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So ... moving on and beginning to fit out the tender detail. You could drive a tube train through the holes for the handrails, so these were all plugged with short lengths of fine brass tube. Everything sort of fits, but location slots are somewhat wide, so it does allow for adjustment.. I also fitted Griffin lamp irons and MOK self contained buffers. The fire iron tunnel is not quite right and the coal divider took a bit of fettling to fit. I also relocated the forward lifting eyes from the bunker sides to the back of the bulkhead and scratched up some mounting plates.

At the end of the day, good progress, there were a few minor issues, the cupboards roof was too short, so a new one was made up, the tender front was too high, so that was cut back to the level of the roof. The coal space floor is narrower than the bulkheads for some reason.. The left side is yet to be attached in the 2nd view.

Thanks Guys - I'm hoping that it will be required to be very dirty - but I will need to consult my client.. I'll make recommendations! I don't seem to be able to mix text and pictures when I post, not sure what I'm doing wrong, so a post for each picture or so.. Firstly to rivet and form the sides using my home made bending bars, one edge of which is rounded. So the sides were fed in a mill and a half at a time working down from the top, after marking on the insides the extent of the bend. Quite a lot of force was needed as this is full thickness etch. I didn't use the etched bulkheads as formers as they appeared to have 'shoulders'. See lower photo. A rule - don't trust a kit to be right!

Here we go! ( in a Clarkson voice ) . At last back to 7mm scale and a start on the tender. The tender etches are marked as 'Acorn Jim Harris' . I had already been forewarned of the provenance of some of this kit. As long as we know ahead what is to come, we can plan for it. Interestingly the whole of the chassis etch when laid out is not square - no it's not the camera this time! I suspect it was hand drawn and it's just the waste fret that is not square. One of Jim's techniques was to mirror the etchings, so rivets for the tender sides had to be carefully counted (!) as they are not the same on drivers and fireman's sides...

I've had other distractions.. like some good weather, but the hoppers are ready for delivery now. I didn't have transfers for the 10 tonners..

I wasn't sure what was more flimsy, the tissue paper it came in, or the etch...There are so many small bits, I thought it was a scaled down 7mm kit

The loss of our other cat has rather taken the wind out of my sails for a while. Nutmeg has been my office companion for a long time and consistently tried to steal my chair, only to be turfed off each time. She never gave up though. Life goes on, so that, with time away has slowed the Southwark Bridge Wagons, but I'm on the last two now. LSWR engineers wagons were painted a convenient colour of Halfords red primer.

It's a slippery slope Tony! Look out!

Yes! Even a branch line needs ballast some time....

Thanks Simon. For a couple of days I have gone back to 4mm scale for this commission of a Southwark Bridge model LSWR 40ton ballast hopper. I'm finding it all very small...

A test fit of me and me after being scanned by Modelu and printed in 3D on the footplate of 92031. Don't worry my railway will not entirely be populated by me...

It's always fulfilling to give finished locos a run, so last nights running session on Heyside featured four 2-10-0s. 92069 sits in the bay, the crew have gone off for a brew...

92031 is also pretty well finished.. Despite the water softener, the Annesley 9Fs seemed to suffer a great deal from the hard water.

And here she is looking a little more grubby.

I wondered where you had got to Simon. Micro surgery!

There are 5 engines on the weathering list at the moment, and despite a recalcitrant airbrush, this is the first pass on the Crosti...

Continuing the signalling theme, I've been adding the rodding on Heyside put in the cranks to take the run under the branch. Since this photo, I've been adding the facing point lock. I did take a later shot, but shaky hands and a cameraphone didn't work..

I think they went to Darlington for works visits Jeff. Whilst paint is drying on 9Fs I thought I do some micro surgery and knock up some shunt signals for Barmouth Junction.

Its the Seven kit - Roger has already done one and pointed out modifications required... Getting there, 92031 on a test run this morning..

Original....

Thanks guys - the figures were almost straight from the printer.. I was restrained on the weathering as it was for a client - but thanks for the feedback. Next - on the same theme.... a Crostie 9F...

92204 has been delivered to it's owner, but not before making a celebrity appearance with some 3D printed figures by Modelu ( www.modelu3d.co.uk ). Alan actually lives in my village, so that's rather useful.. I shall becoming a 9F driver in due course...

Now 92204 is ready for delivery, a couple of grab shots this morning. The lighting was not the best, too much contrast as the sun came round. 92031 is close behind, but the sun is taking me outside for other jobs.

Thanks Paul - yes the Wellingborough ones seemed to be particularly unkempt, almost dirtier than Annesleys'.

Merseyman - thanks - yes I do weathering for money! Jim - there is more grime to go on yet, but I'm always quite constrained on commissions, its easy to add more later if required... Richard - nice to hear from you - yes I remember that Austerity with a shudder... Regards Tony