You seem to have so many projects on the go Paul the question is does it capture your imagination. If it's not fun why do it? However - I think she looks great so far and would be worthy of finishing in a nice NCB livery with stripy buffer beams!

As I see it, the conundrum is this: unless you change the chassis, you won't be able to correct the body which basically entails replacing the bottom of the boiler and cutting a hole in the footplate. Removing all the stuff is easy, no more than 10 minutes brutality with a coarse piercing saw blade and a curved scalpel blade. It's up to you whether you can live with it.

Alternatively, put it back together, give it a paint job and try is as 'super-detailed' (and, if you're cheeky, prefix that with 'professionally') and stick it on ebay?

Adam

PS: The requisite coupling rods can be had from Alan Gibson. Either the universal set or that intended for the WD 2-8-0 bits of which have the correct wheelbase.

Thanks for the replies.

I reckon this one will be done, I don't like having half-finished projects lying around (although my workbench will say otherwise).

I don't like the extra plastic under the boiler, but as I'm leaving the chassis as is I'll learn to live with it... I reckon an overall coat of dirty black should help disguise any faults.

This morning I've been working on the cab rear sheet and removing handrails and lamp irons.

There is another Austerity planned for later, which will be a far better job, so this one might end up as a spare engine. And as I've said, it'll be an interesting comparison.

Adam - thanks for the tip concerning coupling rods. I didn't think to look at the universal set.

Paul.

.... Adam - thanks for the tip concerning coupling rods. I didn't think to look at the universal set. Paul.

Failing that, Eileen's Emporium lists Bill Bedford etched coupling rods for the J94....

Thanks Ivan, I didn't realise that BB did coupling rods.

However I think that some rods will be dropping through my letterbox sometime soon...

Paul.