Goodevening

working from top to bottom , the next bit to describe on 37403 I guess - will be the noses and bufferbeams.

On the noses ive replaced the Bachmann lamp brackets with vitrains versions - a little work with a new scalpel blade tidies up the vitrains brackets nicely (they sometimes have a little 'flash' on them' , and they're a bit finer than bachmanns own - plus being moulded in bendy plastic - theyre harder to break Like most small fittings I secure them to the body using PVA. The brackets either side of the headcode box are again vitrains parts , thinned down using wet n dry - again chosen these for the same reasons, theyre robust and look good . These are also fixed with PVA.

The ETH fitting on the nose is the original Bachmann part - but the multiple working jumper is Vitrains - this is the only bit im not happy with , it doesnt look like the real thing , so i'll change it for a modified Bachmann part - when I can source some. It seemed like a good idea at the time. The cables for both the ETH and multiple working jumpers are strands from knicker elastic - simply glued into the fittings (at one end only , so the body can still come off) with a drop of Devcon epoxy. Ive found that superglue makes the elastic brittle over time and it breaks off - Epoxy or PVA is much kinder.

The ETH fitting mounted on the bufferbeam is scratchbuilt from plastic rod. Obscured by the buffer - at the other end of the Multiple working jumper , i've used a vitrains class 47 multiple working socket - known as the 'elephants trunk' this vitrains part is a little underscale for what its intended to represent - but is just ideal for the fitting on the bufferbeam end of the cable. For the actual multiple working sockets , I've replaced bachmanns moulding with Heljan class 47 parts. The easiest way to remove the moulded-on version is with a very narrow chisel - which avoils damaging the vac pipe.

The pastic used on Heljan detailing parts is hard to glue - so to stick the sockets on the bufferbeam I always drill and glue in a small piece of wire - then glue into a small hole drilled in the bufferbeam . Vacuum pipes are also Heljans- the narrow air control pipes are Hornbys - the other pipes are vitrains , as i had them in stock - theyre not quite as detailed as Hornby pipes - but they do have a representation of the taps on them.

The shot above shows the ETH socket - another vitrains part - that does the job quite well - also Hornby class 31 buffers have been added - and , easy to spot - Heljan snowploughs. I'll have to get the camera out again later , as the ploughs have been modified quite a bit to improve thier look , and to fit them easily. Its hard to explain whats been done on them - much easier to take a pic of them

One last note about modelling ETH fitted 37s - to mount the ETH fittings on the bufferbeams correctly you need to file , or cut away the lower half of the outer extrememties of the bufferbeams - ie , the sections outside of the buffer mounting plates. The ETH fittings then sit in these cut outs. On the real locos, they were retro-fitted quite crudely - part of the bufferbeam was cut into , then bent up through 90 degrees , and the fittings were 'hung' off it.

I still have the paintwork around the noses/bufferbeams to tidy up a bit - paint the bufferheads and fit some screw couplings - but the hard work is mostly complete. Ill most likely fit Hornbys screw couplings , as they dont need to work - the loco will just be sitting in a box on in my little cabinet.

phew , that was tiring !

tomorrow - the bogies and all the underframe - and some better photos hopefully

tfn

Jon