It didn't take long to reduce either loco to its constituent parts.

The 04 was a lot simpler to take to bits, as you'd expect given how much older it is The 03 was a bit of a struggle and I damaged some of the piping from the air cylinders (attached to the cab) to the footplate (a separate casting). Not a big deal as I'm replacing these bits.

This is the result of the demolition work on the 04. Moulded handrails removed, air tanks sawed off with a razor saw, and the crude attempt at the mesh screen behind the cab footsteps removed The footsteps themselves are over scale, but I decided to keep them. Scale ones would be too flimsy.

And this is the result of a few hours work.

New handrails fitted, and the two extra rear marker lights added from scraps of plastic. The biggest challenge with the bonnet handrails is rimming them flush, so that the mechanism will fit.

So far all I've done on the 03 is fill the gaps where the coupler pokes through the buffer beam. Bachmann provide blanking plates that fit in to the NEM coupler pockets, but these can't be fitted in place permanently. I've used plasticard instead.