In the spirit of never quite completing a project before starting on another, here's my latest work bench amusement, it's going to be a D61XX Class 29:

You need two bodies to do this right since no one offers a casting of the boiler water filler hatch on the roof. The Hornby model only comes with one, the prototype had two. Not that the Hornby hatch looks very much like the prototype mind you, but you have to draw the line somewhere or you will be scratch building...

These are the bits you need:

The Class 73 etched pack is needed if you are going to do a Class 29 because you need the two extra grills, this is the expensive bit because you need TWO of the Class 73 packs. You'd think the etches come from two different companies- the Class 73 etch is brilliant while the Class 21/29 radiator roof grill is chunky and lacks depth. The front window frame etches also lack any fastener head detail, but I suppose beggars can't be choosy...

Oh yes, I'm not very fond of pancake motors, so I'm using one of these to make it go. The hardest part of this project is going to be sacrificing such a cute Class 24...

This little project has been done before, but I'll take some good roof top photos of the model to show exactly what needs to be changed. I've managed to find some nice prototype roof shots that will insure the model is right as rain.

Hopefully, I'll finish before someone announces a high standard RTR limited edition Class 21/29. You know the announcement is only a couple of years away...

A face only a mother could love, and she'd have to be a Hornby loving mother cause this model doesn't look anything like the prototype...

I've actually been quite busy researching exactly what Class 29 I wanted to model, sort of looking at the Hornby offering too, making judgments as to how far I'm willing to go to get it right...

D6123 is a natural choice, being the first Class 29. It has a complicated history and set of liveries. As D6123 it was originally a Class 21. Then in 1962 it became the first Class 29 with the two tone colour scheme, but without the grey body side stripe. It also retained the head code disks- all later Class 29s had head code boxes on the front. In the mid sixties D6123 had the grey side stripes added, then later went green full yellow ends.

I decided on 6123 in part because it was unique in several respects. When Heljan or Dapol get around to doing a D61XX I figure they will do both the early Class 21 head code disk version and then a later headcode box Class 29. Since D6123 has both the Class 21 disks and Class 29 vents, it shouldn't be done RTR, so I'm safe....