Late BR, North West in N

[Steven B]

Like many others I have far too many projects on the go. Hopefully by documenting some progress (or being shamed at lack of progress) I'll be able to finally finish some of them!

My main interest is the late BR period - 1985-1995, about the time I started getting taken on rail tours by my Dad. The new sector liveries were taking over from the tired and often tatty BR blue and although there were rumours of privatisation there were new loco classes to enjoy whilst many of the transition era locos, DMUs and stock were rattling ever closer to the scrap heap.

Growing up in Rochdale, my main modelling interest remains centred on Greater Manchester, and the Calder Valley line in particular. In recent years the North Wales main line has attracted my interests with the added benefit of sharing much of the same rolling stock.

Over the last couple of years I've become more focused on my main modelling era and location which has helped focus my RTR purchases, and especially with temptations such as the Revolution Trains Pendolino and Cemflow wagons has helped my bank account remain in the black!

What should follow over the next few weeks and months are my attempts to capture the feel of the location and era in N Gauge. There will be modified RTR, kit built and hopefully a few scratch built models.

[Steven B]

First up is my latest and fastest moving project - the Doncaster BRML trial train.
It's certainly a rule one (it's my layout, I'll run what I like!) project. The real train tended to stay on the ECML between Doncaster and Newcastle.

My reason for modelling it is two-fold. Firstly, after upgrading a couple of trains to the latest Farish Mk2F I was left with a motley collection of 25+ year old models that weren't worth much. Secondly, some twenty years ago whilst browsing the Fox Transfers catalogue I was always attracted to the pack of Doncaster Trial Trail livery elements (F4271 or F2271 depending on scale). At the time I couldn't justify the expense of converting seven Mk2s and so the project was almost forgotten about.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I was now in the position to model the train.

The train is made up of seven Mk2 coaches:

TOPS & Number    Previous number   POIS/type
QXA ADB977788    14157                       AE1D (Mk2d BFK)
QXA ADB977789    5765                         AD2E (Mk2e TSO)
QXA ADB977790    5830                        AD2E (Mk2e TSO)
QXA ADB977791    5855                        AD2E (Mk2e TSO)
QXA ADB977792    5856                        AD2E (Mk2e TSO)
QXA ADB977793    5596                        AD2C (Mk2c TSO)
QXA ADB977794    14139                     AE1D (Mk2d BFK)
 

My donor coaches were of the older Farish model with a one-peice clear body shell. I had a Mk2a TSO, Mk2d BSO, Mk2d FO and four Mk2d TSO as donors.

Reference to the BR diagram books on the Barrowmore Model Railway Group's website gave me diagrams for the window spacing for the Mk2c and the BFK.

Fortunately, from a modelling point of view the conversion is very simple - place over all the windows! Hence, it didn't matter that some of the donors were of the wrong type as being a one piece clear shell I had nothing to fill in.

On the prototype, Doncaster works took the easy route and cut rectangles of steel which were welded over the original windows. No effort was made to make the plating flush with the body sides. Ironically their short-cut lead to more work for me with each coach needing 20+ window blanks cutting from thin plasticard.

The image above shows part of the train so far (977792-94). I still need to seal in the transfers, paint the corridor connection doors and find a replacement underframe for the Mk2c.

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2021 by Steven B

[Steadfast]

Nice work on the BRML test train Steven, a distinctive train and a good use for the older Mk2s. I'm having similar ideas, albeit with Mk2s around 20 years after yours.

 

Jo

[Stuart A]

Ah nice work.  The Doncaster BRML test train was on my "to do list" years ago, and I'd forgotton about it until recently.  I regret selling my old Poole Mk2s following the announcement of the newer tooled versions now, as they would have provided the donors to do it.

[Steven B]

I'm quite pleased with how they've come out. I'm not a big fan of vinyl sides so these looked to be a good use for them. I was also tempted to reuse some early Chinese Mk1s to replicate the train used by Crewe's diesel depot. The plating on the window was a different shade of grey to the main coach body side but I'd have to convert some SO/SK to CK which would involve respraying the grey before plating over the "windows". A job for the future perhaps.

 

Steven B.

 

[Steven B]

I’ve recently rediscovered a batch of photos I’d posted to Fotopic (remember them?) about 15 years ago. They include a large number of kit built and modified RTR items. This week I’m hoping to post a series of these pictures, concentrating on a different manufacturer in each post. Hopefully it’ll bring back memories of the early 2000s which was perhaps a golden age of N Gauge kits.

 

Today is a quartet of Parkside Dundas wagons (now owned and produced by Peco).

 

First up is a pair of wooden bodied open wagons finished in Satlink livery. These were inspired by the similarly liveried wagon that sat at the stops at Manchester Piccadilly which was used as a mobile skip. Pipe and Tube wagons of pre-Nationalisation build did end up in the Satlink fleet, although less obviously branded than this pair! Despite being built over 15 years ago I’m still rather proud of this pair of wagons, although looking at them now I’m doubt the upright cable drum would be safe to travel!

 

BR 12t Pipe wagon (cable & oil drum load - cable drums from Merit, oil drums by Ratio)

 

 

BR 20t Sleeper wagon (signal load - Ratio kit)

 

BR 21T Clam – introduced in 1989 for ballast, spoil and sleepers, 400 of these wagons were built using new bodies running on the under-frames of redundant vacuum braked hoppers. They retained vacuum brakes.

 

BR 20.5T Grampus – built from 1959 these vacuum braked wagons were built to carry spoil. Mine run with the Clams in a spoil train. The ballast load in all of them could do with weathering to make it look like well used stone heading for the tip.

 

The only other Parkside kits I built was the air-braked Rudd produced for Mill Lane Sidings. They also produced a Tube wagon, 24.5t mineral and a loco-coal wagon. Their 12’ chassis ended up under a one or two of N Gauge Society wagon kits but needed some care to get it running square and true. A few years ago the standard gauge ranges passed to the safe hands of Peco who are reintroducing the range back into the shops.

 

C=Rail, Chivers, NGS, Ian Stoate, BH Enterprises and TPM to follow over the next few days.

[Steven B]

More <10 year old kit building today, this time from Ian Stoate Models' range.

 

They had a decent selection of kits for locos, DMUs, wagons and NPCCS. Much of the range is now available RTR and the resin used tended to turn some wagons banana shaped, but there’s still the odd wagon in the range that would still be of use today.

 

BAA - now available from Farish

 

BBA - excellent version available from Five79.

 

JCA bulk powder wagon - effectively two PCA bodys on a single chassis, which is what I think ISM did!

 

Mermaid - now RTR from EFE using the DJM tooling, although this one running on a Parkside chassis looks less like its running on tip-toes!

 

VGA - another one now RTR from Farish (not long after I put together three of these if I remember correctly!)

 

KFA Warflat - new kit from NGS for those tackling it today.

 

ZCA Sea-horse - probably a simple scratch build with plasticard although you'd have to sacrifice a RTR OBA/OCA/SPA for the chassis.

 

They also produced a very useful range of dummy chassis kits which included wheels and bogie frames – very handy when it was easy to get body shells from Farish’s Poole factory. 37009 was a Poole era body shell with replacement noses to give a split-headcode locomotive. I sold it some years ago when the new blue-ribbon standard class 37 arrived from Farish. I hope whoever bought it is enjoying it.

 

 

I believe the range went to East Somerset Models but visiting their site today gives no indication as to the fate of the range.

 

If anyone still has an ISM MK2a-c underframe going spare I could quite happily use another one or two.

[Steven B]

Hurst Models isn’t a name that immediately springs to mind when you think of N Gauge kit manufacturers, but alongside their OO Gauge range they produced a small, but very nice range of conversion kits for Farish coaches.

 

I used a good number of their kits when I went through a phase of sticking etched sides onto Farish coaches. Some, like the High Speed Track Recording coach (not pictured) are a bit rough, but others such a Test Car 6 and the Weedkiller train count amongst my favourite models.

 

First up is a couple of TPO vans - a sorting van (POS) and a Courier Van (NNX)

 

 

Next is a re-railing van. My intention is to add a couple of extra coaches as tool/packing vans and one day run with a 75t Cowans crane.

 

The next three images are of Hursts' Royal Train coaches. I ended up with a complete set of these (two Mk2 and eight Mk3). If I want to replicate this working I'll need to give some thought to modelling the ex-LNWR vehicle.

 

Test car 6 makes up part of my RTC fleet - the prototype was often used when new loco classes were introduced - I can run it with a class 58, 60 or 92 without instigating rule 1!

 

 

Finally, is the weedkiller set:

The weedkiller set was one of the first big projects I’d tackled - four coaches and three TTA tankers (Peco with TPM etched details) and even today I’m rather pleased with the result. It looks rather good with the Farish Hunslet-Barclay class 20s top'n'tailing.

 

 

Steven B.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Steven B

[Steven B]

Two for one today:

 

First up is C=Rail. Before switching to RTR and RTP wagons and containers Arran established a growing range of container kits (with correct paint and transfers also available). I’ve built over a dozen container kits before realising that they’re probably a bit new for my era – it that the case?

 

The C=Rail range also included the rather lovely PFA wagon and matching coal-tainer. Soon to be produced RTR by Revolution I’ll (probably!) be sticking with (and extending) my rake of the kit built version.

 

One of C=Rail’s containers was the side-door 20’ version used by the MoD. It too ran on a PFA wagon but to a different type to that produced by C=Rail. Step forward PG Models who produced a pewter version.

 

PG Models also created a range of MoD vehicles including the tracked vehicles shown.

 

 

The C=Rail range is still available although personally I doubt the kits will be re-stocked when sold out. PG Models stopped trading in 2020 although some vehicles produced exclusively for the NGS are still available from the Society Shop. Fingers crossed the range is resurrected in the future.

[PaulCheffus]

On 03/02/2021 at 13:05, Steven B said:

ZCA Sea-horse - probably a simple scratch build with plasticard although you'd have to sacrifice a RTR OBA/OCA/SPA for the chassis.

 

Hi

 

If you’re a member of the 2mm SA then they do the chassis (2-380) along with N Gauge wheels (2-027) on 12.25mm axles to suit. 

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[porkie]

Brilliant bit of yesteryear Steve, 

Definitely enjoyed reading this and looking forward to seeing your next instalment. 

Keep up the good work. 

 

Phil 

[Steven B]

18 hours ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

If you’re a member of the 2mm SA then they do the chassis (2-380) along with N Gauge wheels (2-027) on 12.25mm axles to suit. 

Cheers

Paul

 

I'd spotted that the 2mm SA do a suitable chassis, and if I were building any more that, or the re-launched Chivers OTA would be my preferred option. As it is, I have seven Seahorses which run mixed in with a similar number of TPM Limpets so I think I have enough.

 

Steven B.

 

 

[Steven B]

Today's blast from the past is BH Enterprises (BHE).

 

Few N Gauge modellers will be unfamiliar with BH Enterprises. They are regulars at the larger exhibitions up and down the country (until Covid!). Their stock trays and racks would be full of all sorts of detailing bits and a wide range of kits.

 

A few of their kits are shown here. They were certainly of their time and lacking in the refinement seen in the N Gauge Society and TP Models kits but they plugged some big gaps. Until the Dapol model arrived BHE’s kit was the simplest route to a class 58. Likewise, unless you had the pockets for a CJM Models version the easiest way to a class 59 was one of BHE’s etched brass and white metal kits.

 

I’ve seen some very good models produced with their kits, but a lot of work was needed. Here is a selection of mine.

 

The Class 58 ran on a modified Farish Class 40 chassis. The basic body shell was really nicely done although as I prove here the roof is tricky to get right. I sold this on (replaced by the Dapol model) never having fitted windows!

 

BHE became home to the John Grey range of etched kits. This is the PVB - famous as the Campbell's soup van. Mine's a bit more anonymous.

 

BHE also produced a range of etched tank-tainers. These were built long before the C=Rail kits because available.

 

BHE had a wide range of etched coach and DMU sides that were fitted to body shells made from plastic roof and floors, white-metal ends and clear(ish!) sides. They took a lot of effort to get looking good. As you can see from my efforts I either painted the windows black or managed without the clear plastic sides (preffering to solder the sides and ends together). The three coaches below were built as supplied. I was never entirely happy with them and I think they all got sold. I built another BPOT using just the etched sides on a Farish coach which gave a much better model.

 

 

 

 

One of the Class 129 Parcels DMU ended up at the RTC in Derby as Hydra. This is part-way through my build. It was never motorised, running loco hauled as a dummy alongside other RTC stock.

 

This class 128 runs on a stretched Tomix chassis. The wheelbase isn't quite right but it's not too bad. The new RTR version from Revolution will probably replace this on running sessions but I think it's one I'll hang on to rather than sell.

 

Hopefully more tomorrow.

 

Steven B.

[Steven B]

The range of wagon kits produced by Chivers Finelines ranged from steam era vans to EWS scrap wagons. Roger Chivers built an extensive range of standard and narrow gauge models in 4mm scale before branching out into N Gauge.

 

I understand that Roger liked to have complete control over his kits, generally tooling his own bogies and under-frames rather than using existing versions that perhaps weren’t 100% correct. The end result was a very good range of kits. Whilst some of the kits now have RTR versions there’re still good reason to look at the range.

 

The body of the OCA was finer than Farish’s model (although the underframe is perhaps a little nicer on the RTR version).

 

The blue-spot fish van has the edge of the Dapol RTR version - even with a wonky buffer!

 

 

The BBA steel carrier resulted in a straight model unlike the resin version available years ago from Ian Stoate Models and the OTA kit is still the simplest way to a four-wheeled timber carrying wagon - you'd need a Farish 20' 9" chassis or use the 2mmSA etch chassis as a basis for a scratch build.

 

 

The SSA/POX scrap wagon was one of the few to use a RTR chassis - Peco in this case.

 

 

Roger’s death sadly put an end to production of the kits – for a short time they were available in limited numbers from Transport Models in Preston. Sadly that shop has now closed but Roger’s son Matthew has resurrected the range under the Five-79 brand. Nine of the range of fifteen wagons is available again with a further five expected this year.

 

 

[Steven B]

Parkwood Models (not to be confused with Parkside!) was very much aimed at the BR steam/diesel transition era modeller. As a modeller of the late 1980s, their kits were never high on my to-do list, although a couple have been built in some numbers – the Warwell and Turbot.

 

 

 

As well as producing a range of wagons they also made a useful range of early diesels – including the class 14 and class 16 pictured here in fictitious Railfreight livery which I think suits both locos nicely. I must repaint a Farish class 14 at some point...

 

 

 

The wagon kits have now passed to the N Gauge Society who are in the process of re-issuing. I believe the loco bodies are still available from Parkwood.

[Steven B]

There are few kit building modellers of the 80s & 90s period that won’t be familiar with the work of Bernard Taylor and his TP Models range. Taylor Precision (or Plastic in the early days) Models kits range was very much a bench mark in quality for others to aspire to. It’s probably no co-incidence that his work was sort after – I believe he was responsible for several of the NGS kits and also the sublime Tamper produced for N’Thusiast Resprays.

 

The range included replacement window strips for the original Farish coaches allowing a huge range of Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 stock to be replicated. Then there was the wide range of third rail EMU kits and the air-braked wagon kits. And then there were the detailing kits for locos and wagons.

 

My first ever N Gauge wagon kit was the TPM FNA nuclear flask wagon. It’s a bit rough by the standards I can usually achieve now but it’s still a pleasure to run.

 

As well as the wagon kits TPM also had a small range of locos – including class 26 and skin head class 31 if I remember correctly.

 

Bernard was also the “T” in the short lived ATM Models which brought use the exquisite WIA car carrier.

 

TPM's wagon range was centred on many of the air-braked wagons built in the 1970s - making many of them ideal for my late 1980s modelling era.

 

The range included detailing kits for the Peco TTA tankers and the Farish PGA stone hoppers and PCA bulk powder wagons. I used the TTA detailing kit on the tanks I built for my weed-killer train:

 

I think the only kits I never built were the VCA van and the FPA with Russell coal-container. Both are now in the hands of the NGS so who knows they may still get built!

 

The HEA runs on a modified Peco chassis, and even so it's still probably a better model than the Farish RTR version. I'm hoping Revolution turn their attention to this humble wagon at some point.

 

 

The POA is another re-produced by Farish. I think the RTR model has the edge - the under-frame's certainly better but the etched ladder of the kit sets it off nicely.

 

As a kid I always liked my Hornby SAA so I had to have one when I made the switch to N Gauge. Little did I know that they saw very little use in steel traffic. I'm planning on rebuilding mine as RRB runner wagons to go with some BDA but they are rather nice as is so one or two might end up in a Speedlink service (apparently a few were used to transport tractors).

 

 

Two of TPM kits stand out to me – the PCA cement wagon (ATM kit?) and the class 60 – both of which can still hold their own alongside the more recent RTR models from Farish and Real-Track Models.

 

 

The Class 60 came in two flavours - one powered by a Farish chassis. The other, pictured here, used parts from an American Life-Like diesel and runs superbly. I must convert this to DCC one day.

 

 

 

As the kits weren't expensive, they made a great basis for conversion – some more prototypical than others!

 

This OTA was built from the VDA kit - using just the chassis, floor and ends. The stanchions are plasticard. I wish I knew what plant I cut the log load from as I've not been able to find anything else that grows straight with a smooth enough bark to look like 1:148 scale timber.

 

Another VDA conversion, this time with the sides replaced with scratch build drop sides. This was based on the wagons converted for S&T use (including Project Mercury). I'm not sure if any received SatLink colours but even after 15+ years I'm still rather proud of this one.

 

So, having built a couple of VDA conversions what do you do with the left overs? Simple build a fictional VHA van using a pair of TPM bogies and 4/5 of the sides from two vans.

 

I know Bernie has been reading this thread - can I offer my thanks for the enjoyment I’ve had putting together your kits!

[Steven B]

This is the last of my postings looking back at the kits I've built from what was possibly the golden age of kit building. RTR standards have come on a long way, as has the range of what's available. Who would have thought 20 years ago that we'd have half-a-dozen or so different types of ISO container wagons available RTR? (and still no FFA/FGA!). Whilst there's no doubting 3d printing has made a big impact it's been a little limited by Farish no longer being able to supply RTR chassis without some form of body on them.

 

I have left what is perhaps the producer of the largest range of N Gauge kits until last.

 

There’s few who can deny the N Gauge Society’s role in producing some of the best kits in N Gauge (or any scale for that matter!). Making use of the talents of some of the UK’s best tool makers their range of wagons covers everything from pre-BR up to those running today. Whilst the frequency of new kit releases has fallen back from the 90’s and early 2000s there’s no doubting that many of them (particularly the later ones) rate amongst the best N Gauge kits ever produced. With tooling done by the likes of Parkside Dundas and TP Models there's no denying their pedigree.

 

The Society is still producing new runs of existing kits (I’ve another batch of RMC JGA’s to build) and with the transfers being revised and the occasional new kit announced there’s still plenty of fun to be had with them.

 

Here then are a small selection of approximately 10 trains worth of wagons, with another 20 kits to complete/start building and more to order when they come back into stock.

 

Some of the earliest kits were of etched brass. This fell out of favour as injection molded plastic was easier for the majority of members to work with.

 

 

The kits were ripe for modification. Here are three variations on the BDA:

 

Some of the pre-BR wagons made good conversion fodder for Engineers stock.

 

The range includes purpose built engineers wagons such as this Salmon.

 

The Kit 28 (JGA) and Kit 35 (PIA/KPA) Aggregate Hoppers are the stand-out ones in the range to my eyes. I intend to run a mixed train containing both but I need to wait for the PIA to come back into stock.

 

 

I can only thank those involved over the years with producing kits for the N Gauge Society. The world of N Gauge modelling would be worse off without your efforts!

 

 

[porkie]

Superb work Steve. 

Really taken me back to when I 1st started modelling in N. 

Hopefully with with 3d printing taking off the way it is. Kit's will start to play a big part agian with our hobby. 

 

Phil 

[Steven B]

You'd think with having lived in lock-down for the best part of 12 months that I'd have made more progress on my many modelling projects. Sadly my progress has been glacially slow - even slower than normal as my usual monthly visits to the N Gauge Society Yorkshire Group meetings haven't been happening.

 

There has been some progress this week - I've fitted four decoders and I've painted some black Mk2 under-frames black! It's not complete madness on my part. The seven are for the Doncaster Trial Train I'm building, one coach of which was a Mk2c and hence needed a different underframe to the air-con fitted vehicles that made up the other six coaches.

 

I used my last Ian Stoate models Mk2 a/b/c underframe which needed painting. To maintain consistency I decided to paint the Farish moldings that will be refitted to the others. A Humbrol aerosol (Matt black 44) and five minutes later I now have a set of under frames ready for refitting.

 

 

I now just need to varnish the coaches to seal the transfers in and the apply some weathering. Hopefully the rake will be completed before we restart meetings in the summer!

 

Then it's just a rake of Mullets, a Courier van, OHLE maintenance train and structure gauging train to finish before starting on JGA hoppers, some more POA opens, a bullion van or two and a whole stock-box of weathering.

 

Steven B.

[Steven B]

I've finally finished something! (well almost).

 

 

 

The photo shows the seven coaches that make up the Doncaster test train - apparently it was used on the ECML between Doncaster and Newcastle as a test load for newly out-shopped locos from Doncaster works.

 

The model follows the prototype - seven Mk2 coaches with the windows plated over and painted white. I doubt Doncaster used transfers from Fox but they worked for me! They're built using the old Farish Mk2s with a single clear bodyshell - I have a number of these left over as I've bought the newer Mk2a and Mk2f versions.

 

If I were to do them again I'd take a bit more time over the cutting and fitting of the window plates, and probably used a thinner plastic.

 

I need to weather them, glue the roofs down as some don't fit quite right - the locating pegs are broken on a couple of them too. One of the ex-Brake-firsts will be fitted with a tail lamp.

 

Any suggestions for improving the close coupling between them within the rake? I've tried some Red Caboose Unimate couplings but they don't work as well as they do on Poole era Mk1s. I'm tempted to fix one coupling at the back of the sprung pocket to close the gap by a mm or so.

 

Next project: repairs on some locos - split gear in a class 47 plus a class 37 with a possibly faulty PCB.

 

Steven B.

[Bryn]

This thread really is a time machine! I can remember all of these appearing online the first time around and they were a great inspiration in my early modelling years.

 

Thanks for sharing these Steven, it's made a great read! 

[Stuart A]

On 12/02/2021 at 12:43, Steven B said:

 

The Kit 28 (JGA) and Kit 35 (PIA/KPA) Aggregate Hoppers are the stand-out ones in the range to my eyes. I intend to run a mixed train containing both but I need to wait for the PIA to come back into stock.

 

 

I can only thank those involved over the years with producing kits for the N Gauge Society. The world of N Gauge modelling would be worse off without your efforts!

 

 

 

Just had an email to say back in stock.  They had 12, but it's now down to 10....

 

 

[Steven B]

20 hours ago, Stuart A said:

Just had an email to say back in stock.  They had 12, but it's now down to 10....

 

Thanks for the heads up - I've been checking regularly, but obviously not regularly enough! Only five left in stock now....

 

 

Steven B.

[Steven B]

Progress or one step forward and about to take two steps back?

 

I've made some progress on my conversion of a Farish BSK into Courier van 80208:

 

These vans were regularly added to the Huddersfield-Workington TPO in both Blue/Grey and Royal Mail red liveries. I've opted to do the red version - it's easier to model and will contract nicely against the blue/grey BG that form part of the rake.

 

Humbrol 19 is a decent match for Royal Mail red (the photos above are a little dark) but I'm not happy with where I've got to.

 

The paper I used to plate over the windows hasn't stuck very well to the plasticard/filler that replaced the windows. I'm tempted to remove them and rework the filler, building up the plating with a few extra coats of paint instead.

 

If I'm reworking the plated windows then I might as well have another go at the roller shutters - the runners shouldn't stand proud of the bodywork at the lower edges.

 

Looking ahead, and after a closer look at the prototype I'm copying (https://flic.kr/p/KNpLH3) I'll also need to give the solebars a coat of red and paint the black dummy windows - I think I'll look into getting some masking film cut to size'n'shape.

 

 

Steven B.

 

[Steven B]

One week later....

The Courier van had a date with a tub of paint stripper. The dodgy plated over windows were removed and the filled in windows reworked so they were actually flush with the body side.

 

I found some self-adhesive foil tape which was less than 0.1mm thick to "plate" over the windows, meaning my plating is > 10 scale mm thick. More importantly it doesn't look out of scale. I drew out the window shapes in Inkscape, printed them out and stuck them to the backing paper of the tape. Once dry, 10+ were cut out with a pair of scissors and the best ones stuck on the model.

 

 

 

 

I'm really pleased I took the decision to go back to bare plastic - the model looks 10x better than it did last week.

 

One day I might revisit the BRML Trial Train and use the same technique.

 

Steven B.