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The Bachmann cabs are the right shape, whereas the bonnets are a little too high on the Lima ones. I spliced Bachmann Class 37 cabs into my Lima 135 recently. It's been somewhat of a testbed for several modelling experiments over the years! I've managed to get the glazing sitting a little flusher on the more recent conversions, so may revisit it on this.

There was talk about electrifying the North Wales coast, so you could do a ‘what might have been’. In my world the 40s and 25s made it just until the 90s.

Here's mine, 'ex works', though that is hard to believe. It's a retooled Bachmann with Shawplan windscreens. All my 37s and 40s are getting them. Edited to add, I’ve really got to replace the 7mm scale jumpers on the bogies! I have used a bit of fuse wire and some of the insulation off an old mains electrical cable on 135.

I’ve just treated myself to a green central headcode retooled 40 that will become 060. I’m also after a disc headcode one for 118, although I may make that out of a load of spare Lima and Bachmann parts like my model of 135.

I love the North Wales coast, and the railway was great in the 80s at the end of the BR blue period, with new liveries bursting onto the scene. Still plenty of Banger Blue locos and interesting diesel and electric classes about too. So great stuff there, and I can see a distant retirement project happening to do a WCML layout from the same time.

Here's mine during its test run, pictured with a couple of friends. Proper pleased with it. Now to fit the details.

Both Bachmann retooled 40s have had the Shawplan windscreen treatment

My ‘Experiment’ has just been shipped from Kernow

Or else…

Fusion may be around the corner, and my tongue may be planted firmly in my cheek.

How about an nuclear powered steam locomotive?

Here you go. Just outshopped this morning

Or the Kitmaster Deltic, but on steroids.

Mind you, I quite like the thought of building one from all the bits....

That fits in with my general cashflow nicely, so no problems here.

I've taken the plunge with the 37. Screens stuck on and filled. A trial coat of paint and remove any imperfections next.

I think the need to fill the bottom sides will mean I need to redo the lower stripe. I’ll try and keep the side ones intact as safety striping is my nemesis! There is the fallback position of a banger blue respray, as I can never have too many blue locos for my main period, but I’ll try and keep the sector livery intact. Of course I can take more time cutting the backplate so it’s a snugger fit next time, and perhaps I’ll find closer fitting examples from the other five assemblies. The acrylic varnish used for glazing will also fix the lower edge of the windscreens to the top of the bonnet. It makes for a good adhesive.

Class 37 stylee. The challenge is to see if any of the orange stripe around the cabs makes it through!

I’ve started to do the rest of my 37s and 40s, and I’m working on a full set of pictures to post on here, but this just about sums up my simplified approach, with one set of windscreens just sat on a Bachmann retooled 40. The existing screens will be removed and filed out before I stick the Shawplan bits on and fill with superglue, which is the next step.

Thanks for the nice comments @P.C.M and @Stu from EGDL. I just wish I had more time to expand things, but work takes up a lot of my time at the moment. There is a plan afoot for when I retire, but there’s still a few years to go. Still, the little layout suffices for now. I had my first feline incursion the other day, bending one piece of catenary wire and a lamp post. They bent back OK and now the covers are deployed.

After much deliberation, I'm fitting Shawplan windscreens to all my remaining 40s and 37s. I'll document this in the Skills and Knowledge section when I have a decent set of pictures from the work in progress, but here's a taster.

Some Duffage

An old duffer's Duffs!

A new Duff has just been outshopped, looking like it hasn't just been outshopped!

I built just such a diorama last year under lockdown. It’s powered (DC) and serves as a backdrop for the locos I was starting to amass. One thing lockdown made me realise is that it is work and interacting with people for too long during the day that wears me down, but I recharge whilst alone and modelling helps (I’m a textbook introvert, most of the time). The lockdown served as a blueprint for retirement, and now my task is to work out how I can retire as soon as possible, but manage a reasonable income, through whatever means. I can reflect many others’ comments on here that being stressed, through work does not make me want to do any creative pursuits after. Instead I prefer to disappear into the countryside on my bike for a bit of greenery and nature.