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They are very close on the latest Bachmann retool, but just a fraction of a mm too wide for my OCD. I’m looking forward to the Accurascale 37 as the prototypes look like the best rendition yet! The 40s do look good from that angle. Here’s 2 of mine from before their screen jobs.

A refurbished 37 outshopped from Crewe Works complete with the Shawplan windscreen conversion. The moral to this one’s story is ‘Make the glazing fit, rather than pressing it firmly into place when it doesn’t fit or the etch breaks free’. Still, the yellow acrylic paint filled in the gap and makes for a strong bond when it dries.

I’m not a fan of Load Haul. If they got rid of the slanty lines and made it a bit more like Large Logo or GBRF, then yes, but not the way it was. It’s a shame the AC Loco Group’s Fictitious Liveries page seems to have disappeared, as there was a Dutch livery picture of 40135 on it. Looked great too.

What happened with the window surrounds? Was it the black paint reacting with the yellow, in which case, you know what to look out for next time. Generally aerosol car touch ups will react with enamels, as I found out once whilst respraying a van! A shame as the blue, yellow and grey are excellent, and the masking crisp. I’d have a go at redoing the ends if it were one of mine. My fleet is full of revisited locos where things didn’t quite go to plan the first time round.

I was going to say Black Tack which you can get from Ebay or Amazon, and is more discreet.

Or maybe….. https://flic.kr/p/9qn4mD

I was lucky enough to manage to properly grab the end of the 40s, and their reprieve from 84 on. They used to scare the hell out of me at first when I was a kid, but I became more accustomed to the sound they made in the following years. They did make an impression.

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!