Overall since the last update, the layout has seen a few minor pieces of progress. But as you know I am waiting on PECO to bring out the Bullhead double Slip which sadly modelers are not due to see till the end of the year!! However, I thought I'd take this part to look at some of the wagons and other vehicles I have been working on since I began doing the MEP Project. 

Wagons

Since the layout was being built I thought about having various freight sets operate on the layout, featuring different operations, the idea showing the first couple of trains of the morning being the postal,fish,fruit & cattle. All which I need to build set's up for them. As shown in Part 2 I was beginning the process of moving away from the RTR market for railway vehicles. Due to cost but also for added fun, as I have a good level of experience when doing kits due to my kit building past with model tanks. 

Anyway I have so far 4 of the 5 required Fish Vans to complete the set, I also managed to pickup a 2nd of the 3 required General Goods Vans which the Oxford Rail GE Van will make up the third. They have gone through the process of undercoat, painting and now are in gloss awaiting decals. In a post I put up earlier I seem to have lost my instructions for the LNER Fish Vans, so I am stuck regarding applying the decals until I put onto the vans, until then they will have to sit in gloss varnish. The chances are I will be ordering or purchasing another LNER Fish van before then, so I can finish the set and catch up to the rest of the vehicles. 

As you can see the LNER General Van (Right) next to the RTR Bachmann equivalent. The paint job really did come out well on this, for those interested I used the Rail Match 

BR Bauxite Brown, which is close enough to the LNER Brown used on most if not all the general goods vans and specific vans. 

As you can see the kit builds are in the middle of the set in the photo, I was told by another modeler that he could not tell, the differences between the kit and RTR model, bar the weathering, From my perspective I can tell quite easily, what does the reader think?? Adding smaller details on these was fairly difficult, for example I applied the white written on the Fish Vans, this took some time as it was a steady hand, and a small piece of paint on the end of a cocktail stick to try and add depth to the model. Finally on the right you can see the van's in there coat of Gloss Varnish in readiness for the decals to be applied once I either find the instructions OR someone is kind to give me a photograph of said photo's. I will note that the gloss looks quite blobby on the vans, but as I look at them now about 3/4 hours since it went on it's been subsiding and it'll look a lot smoother later tomorrow morning.

Finally we end on the LNER Horsebox, those keen eyed of you will have noticed the LNER Thompson BG in one particular photo, this was given to me to apply decals to the model so another one of my mates can finish it off, as it's been a few years in the pipeline. Anyway, Originally I painted this Horsebox into the Golden Teak liver by Phoenix Paints, in my mind this looked great as it was going on, however, after many months of leaving it on the side planning what to with with it. My mate who painted the BG explained what he used for the LNER Wood painted colour he used. I took advise and at end of work today I painted the vehicle into this brown colour ( Humbrol Gloss No.9) Of course this will be put into a Matt or Satin finish once I have completed what I'm doing but it does look rather good. I think I may need to apply another 1 or 2 coats to get the most out of the paint or I may leave it and prepare it for decals. We shall see

Anyway, that all but concludes the MEP Part 4 - Not massive but necessary for the whole of the project.