Way back in 2012 I started work building a Mallard Models kit for a Siphon J.  

This was the condition of the model when I started:

It had also been fitted with a damaged vac formed plastic roof that I was not happy with which had been removed by this point.  

The remaining work:

• Fit hinges to the doors
• Scratch build underframe trussing
• Add battery boxes
• Build bogies (the ones that came with the kit are under a Mainline siphon now, so will need to build a set of 247 developments bogies instead.
• Add U channel to solbar 
• Add a new roof

I started with the roof, 

As mentioned previously I wasn't happy with the vac formed plastic roof that came with the kit, especially given it wasn't square!   The plan was to fit the roof from a Lima siphon G, after measuring the model it looked a good fit so I chopped out the sides / ends and tidied up with a file.  The end needed some fettling in order to get a good fit between the two, before gluing into place with Epoxy.  The old sides were put away in the scrap box as both the doors and the grills look like they may be useful one day...

photos were taken before adding a skim of filler to blend in the joint between brass and plastic.

Next up was the chassis, gluing a length of Evergreen channel onto the etch (the kit's parts for this area were not properly etched and were unusable).

Tonight I aim to get the chassis finished, 2 sets of bogies built (one for this and another pair for the other Siphon G I purchased at the same time)

If I can find them I will also get the door hinges added...