The lack of updates has not meant lack of progress, in fact far from it! The revised etches have arrived - on two sheets this time, 0.7 nickel silver for the larger structural parts, 0.5mm brass for the rest. Some of the parts were too tricky to fold in the initial design.

There's still something immensely satisfying about send off a computer file, handing over some dosh and getting a shiny sheet of metal parts in return!

Work has also been continuing on other aspects of the project, and the last of the parts required to start assembling the bogies should arrive this week.

The wheels have now been reprofiled to S7 standards, which proved a little trickier than the theory suggested, but having said that, I did only manage to bu**er up one wheel! It was one wheel more than I was hoping to, but these things happen.... The wheels have also been reamed to 4.74mm, so they will be an interference fit on the 3/16in axles. One thing I discovered today is that Slaters axles are not 3/16 - they're slightly under (4.72 mm) - as I've had to drill out the hornblocks/axleboxes to fit the 3/16in rod that I have - which is spot on at 4.76mm.

I've also milled down the central boss of the wheels so it is now only about 0.5mm proud of the tread of the wheel.

The hornblocks have been milled down so they are now rectangular, as per the real thing, and the bearings are in place on the traction motor assemblies. I'm hoping that the 2mm tubing that will form the shafts for the intermediate gears will be here in the next couple of days.

Hopefully, further updates during the week will show the first bogie taking shape!