Its great that you have the courage to mess with a N Gauge engine like that. There are many people who wouldnt take on such a project, so you have my admiration.

Taking photos as you work through the project is a great way of finding all the little faults. Its something I do all the time, you can enlarge the photo many times larger than you can see with your naked eye.

With regards to the comment that you are not happy with bits is to rework them until you are regardless on how much extra time it takes. If you dont you will not be totally satisfied with it when its finished and it will come back and haunt you. I say get them sorted now!

Missy

Well, just a quick update. I've removed the filler from the smokebox saddle. I added it in the first place because I thought the boiler looked a little low at the front. Yes, I know... Anyway, I've taken it out and it looks better. I think. I've fixed up the smokebox door, gave it a quick file, had a scrape round the dint in the end of the boiler, and now it fits much better.

I've also replaced the safety valve cover that came with the kit with the one from the Manor. Partially because it looks better, and partially because... Well, the Manor one looks better. Even if I needed to make the shoulders out of milliput.

Missy, thank you for your words of encouragement. And advice.

I don't know how I missed that bit of... flash (I think that's the term) on the chimney. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm probably going to be using a thin bit of cardboard for the square looking thing just above the injector...

Which reminds me, I need to learn what more of these bits actually are. Rather than calling them 'square things'

And two, I need to organise my hard drive a bit better, I've got quite a few photos of granges... somewhere.

Well, I've finished tweaking it.

I found a number of little things. Like the boiler not being straight. I found out when I decided to glue the smokebox saddle to the footplate to keep it safe. So, detach boiler, test fit, glue... then fill.

There was nearly a pipe coming down from the injector. There are five good reasons why there isn't. One being that isn't always very visible. The other four being the tiny bits of fuse wire that are currently missing.

I say I've finished tweaking it. The reason for this is that I'm in danger of getting... put it this way, there have been days when I have gone back to check I've locked the door not once, not twice, (not three times) but half a dozen. Sometimes having got quite a way.

Or, to put it another way, I'm as happy with it as I can be at the moment.