I've been adding the finishing details to the bodywork.

On the bonnet tops I've attached twelve hatches. Some early Hunslets have lots of little hatches, some have a couple of larger ones. To make an accurate model a photograph or drawing of the bonnet top is neccesary, I have neither and this isn't an accurate model so I guessed. (Sorry proper modellers!). An airhorn has also been soldered to the cab front, I used the RSU for this and the hatches (I like my RSU!).

The airtanks under the footplate are made from a couple of lengths of plastic tube and some thin styrene strip, I went to the trouble of getting the end recesses looking correct, which of course cannot be seen in the photo below. Some nice turned brass airtanks are supplied with the kit but they bear no resemblance to anything fitted by Hunslet. Some pics;

In the photo above a bracket can be seen above the windows, this is a Mainly Trains footplate mounted lamp iron adapted to carry a headlight (RT Models whitemetal casting) which will be fitted after painting. Another headlight will be fitted to the bonnet top. Coupling hooks are Exactoscale, soldered in place for a change, I normally fit these at the end of the build after painting with epoxy.

Here's a bit that I'm not particulary proud of, the pick-ups;

Not pretty, not clever but they do work. The front pair are .315mm phospher bronze wire (bought coiled and a pain to straighten) and the longer rear pair are .5mm phospher bronze. The pick-ups are soldered to a short piece of copperclad sleeper, which is epoxied to the chassis. I like to pick up off the edge of the flange, seems easy to set up and the edge shoudn't pick up too much dirt.

The loco weighs 137 grams so far, weight has been added to the chassis ends, under the bonnet and in the space between the cab floor and footplate (the cab has a raised floor). A little light perhaps? I use a mixture of liquid lead and aquarium plant weight.

I've strengthened the brake assembly by soldering (RSU again!) short lengths of .5mm rod behind the shoes, the shoes have half etched detail and therefore rather weak.

Jobs left to do now are; form the roof (to be fitted after painting), make up some sandbox fillers to sit on the footplate, fit sandpipes, make up a cab interior, and paint the thing!

Paul.