Background

4292 started off as an eBay rescue job, originally described as a pre-production Hornby sample (believed to be for testing the chassis).  It arrived unpainted, missing detail castings (including the chimney) and generally in a very sorry state.  

Since then the loco has been fitted with a PDK models chimney, Brassmasters etched cab back, vacuum pipes from the scrap box and Mainly Trains tank vents.  A Gibson smokebox dart replaced the moulded Hornby effort, while the handrails have been prised out so they are no longer flush to the bodyside. 

The body was resprayed into GWR wartime black, before weathering with a mix of Vallejo acrylics, a cote of Dullcote and various Tamiya powders to finish off.  The underframe has been further improved with the Brassmasters parts adding the rear bufferbeam brackets and more detailed rear frames (including the missing guard irons).   Once weathered the bunker was loaded with coal to finish off.  It is fitted with a hard wired TCS decoder mounted in the forward boiler section.

Transfers are by HMRS and nameplates by Narrow Planet 

Still to be completed:

The loco still needs to be fitted with a set of Dingham couplings, front steps and a missing step on the passenger side.  Now that my silhouette cutter is back up and running its just a case of drawing this up.

I have just spotted it is missing the boiler top handrails, so this will need to be resolved ASAP before I forget.

It will also eventually require lamps and a crew adding

Usage

This loco would not have been a common visitor through Brent, and has only really been finished off because I like the prototype.  I have chosen a St Blazey machine under the logic that I can model it en route to Newton Abbot for attention, however I have no definitive proof of this!  As such it will only be seen on the up mainline at the head of a freight train, I think this should give ample justification for running it on the pick up goods...