My model of Drewry 04 Tram D2201 was originally built back in 1996. It’s given sterling service on several layouts over the years but I noticed when I photographed it some time ago that the cab wasn’t properly seated, and once I’d noticed it, the eye kept getting drawn to it.
It was originally built using an Impetus conversion kit for the Dapol kit, running on a Bachmann 03 chassis. Although the incorrect wheels were hidden by the skirts, it somehow never sat right. Eventually the mechanism became erratic, and I decided to replace it. I though about building a chassis, but eventually decided on a Bachmann 04 mechanism. This has the correct size wheels. It still has a split chassis, but the running is greatly improved.
I removed the cab, checked all was square, cleaned up the footplate area where it had been removed from, and reassembled it with Zap a Gap superglue. A small gap between the cab front and the left hand bonnet side was filled with Milliput, applied from inside the body. More serious was a gap along the bottom edge of the cab rear. After investigation, I decided the gap was down to the fact that I had assembled the rear buffer beam slightly out of square. The remedy was to carefully fill the gap with Zap a Gap, after which it was painted yellow, and the ends of the wasp stripes painted with Tamiya Nato black.

The weathering was then reworked. The model was weathered when it was built using Humbrol Acrylics, first as washes, and finished by dry brushing, but methods have developed since then! The existing weathering was partially removed with T cut, and reapplied using powders. I first applied a couple of washes using powders mixed with water and some Humbrol Decal Fix. I made a grey wash for the bonnet sides, which I ran into the panel lines and bonnet louvres, using mainly some, with a bit of black and dark earth added. I then applied a black/brown wash to the foot plate, using a mixture of black, dark earth, and red oxide powders. Once dry, the upper part of the model was treated with smoke weathering powder, with dark earth applied to the bottom edges of the skirts and cowcatchers. The whole application was then sealed with a light misting of Humbrol Acrylic matt spray varnish.
Some small rust patches were added to the bottom of the body and cab sides, using a mix of Red oxide powder, and diluted Humbrol mattcote. Finally some streaks representing spilt fuel were applied to the point were the bonnet sides meet the cab front, using AK Interactive “engine oil”

Alex