Building the ultimate Shed?
Inspiration comes in lots of forms, who would think the humble shed - the engine that marked the beginning of the end of heritage traction in regular revenue earning service with EWS - would fall into this category!
Add to that huge potential in the lovely Bachmann model it seemed a no brainer for Paxton Road. Then it happened - Martin (Pugsley) showed photos of his Class 59 project and the decision was made... one day I'd do a 66! Tony's beautiful SD50 build showed a fabulous range of scratchbuilding techniques that both inspired and encouraged me to progress this project. My plan? To scratchbuild, kit bash and fabricate myself a super detailed Class 66 - complete underframe pipework, hosing, valves and chains to start with... and then a detailing and weathering job to show off the finished product!
So a second hand 66 was picked up (it's actually 66022 - with sound decoded removed - not that that will matter as it will be renumbered) a few months ago and since then I've been aquiring the necessary detailing parts to make a start... This week the final pieces were purchased from the US and from Eileen's Emporium - so this blog post marks the start of the project and outlines the history of the class, the model and proposed parts list.
History of the Class 66
(Taken from Wikipedia)
When Ed Burkhart bought Transrail, Mainline and Loadhaul (and later Railfreight Distribution and Rail Express Systems) to create English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) in 1996 he inherited many locomotives at the end of their useful life or of doubtful reliability. EWS approached General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) who offered a derivative of the Class 59 with a more modern engine and traction package, designated JT42CWR. Additionally, the design incorporated General Motors' version of a steering bogie - designed to reduce track wear and increase adhesion on curves.
In the end 250 were ordered by EWS (now DB Schenker) and orders followed from Freightliner, DRS, GBRf and Fastline. All build at the EMD factory in London, Ontario, Canada. Their reliability and performance have probably been a key factor in the continued existence of rail freight in the UK.
Modelling Resources
Brian Daniels: Class 66 Modelling Details
Proposed parts list
- Bachmann Class 66/0 EWS
- Cannon and Company Dash 2 SD Chain Tensioner
- Cannon and Company EMD Fuel Tank Details
- Brass rod 0.35 / 0.45 / 0.7 / 0.9mm
- Brass section 1.5 x 0.5mm
- Copper soft wire 28swg
- Plasticard (various thicknesses)
- Hornby Class 31 buffer beam detailing pack
First steps
So what's next?
Once all the parts arrive I'll strip down the Bachmann model into it's component parts carefully storing screws, fastenings and removable detail. I'll then start on the chassis, stripping down to just the chassis rails...
Questions, comments, encouragement or extra detailing ideas, suggestions and photographs welcome! I thought I'd share progress on here as I go along so keep your eyes peeled in the coming months!
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