spring modifications

- P4 & DCC

The livery errors are concentrated on one side, (with the bodyside grill on the left hand side.) Heljan have completely messed this up, with the BR logo/works plate at the wrong end, the small 33116 on the wrong door and the large D number in the wrong place. All of the rtr printing was removed carefully with microsol and a wooden scraper, with Shawplan etched depot plaques, nameplates and a fox double arrow. Was rather lucky with the plaques as I had purchased the wrong depot back at Nottingham, but luckly had a set of the right ones in my too sell pile (rather glad I have been taking so long to process it!)

The new numbers are a bit more tricky, as I dont have any D numbers (will stick a post in the classifieds and try and sort out a swap for one as buying a whole pack for a single number seems a bit ott.) I guess some coach numbers will have to do for the small number. Unfortunately the D number has ghosted pretty badly, so thats going to require a coat of varnish to blend the area back into the rest of the loco, think a can of Satin varnish will also be on my tobuy list when I next see Brian.....

Paint wise the roof grill and solebar both need to be sprayed BR Blue (it ridiculous that Heljan dont paint these!) further to that the lamp irons, hand rails, and bogie /fuel tank detail need to be picked out in the appropriate colours. The Blue painting will have to wait until I next see Brian and get a can of blue paint!

Thankfully I still had a spare set of the correct fuel tanks (again ridiculous that Heljan never corrected this error themselves or at least included the correct parts in the box) so these were fitted, unfortunately one of the clips broke so it needs gluing into place (but this will have to wait until the solebar is painted.)

Buffer beam pipework and snowploughs will also wait until the painting is finished to protect from damage.

The radio roof pods were modified filing an angle onto the fronts, this makes the part look a lot thinner and closer to scale thickness. They were then glued into position with mek.

Bogies were modified following the instructions that are in a couple of places on the forum, not going to bother fitting a cross piece to the fronts as I normally would on a Heljan loco because this will be snowplough fitted.

Finally rewheeling, slightly more complicated than usual because I need the coupling mount from the gear towers for another 33 that I want to sell, so I will have to remove geartowers and swap them with the ones under the other loco. That however can wait until after Easter.