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Thank you Mikkel. The story of the ancestors gets even better, because one of them drove a 'Badminton' class! That's more of a modelling challenge. We only know about that because an accident report records that he slipped and fell between the engine and the platform at Paddington!!! I think those engines marked the pinnacle of Victorian elegance Mike

Drilling white metal: sharp drill, hand power, lubricate with spit. Don’t put the drill in your mouth to lubricate it, as WM contains lead, and swallowing it won’t make you smarter... hth Simon

Here’s the gen for converting a standard Dapol early headcode Class 22 to a late batch loco. Principles would be the same... with suitable adjustments ... for the retro fitted headcode box locos. First - before doing anything else - get what you need - including pictures of your chosen loco. . Order Class 40 split box etches from Extreme Etchings - EEDP40-18. Also wipers and flush glazing Class 21/22/29 nose end detail pack .... A1 models on Ebay 0.31mm ns wire Silver Tay lamp irons on EBay Brass tube, sheet and plasticard sheet and strip. Whilst you are waiting for those remove existing hand rails and lamp irons. It’s the headcode boxes that are the main work Pilot drill a hole through the moulded circular top vents either side of the doors just below the driver/second man front windows. These together with the head/tail lamp holes will serve to give you location reference points later. Then carefully carve away the head code box surrounds flush with the surface - and all other raised details on the nose end. Leave the outline of the headcode boxes visible. Take a small flat file - handily the most common size is exactly the width of the headcode box aperture - and extend the aperture down 1mm to the lower limits of the existing box you have just removed - the outline will still be visible. Once you are happy with this then clean off all moulded nose end detail and fill existing hand rail and lamp iron holes with squadron putty. Rub down to a smooth surface - the nose doors are recessed, leave them visible as a template for the new doors you are going to make. First job is to sort the headcode boxes. The etches are thin so need to be soldered on to brass sheet....0.5mm is about right. Drill centre of aperture and file out to open up box to internal edge of etching box. The frames are too heavy so file down width from outside too ensuring final results are square and consistent. Sweat on a length of 0.31mm ns wire along the top edge of the box to represent the hinge. Then mount boxes in place on model aligning Internal lower edge of box with internal edge of aperture. Superglue good for all brass and NS fittings but use gel not thin stuff. Ensure boxes are square and height is right relative to reference points and lateral orientation is correct relative to doors and edge of nose. Next job are nose end doors. Thinnest plasticard cut and filed to shape and attached with plastic weld. I then prefer to prime before adding any more fine detail as any defects can be corrected before more detail is added. Now for fine details. Use the reference point holes as drilled above to get the positions correct. Top air vents are brass tube drilled out to get thinner walls. Tube used to get protruding effect as per prototype. Duct in nose doors is a small brass washer recessed in to door, and tail lamp casings are brass signal cranks drilled and filed to shape. The only item used from the A1 models kit in the end were the horn grilles. Headcode box latches and small angled pad above doors are plasticard. Handrails are 0.31 NS wire, as are door and headcode box hinges. Had to fabricate lamp irons by soldering up two irons off the Silver Tay thread...they are fine, made them handed although the prototype ones have central uprights. Could not get those robust! Off the nose ends, two things to check.... drivers name card holder , no longer present on this loco....and any partial blanking of roof boiler port, use thin plasticard. Buffers .... Heljan Hymek are an improvement, fit them and buffer beam detail if required. Assuming you are happy with all of that, it’s out with the paint. Jim used air brush to apply Precision primer, gloss rail blue and warning panel yellow. Then Fox transfers, and works plates if present. Precision Labels will custom print correct data panels. Check photos for missing valances, spray them and fit. Then Matt varnish and weathering to taste. Final touches .... Precision Labels headcodes, then Shawplan flush glazing all over... and wipers from same source. Cab interior modified as lighting no longer lines up, crew are Bachmann 1950s loco crew, they look the part. Just got sound chip and coupling loops to fit before she is good to go.

The Jidenco kit is of a later version with a belpaire firebox but I will build it as an S4 round top boiler. I also have a K's Beyer Goods that will get a similar treatment. Both will entail new boilers and probably cab fronts. I've done the same to a Mallard Dean Goods.

That was quick! Thanks Al. The punch is a good idea, I'm taking notes! Good to see that the bogies are buildable, I remember your issues with the Slaters ones.

Yes there are a couple, like the F12. I just need to build the through platforms first

Looking good...... I use a drill bit in a pin chuck to drill out the axle boxes...., usually the biggest that will fit in! Gives a little 'slop' so you can position it and tweak it round a bit so it looks, and sits right. I got the pin chuck thingy from Squires.....they have 4 different sized chucks...... so I bought 4 to save time swapping bits round!

Thanks Graham Damaged my Lumbar spine when I was 23 and spent 4 weeks in a plaster back slab. Always looked after my back ....so why did I lift and carry a large bag of potatoes to the car and not use my fold up trolley that I always carry in the boot???? This is the only loco kit Graham that I have made entirely standing up !!! ( had to get flight stockings as I`ve inherited Mother`s varicose veins...but only in one leg !!) getting dangerously close to 70 that`s probably to blame......

I have an old etched brass Jidenco kit of an Armstrong Goods in my round-to-it pile. I have acquired a broad gauge outside frame tender to run behind it (obviously narrowed to standard gauge). Will watch with interest.

A most interesting project Mike! Can't wait to see progress on this one. What a statement. Your wife is very lucky. Imagine having ancestors who drove an Armstrong Goods. The Russel books are incredibly useful and I couldn't manage without them, but there are many errors to look out for. Thanks for pointing out another one.

I guess I'm now committed to keep going at this! My research showed that the Armstrong Goods changed in appearance quite considerably over the years. Mike

Lots of extra work needed for completing the chassis. Some of the turned brass parts for the cylinder block are overscale and unusable. The kit does not provide a complete set of parts. Fortunately Peter Roles (PRComponents) produces appropriate 45XX parts and these have been utilised. I want to produce a 1930`s rendition so this has required sourcing some double hanger brake gear. LGMiniatures have run out of their specific lost wax version so I have had to use whitemetal parts from Springside castings. I have used some odds and sods to reproduce earlier sandboxes. Springside components have enabled me to fit their plastic brake shoes which are a loose fit between the double hangers, so very handy for preventing electrical shorting when I get to the decoder fitting stage. The kit does not provide any brake pull rods so these I will fabricate this evening. Dastardly Sciatica has hampered my progress this week...... However, things are looking more Loco like now and I`m pleased with my choice of kit for this project

Mention of the Blue Funnel line takes me back to childhood. I remember travelling on the Liverpool Overhead Railway and seeing all the different shipping lines in the docks - Blue Funnel and Bibby Line both spring to mind but there were many others. The end came quite suddenly, as the old Empire trading routes collapsed. Knowledge of classical literature also seems to have collapsed, although those Greek writers understood at least as much about human nature as we do today.

Oooh, very nice! At the risk of stating the obvious, as you say those are large flanges. I assume you've taken that into account with respect to the splashers. Incidentally I like the brass and brown combo. Maybe it's my 1970s childhood coming back to haunt me, but I do like brown as a loco livery.

Oi, I haven't signed your visa!