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46444

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  1. 46444
    I've started to build 2 of the kits I recently received from PoW Sides . For those not familiar with the make up of the kits they come ready painted and lettered requiring wheels, bearing and couplings of choice. The kits are from either Parkside or as in this case Slaters. The wagon transfers are available separately and are rub on ones.
     
    These are finished in a later period of the company's history with the Trusham address and Roads Reconstruction panel on the doors. The Teign Valley Granite lettering differed in height according to wagons. These wagons carried a type of hard granite called basalt used in road building which was often coated with bitumen.
     
    Firstly a shot of the kits in their bags with components being removed from the sprues:
     

     
    Having previously ben sprayed with Halfords grey primer the solebars receive two coats of Valejo red and the axle guards and iron work is picked out in German Grey from the same source.
     

     
    With the underframe finished thoughts turn to the inside of the wagon which is not painted. A coat of Valejo grey, followed by a dry brusing of old wood, dark earth, German grey and gunmetal helps to build up a planked wood effect. One of the problems with these Slaters kits is they do not come with planking scribed on the side walls and the floor has raised plank lines.
     

    Here's the finished effect. The wagons would have either carried coated basalt chippings or plain ones depending on use.
     

     
    Here's the wagon bodies having been assembled. Obviously touching in is required to the sprue gates and where the glue has removed the paint.
     

     
    Here's a side on view of the wagons mounted on their chassis. Wheels are Alan Gibson:
     

     
    Here's a aerial view showing inside the wagons.
     

     
    The kits need the brakes, brake handles, buffers and couplings to finish, Because these are post war wagons they are to be weathered accordingly with planks replaced and well worn around the gills!
     
    More soon!
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  2. 46444
    Since I bought one of the Bachmann USA 009 Skarloey's when they first came about the intention had been to create a fictitious loco acquired by the W&LLR and named Captain Fisher after the gentleman responsible for being instrumental in opening the railway. The project has sat in a box for a while in pieces but a few days off saw it sprayed with Halfords satin black and reassembled:

    P4181340 by Mark Branson, on Flickr

    As you can see a replacement bufferbeam has been made from sheet plastic. Smoke box door is a CWR 3D printed replacement for Skarloey's face. Couplers are RT Models Penrhyn cast ones with coupler height set using a Greenwich Coupling height gauge. The cab spectacle plates are from RT with Microsol liquid glazing for the glass.

    I've also added 0.45 brass handrails to cab and tank sides.Lamp irons are bent up from staples:

    P4181341 by Mark Branson, on Flickr

    Here's Captain Fisher with a Parkside Tralee & Dingle open wagon for company

    The nameplates are custom Narrow Planet etched brass ones. I did manage to loose one so if after crawling around on my hands a knees doesn't find it I'll be ordering a replacement from Steve. Other than the Halfords satin main body colour the detail painting is a mixture of Games Workshop and Valejjo acrylics. Valve gear has been blackened using Birchwood Casey Aluminium Black.

    ps2 by Mark Branson, on Flickr

    Finally crew are from the old Airfix range acquired by Dapol using Valejjo paints to finish. Captain Fisher is at the controls in his trilby and old shooting jacket. The lamp is from Hornby supplied in an accessory pack.

    ps 1 by Mark Branson, on Flickr

    All that remains is a bit of light weathering. A nice project and a smooth running loco.

    Cheers,

    Mark
  3. 46444
    The recent re-release of the Hornby BR  Clan Class was a blessing for many especially with the price of previous issues becoming prohibitive. The model had not been available for a number of years to compound this.
     
    Like others I was surprised to find the running boards and rear of tender not painted black on either the late or early crest variations. This has been debated on the Hornby Clan thread.
     
    Other issues have concerned a missing top lamp bracket on the smokebox door on a number of models. I was fortunate to pick one of these up from Derails recently for around the £150 region *. with excellent service from them as ever. Well recommended.
     
    I took delivery of 72004 Clan MacDonald but wanted to renumber it to 72001 Clan Cameron. In addition to this I decided to spray in the missing black painted running boards and rear of tender.
     
    Nameplates were obtained from Fox Transfers and Pacific Models provided the smoke box door number plate.
     
    Tamiya masking tape is your friend here and I masked off the areas to be sprayed carefully ensuring all was sealed neatly.
     
    Using Tamiya satin black I airbrushed in the the areas to be corrected. Carefully removing the masking tape revealed a neat job with a few areas needing rectification. 
     
     
    I hand painted the screw reverser with Precision BR green which appears a good match for the Hornby green. 
     
     
    The whistle and surrounding brass work was picked out with Citadel acrylics. 
     
     
    Fox transfers London Midland 8 inch numerals made up the number sets with Tamiya masking tape ensuring a straight line. 
     
     
    Once dry these were sealed with brush applied Johnson's Kleer along with the rest of the Hornby green painted areas to lift the flat paintwork. This also added some lustre and depth in the paintwork. 
     
     
    A false floor was added to the tender bunker and real crushed coal was fixed with PVA.
     
     
     
    The missing lamp iron was made from the Branson bent up staple method (BBUSM).
     
     
    The excellent as ever Pacific Models number plate was cut out and glued on with PVA. The edges inked in with a black Sharpie permanent marker prior to this.
     
    In the next instalment I will have put the Fox Transfers 'Clan Cameron' nameplates on and fitted the detailing pack.  Weathering will also be started/finished.
     
    From a prototype perspective the earlier releases of the Clan's had a fitting attached to the driver's cab side. I think this was for a tablet catcher. Could anyone confirm this?  Also was it only the later build of Clan's to have this feature.
     
    Another quandary surrounds nameplate background colours varying from black, green, light blue and possibly red. Can anyone enlighten me?
     
    This has been a nice project so far and it has been good to remedy the missing black paintwork.
     
     
    The BR Clan Class is a favourite of mine and more widely travelled than would be expected. Well worth looking at if you are modelling the Scottish and London Midland Region's. 
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
     
    * Kernow Model Rail Centre have 72004 Clan MacDonald for sale at £159.00 if people are interested. 
  4. 46444
    Courtesy of Bachmann USA we now have a 009 version of Skarloey based on character from the Rev.Awdry books for their Thomas range.
     
    skarloey by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    Skarloey is based on the Talyllyn Railway's 'Talyllyn' built by Fletcher Jennings but in this case it will be finished in a fictitious livery.
     
    The model itself is excellent and runs superbly. The smokebox, saddle tanks and coal bunkers are cast from metal. The cab is a plastic moulding.
     
    The plan is to remove the face and add a scratch built smoke box door from plasticard cut using a compass cutter. I'll remove the lump of metal from the cab area as well and detail the cab too.
     
    Some have mentioned the size of the cylinders but In my eyes the cylinders are made worse by close up photos and are hardly noticeable at normal viewing distance.
     
    Separate wire handrails will be added along with removing the buffers and more than likely deepening the buffer beams. I'm considering using RT or NP couplings as well.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
     
    I'm sure we'll see a derivative of this as the full blown Talyllyn from Bachmann UK at some point.
  5. 46444
    Bit an update on the progress of my model of Newton Abbot's 9717.
     
    Following on from a discussion in the last entry regarding the position of the sandbox filler lids on the Bachmann Pannier here's the real thing on the South Devon Railway's L92.
     

     
    As we can see on the prototype the lids are actually in line with the front of the smokebox as opposed to the Bachmann model that has them situated closer to the buffer beam.
     
    Here's my model of 9717 progressing nicely showing the sandbox filler lids in relation to the RT Models sand box pull rods.
     

     
    Robert's etches are an exact match for the protoype so in theory the lids need moving backwards on the model version. I did try to see how well they were glued and in this instance I left well alone. They were stuck fast and I thought attempting to move them may course a lot of damage and it's something I can live with.
     
    Finally. a shot taken on JH of 9717. I've added the Fox buffer beam numbers and the HMRS 'blue circles' to the cab sides The Fox numberplates are excellent but I think I may need to revisit fireman's side as the plate doesn't look level.
     

     
    I've decided to fit screw\three links to the stock for myTeign Valley Project so I've a pair of Smiths ones on order. A few other jobs and finish the weathering then 9717 will be almost complete.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  6. 46444

    3717 City of Truro

    By 46444,

    Here's my take on 3717 City of Truro. I've always been a fan of the prototype as well as the Bachmann model and have fancied a model of it towards the end of it's career. A photo on the excellent Warwickshire Railway website shows 3717 in 1930 at Snow Hill waiting to pilot a train spurred me on and with the release by Bachmann of 3708 Kilarney the seed was sown.
     
    Here's the prototype photo:
     
    http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh43.htm
     
    The main difference between the Bachmann model as it comes and the above photo is the addition of a larger 3500 gallon tender albeit with narrow frames. Thankfully the trusty Hornby 'County of Bedford' tender body fits the bill nicely and actually fits on the Bachmann tender chassis without modification. It will need gluing on though.
     

     
    As you can see I've cut the moulded coal load away and added separate handrails. I've sprayed the tender with Precision GWR green and it just awaits the Great Western transfers as well as final weathering.
     
    Here's the loco and tender coupled together. I've added weathering to 3717 using my usual washing and dry brushing techniques using Valejo acrylics. Nameplates come from Modelmaster and buffer beam numbers from Fox. I've blackened the connecting rods with Birchwood Casey Gun Blue. With the front bogie I've removed the coupling pocket and added a piece of Micro-strip to tidy things up.
     

     
    Out of interest would the tender have had stays for the cab-tender sheeting/tarpaulin? If so any idea of the position?
     

     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
     
    Must clean my camera lens as well!
  7. 46444
    A while back I was given one of those excellent Hornby Southern Railway BY's in olive green and decided to repaint it into BR (SR) green. Paul Bartlett's excellent site came up trumps with this photo:
     
    http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srby/h3317da13#h399adca5
     
    The thing I liked about this photo of 'S764S' is didn't appear to have the full data panel on the right hand ends this making application of decals easier.
     
    The model itself breaks down really easily into its component parts. The bodyshell received a coat of Halfords grey primer followed by Howes Railmatch BR (SR) green acrylic paint. Then the roof and ends were sprayed with Tamiya black and NATO black. Once dry a coat of Klear to the sides give a good surface to apply the HMRS decals.
     
    I had to put the wheelbase decal above the 'BY' lettering owing to size. The HMRS sheet doesn't contain the 'BY' lettering so this was made up from other parts of the decal sheet. I managed to find a 'Y' on an old set of Woodhead decals I had. The decals where once more sealed in with Klear.
     
    I then sprayed a home brew track colour on the underframes, lower sides and around the iron work. This was followed by a wash of the same mixture which was wiped off with a damp cotton bud once nearly dry.
     
    Everything was sealed with Tamiya matt varnish and left to dry.
     
    In my eyes one of the weaknesses of the Hornby model is the lack of window grills. Thankfully, I had some of the excellent Roxey etched grills suitable for the 'BY'. These were given a coat of white primer then misted with NATO black to tone things down. Prior to putting the glazing back in I fixed these in with PVA so as not to fog the glazing.
     
    Reassembly was straight forward. Here's the finished article being shunted by 46444 somewhere along the Kettering to Cambridge line in the 1950's.
     

     
    A detailed Base Toys AEC Monarch is parked up next to the line.
     

     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  8. 46444
    Good evening...
     
    Well progress on Ivatt based projects continues.
     
    Recently I've been lucky enough to pick up a few mint used Ivatt's in LMS livery around the £35-40 mark off off a well known auction site . I've three on the work bench at present which will become Kettering and Darlington lined examples respectively and Cambridge's 46466 which is another Darlington built prototype in late 1950's-early 1960's unlined black with late crest when allocated to 31A..
     
    Unlike the initial Crewe and later built Swindon examples the Darlington Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0's had a taller chimney fitted. 247 Developments can supply a nicely cast white metal example for this.
     
    A pair of Xuron track cutters removed most of the the original Bachmann moulding. The remainder was cleaned up and made good using a scalpel and sanding sticks. The 247 Developments replacement was glued into place super glue. Looking at the pictures there appears to be a forward 'wonk on' along with a 'jaunty' angle to the chimney which is a my doing and not noticeable from normal viewing distances.
     

     
    The original numbers and LMS logos where removed from the donor loco using Humbrol enamel thinners. I then masked off the respective cab and tender side panels with Tamiya masking tape. Tamiya black was applied with my trusty Expo airbrush thinned with Halfords windscreen wash. Valejo gloss varnish was then sprayed over this to give a good base for the Fox waterslide transfers to adhere too.
     

     
    Here's the finished example awaiting final weathering. The smoke box,cab and tender roof have been sprayed with Tamiya NATO black. They have received a dry brushing of Games Work Shop Gun Metal (Leadbelcher) to bring out the raised detail. Valejo satin varnish was then applied to bring things together nicely.
     

     
    All the decals are by Fox and are to the usual excellent standard. Crew are the ubiquitous Airfix/Dapol figures painted by yours truly.
     

     
    I've a few tweaks to add to the weathering however I want a clean looking ex-works loco as per the photo I'm working from of the loco at Peterborough in 1958.
     
    More Ivatt Interludes to come....
     
    Happy New Year.
     
    Mark
  9. 46444
    And now for something completely different....
     
    When I went to Plymouth in the early 1990's to study believe it or not one of the things I can always remember are the Western National and Plymouth Citybus buses. Coming from the land of United Counties the mix of colours and different designs always stood out. Even after a night on the Barbican down at a club called the Salling School which was affectionately known as the 'GX'.*
     
    At the time I was in my early 20's and owned a white 2CV # which was my pride and joy. During one of my placements I was driving between Freedom Fields and North Prospect and managed to right it off sadly so ended up having to use the bus to get around North Prospect, Stoke, Stonehouse and Devonport.
     
    At the time Western National were under the auspices of the Badger Line and I can always remember their Plaxton Beavers and the more modern looking Pointers. The red, white and blue livery with the Badger logo always stood out and to this day remains my favourite bus livery. Here's a photo of a preserved example looking resplendent on the Kingsbridge bus rally:
     
    https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3927/15168403558_c80b8dea24_b.jpg
     
    Hard to believe its preserved but I guess its 20 years ago since this example started in service and I'm getting old!
     
    Now as it happens I have a number of EFE Western National buses from this period along with the odd Citybus example and whilst looking on eBay came across a sorry looking Western National Beaver that looked as if it had been around Charles Cross too many times. It had severe paint chipping around the destination screen roof as well as other places and the wheels looked like they were hanging off. I kind of felt sorry for it and bid 99p for it and won it. Postage was more that the model!
     
    I should have taken a picture before I started but basically other than the above mentioned problems there was a mark in the roof paint work. This was removed with T-Cut and polished up nicely. The fixing points were drilled out underneath and the model broken down into its component parts. Thankfully, the decoration was not damaged.
     
    The red area around the destination screen was carefully cleaned up with wet and dry as well as well a fibre glass brush. Once this was complete I used Tamiya masking tape to mask the red area off. Then the the remaining areas were covered in blue decorating tape.
     

     
    First of all I sprayed the area with Valejo white as an undercoat before spraying the red using Valejo paint once more. On unmasking there was no strike through so the whole body was given a coat of Valejo satin to blend things together.
     

     
    The offside wheels were repaired and the tyres glued into position with CA, The wheels and other blue parts of the body requiring attention received touching in with Valejo dark Prussian blue
     

     
    The interior moulding has been sprayed with Halfords grey primer and will be detail painted. A driver and a couple of passengers will be added. I'll add mirrors and make good the reaming paintwork and in doing so it should be a suitable model bus for a layout as opposed to a glossy, out of the box shelf queen.
     
    I'm pleased with how things have gone with this project and feel it's been saved from an uncertain future. The building masquerading as Western National's Laira Bridge depot before they moved to Chelson Meadow is the excellent free warehouse kit from Scalescenes.
     
    More soon.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
     
    * Groin Exchange
     
    # I owned a further two 2CV's before selling my last one to two spinsters from Bodmin...
  10. 46444
    Having lived in Devon for many years the old GWR was ever present however small outposts of the LSWR that still existed held much interest. A trip from Plymouth North Road to Gunnislake in a Wessex Trains Class 153 (Black & Gold with picture vinyls and Celtic Knots) certainly stirred interest in the remains of the Southern Railway's Withered Arm. Over the years I've taken the opportunity to photograph the remnants of the old Plymouth Friary-Callington line via Bere Alston including photographing the station and remaining buildings at Bere Alston.
     
    In steam days the LSWR O2's were synonymous with the line and Plymouth Friary shed had a number of them allocated to it for local services around Plymouth. The introduction of the Kernow/DJM O2 model was received favourably in the 46444 camp being a personal favourite. Two were obtained and here are the fruits of my labours. I might hasten to add that these projects where influenced by Graham Muspratt's excellent 'Fisherton Sarum' blog entries listed below.
     
    https://grahammuz.com/2016/04/23/workbench-witterings-5-o2-and-not-an-o2-is-this-more-weathering-i-see-before-me/
     
    I'd also like to thank Graham for his input in locomotive post war allocation and general information.
     
    Kernow's push pull fitted 225 became Plymouth allocated 182 being a straightforward renumbering using HMRS 'Methfix' Bullied 'Sunshine' numbers.
     

     
    I'd not used Methfix decals before but eventually I got used to nuances of these transfers and would certainly use them again. To seal the decals I used a couple of coats of brush applied Johnson's Kleer but will finish with weathering and airbrush applied satin varnish.
     

     
    Kernow's BR lined non-auto fitted 30193 was backdated to 197. Lining, crests and numbers were removed with enamel thinners then the cab/tank sides were sprayed with Tamiya black being sealed with Johnson's Kleer. The smoke box door number plate was gently carved off a sanded with a a glass fibre burnishing stick. Weathering has commenced with a coat of Tamiya NATO Black around the smokebox and cab roof. This has been further embellished with dry brushing of Citadel Gun Metal.
     

     

     
    On the non-auto fitted examples cab doors were not fitted and these were successfully removed using a mini-drill, scalpel and sanding sticks/needle files as can be seen in the comparison photo below:
     

     
    Weathering and crew are required to finish this pair off as is the work on Bachmann N Class 1853 which started life as a fully lined Maunsell green example which received the enamel thinners treatment. Halfords 'rattle can' satin black followed by the Tamiya NATO black for the smoke box, roof and tender completed the initial weathering. 1853 was shedded at Exmouth Junction post war and is finished accordingly awaiting reapplication of its smoke deflectors. I was fortunate enough to pick up a bargain copy of Peter Swift's 'Maunsell Moguls' from Trago Mills in Falmouth which has also been an invaluable source of information.
     

     

     
    I was fortunate enough to acquire a couple of Mainly Trains/Iain Rice etched detailing kits which in this case include cab doors and fall plate:
     

     
    Once more this project was influenced by Graham's work and can be seen in this article below about a post-war N Class that he did for Robin of A Nod To Brent fame:
     
    https://grahammuz.com/2015/01/04/infiltrating-the-gwr-at-brent-or-a-repainted-and-weathered-n-class/
     
    Finally I've a couple of the new Hornby post-war 'Bullied' cattle wagons but fancied an earlier 'Maunsell' version. Initially this was only available as a BR version (?Soon to be rectified) which I have acquired and resprayed in to SR brown'ish shades using Tamiya acrylics. .
     

     
    I'd like to finish it in pre-war large SR script finish.Any ideas on lettering placement, particularly the end stock numbers? Are these as per the Bullied version?
     

     
    Thanks once again to Graham for his input into these projects.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
     
    For those with an interest in the the Southern Railway's Withered Arm the recent release of Memories of the Withered Arm by Peter Barnfield (Wild Swan, 2016 is well worth a read.....
     
    http://www.titfield.co.uk/Wild-Swan/Reference.htm
  11. 46444

    Crimson...No Cream..

    By 46444,

    Hornby excelled themselves when they introduced the Gresley/Thompson surburban coaches. I've a number of these and have just recently finished weathering a Gresley brake and composite as well as a Thompson brake.
     

     

     

     
    I used the T-Cut method of applying the cutting paste then wiping off with cotton buds gently buffing to a sheen. Then a watery wash of Valejo German/Grey/Dark Earth was allowed to partially dry before once more being wiped off with cotton buds.
     

     
    The sides were then masked and the roof airbrushed with Tamiya Nato Black. The underframes were treated with a mixture of the later and NATO Brown to give a dusty work worn appearance. Buffer heads, axle box covers and bogies were picked out with Valejo Dark Rust and Games Workshop Gun Metal.
     

     
    Here's the rake of 3 coaches accompanied with Kettering 15B's Ivatt 2MT 46401 and the ubiquitous horsebox (Parkside/LNER) on route to Cambridge/Newmarket respectively.
     
    Also on a crimson theme I weathered an Hornby ex-LNER CCT and one of their ex-LMS horseboxes.Both nice models but the CCT suffers from the so called 'Design Clever' period in places.
     

     
    And once more with 46401 in charge..
     
    The T-Cut method of weathering the surburban coaches certainly helps give the paintwork a nice lustre.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  12. 46444
    Well fans of Ozzy and Hawkwind will be familiar with the title. Once more this has nothing to do this 1970's rock outfit. (He says listening to this song )
     
    Recently a mate of mine was given a box of old Hornby/Lima locos and rolling stock (Tat )including a Hornby Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 and a Lima GWR Railcar which had seen better days. More of these in future instalments . Some of the tat was kit built including few Cooper Craft GWR wagons and a rare SILVER and BLACK Airfix BR Brake van. It looked like it belonged to the LMS 10000 test train-except for the thick gloss paint. However, as with many things in life looking beneath the surface revealed a suitable project to add to the ever expanding work bench.
     
    I was already building an Airfix brake van and fancied doing an unfitted version. A soak in Mr Muscle oven cleaner removed the silver/black livery and work commenced. Both of these brakes were treated the same.
     
    Firstly the moulded handrails were removed and holes drilled or wire replacements. The same applied for lamp irons which were bent up from scrap etch or staples trimmed. The door and window frames in the verander were thinned down as well. The step boards were filed from behind to help them sit more closely and the stays were thinned down as well.
     
    It is well documented that Airfix got the chimney and roof vents in the wrong place. I corrected this using some spare Cambrian vents and aluminium tubing.
     
    The buffer heads where replaced with turned H & A Models ones and both brakes run on Bachmann wheels I had to hand.
     
    I soldered the horizontal handrail to the two verticals by tinning the ends of the horizontal piece, positioning it and holding it in place with Blu-tac before soldering in to place. Believe it or not it was the first time I did this. No burnt fingers or melted plastic (I placed a small piece card behind the vertical handrails)
     
    After a coat of primer the chassis was finished with Tamiya Nato black. I pre-shaded the brakes as well. Colours used include Tamiya JN Grey, Dark Earth and Hull Red. Vallejo acrylics were also used .
     
    Then they both received a coat of Johnsons Klear ready for decals. I will use Crystal-Clear for the windows. I'll update on these soon.
     
    I'm pleased with the results so far and it goes to show how well the Airfix Brake Van kit can scrub up.
     

     

     
    Also I received this confirmation from Narrow Planet that the custom nameplates for the Sentinels will be with me soon. Now do I keep the Sentinels black or respray them green?
     

     
    Also the Hornby Ivatt 2MT has had a thorough going over. It is awaiting a new chimney and buffers and I will post a photo soon! Finescale it is not!
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  13. 46444
    Evening
     
    Bit of an update on the Px48 build after spending three days in Cambridge on a course I've had the day off and in between things have managed to make some good progress fitting brass bits I've cut out.
     
    Sorry about the photos-they're quick workbench shots taken with my HTC.
     
    Here's a front view showing the roof profile:
     

    px48 12-12-2013 004 by kettering15b, on Flickr
     
    On the loco I've added some thin brass overlays to the top of the cylinder casings and on the lower half of the firebox as per the prototype. I've also tried to thin the front steps down as well and add chequer plate overlays sourced from the Mainly Trains etch.
     
     

    px48 12-12-2013 006 by kettering15b, on Flickr
     
    Here's a view of the loco and tender together. You'll notice I've cut away the tender cab roof plastic and just used the brass overlay I made to get that thinness to the edges:
     
     

    px48 12-12-2013 007 by kettering15b, on Flickr
     
    The tender needs some new wheels and I'll adjust the ride height slightly to clear the extended cab roof seen below:
     
     

    px48 12-12-2013 009 by kettering15b, on Flickr
     
    Here's a front view of the tender showing my dodgy brass cuttings for the doors and the vent above the door. I've added a shelf to the bottom of the tender cab and made up the coal hole from plasticard.
     
     

    px48 12-12-2013 010 by kettering15b, on Flickr
     
    The next photo shows where I've put the vertical back in the bunker space and added the water tank filler hatch. To do this I had to remove the rear light which will be moved back slightly.
     
     

    px48 12-12-2013 012 by kettering15b, on Flickr
     
    Finally an overview of the rear of the loco:
     
     

    px48 12-12-2013 013 by kettering15b, on Flickr
     
    Essentially the main work has been completed. There's a few other bits to add before I give the model a coat of primer. I'll then add the myriad of pipes and handrails and use some Archers rivet transfers before further priming and application of the red, green and black paint.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  14. 46444
    The purchase of a copy of Last Days of Steam in Gloucestershire in the early 1990's bought about two things. One an enduring interest in the railways of the Royal Forest of Dean and secondly an introduction to the photographs of Ben Ashworth who captured the essence of the railways of the Forest on film.
     
    PB151727 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    PB151731 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    Those who know the Forest will be familiar with the distinctive tank wagons from the Berry Wiggins company who had a bitumen depot at Whimsey. The black and white tank wagons were synonymous with the Forest of Dean Branch with a trusty 57xx/8750 Pannier in charge of the proceedings.
     
    PB151716 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    PB151719 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    For those who model in 7mm scale Dapol have just produced a very tempting rendition of a Berry Wiggins tank wagon. For those of use who model in 4mm scale Bachmann have produced a single wagon and also a set of three tanks (One being a silver petroleum tank) in the past. Thankfully help is at hand in producing your own with transfers available from Modelmaster (More in a later blog entry) and POWSides. The Modelmaster transfers have Berry Wiggins 'Kingsnorth' address whilst the POWSides ones have the correct 'Field House, Fetter Lane' address seen on the Forest tanks.
     
    Trying to keep the cost of this project down I noticed that the old Mainline 14T Air Ministry tank wagons are fairly reasonable to buy secondhand. Shops like Rails do bundles of 6 for about £30 which is good going. I had plenty of new Bachmann metal wheel sets in my spares box so was able to re-wheel them and put a smaller Bachmann NEM sized style couplers on the wagons.
     
    The tank wagons break down fairly easily and the quality of the livery tampo printing on them was excellent for the late 1970's/80's. I've removed most of this with enamel thinners but some of the artwork is quite stubborn to remove. A good even coat of Halfords grey plastic primer gives a nice base for the Halfords satin black to adhere to.
     
    The POWSides transfers are rub down and working from pictures I was able to chop up the sheet to get some of the variations in lettering seen on the wagons. The wagon numbers do not represent any particular prototype and where chosen with the limited number range on the sheet. I use Tamiya masking tape to gently hold the transfer film in place before using a blunt pencil, paint brush end or cocktail stick to make sure the lettering sticks. Sometimes a white drawing pen is required to touch in the letters and edges tidied up with a fine black permanent drawing pen.
     
    PB151722 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    The 'Liquaphalt' white discs on the tank sides were made from standard masking tape. This was placed placed on a smooth plastic lid and sprayed with Halfords white primer. When dry the tape was stuck to the reverse side of my 'clean' cutting mat. Working out the diameter from the transfers I used a compass cutter to cut the discs out and then rub the transfers on. The discs were then stuck to the sides of the tanks using reference pictures for positioning.
     
    PB151723 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    I need to add a few more transfers to each wagon. Mainly instruction details and the private owner yellow 'C' which come with the Modelmaster pack of transfers. Other lettering variations will be available combining lettering from POWSides and Modelmaster. The strengthening wires from sole bars to the tank ends will be made up from florists wire. Then an airbushed coat of protective varnish and weathering to finish. I'll post some pictures when they are at this stage. However I will do an update on the next 5-6 wagons using the Modelmaster transfers.
     
    PB151726 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    Also of note on the photographs are the resprayed Bachmann Toad brake vans re-lettered using Cambridge Custom Transfers for Toads allocated to Lydney/Bullo Pill. Again representations and not necessarily the correct diagram number. The 57xx will either become 8745 but needs external rivets on the tank sides using Archers rivet transfers or 8701 depending on which one I decide to do first.
     
    PB151730 (2) by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    PB151732 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    More soon...
  15. 46444
    It's been a weird week on the modelling front. From the excitement and adrenaline rush of getting Juniper Hill ready for the Rushden show and then exhibiting come Monday I felt like some modelling . There are bits to do on Juniper Hill and repairs required on the layout and some of the rolling stock but I wanted something quick and easy to do which in my case always turns into a major project.
     
    Here's the link to Juniper Hill:
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70516-juniper-hill/page-2&do=findComment&comment=1020664
     
    A mate of mine had an old Lima BR brake van which had been damaged following something heavy landing on it. The veranda on one end had been smashed and he had repaired it in a kind of a fashion. I offered to return it to him repaired and renovated
     
    Looking at it once again I was impressed with the Lima moulding-its finesse compared to other offerings of the time. Yes, there's a few faults in the sense of the underframe detailing, buffer beam hight and the metal panel above the ducket is slightly too large but overall its not a bad model in my eyes anyway. I happened to have an old Airfix BR brake van body so thought I could bodge a cut and shut repair together to fix the broken veranda end..
     
    I found a nice picture on Paul Bartlett's site of an early unfitted example without the four lamp brackets on each corner-just the one inset between the veranda end and ducket like the LNER brake vans. Although the prototype didn't have the metal panels above the duckets it wasn't meant to be an exact replica and I thought it would make a change from the norm.
     
    The photos below show what I've done to this brake van. I've used some spare Dapol 3 hole wheels to replace the Lima ones. Staples have been used for the foot board stays and I've added the missing foot board from modified Plastitruct 'L' section.
     

     
    As you can see the Airfix brake van veranda end has blended in nicely with Revell plastic filler. I've used a mixture of brass and piano wire to replace the moulded or missing handrails but soldering the horizontal handrail to the uprights. The small handrail next to the metal panel below the chimney should be moved across slightly and in hindsight I should have modified the panel to suit.
     

     
    The roof has been detailed with MJT torpedo vents and an aluminium tube chimney. The rain strips are Microstrip positioned with the aid of a jig made from Tamiya masking tape.
     
    Below are shots of the brake following a coat of Halfords plastic primer showing the finesse of the Lima moulding. I'm pleased with the result so far. Hopefully tonight I can get a few coats of Tamiya acrylic on,
     

     

     
    Although this model has many faults it also has some good points including the standard of moulding and I believe it will give a good if not accurate representation of a BR brake. I would imagine that if the metal panels were modifiyed above the ducket and a new underframe added you would get an accurate model. Saying that you'd probably use the Airfix/Dapol kit or just buy a ready to run Bachmann/Hornby RTR offering.
     
    However, there is something satisfying is renovating these old models and bringing them up to date using bits to hand.
     
    Update soon.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  16. 46444

    Toad Hall.....An update

    By 46444,

    Bit of an eclectic mix in this entry with a number projects on the go at present.
     
    The Hornby Railroad Harry Potter 'Olton Hall' is well known as a good conversion project and was documented by Chris Leigh recently in Model Rail. I've two of these and the first one is to become '5993 Kirby Hall' named after a residence near Corby in Northamptonshire. Here's a link:
     
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kirby-hall/
     
    Being a Railroad model there's a few compromises along the way but in this instance work has centred on removing the smoke box number plate and adding handrails to the tender replacing the moulded ones.
     

     

     
    The cab has received the curved 'L' shape window hand rails:
     

     
    This afternoon with the fine weather I even managed to fire up the airbrush and get a coat of Precision GWR green on the loco and tender body shell but light wasn't good for photos sadly.
     
    I'll paint in the cab roof, smoke box and tender rear with Valejo acrylics. Then it's a case of full lining out in post war livery using Fox transfers.
     
    Like many when Bachmann announced they were to produce a GWR 64xx, I wanted a 74xx, Newton Abbot had 7427 on shed during the post war period and an article by Tom Foster in Railway Modeller instigated a conversion of the 64xx I owned.
     
    I've removed the overhang on the cab roof on both sides and used Archers rivet transfers to represent the the line visible on the top of the cab. Also I've added the missing handrail above both centre steps. as well as the missing steam lance cock next to the smoke box door by using a handrail knob,
     

     
    On the bunker end I've opened up the rear cab doors, opened up the roof vent and replaced the moulded lamp irons using bent up staples. The same can be said for the spare lamp irons on the running plate.
     

     
    Finally, I've painted the black panels on the BR version of one of my Airfix/Bachmann Toad matings. This one may carry 'Kingsbridge RU' markings!
     

     
    More soon.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  17. 46444
    Over the weekend I had a chance to crack on with working on 7802. He she is completed and I'm really pleased with the finished result:
     

     
    The main focus of attention has been in the cab area where I made new flush glazing from an Oxford Diecast clear plastic box. The cab interior received the cut down David Geen screw reverser and scratch built ATC bell. The cab tarpaulin/sheet was made from a piece of blue masking tape rolled up with tapes made from the same source, This was painted with Valejo acrylics and fixed to the inside of the cab roof with a few dabs of super glue. Finally the wonderful fold down GWR cab seats were also made up from scratch.
     
    To me these improvements have certainly lifted the model but with crew insitu they are not easy to see. The crew come from my stash of Dapol figures:
     

     
    I wanted 7802 to look 'lived in' so I used a mixture of Valejo German Grey, Hull Red and Gun Metal to lift the detail on the model and also lift the paintwork through the use of dry brushing and washes.
     

     
    Hopefully the look is of a loco which has received the oily rag treatment. To achieve this I gently rubbed the paintwork with a clean dry cotton buds as well as buffing the paintwork with my finger tip to add a patina.
     

     
    You'll notice I've added the steps on the buffer shanks as well made up from Mainly Trains etched tread plate. I decided to keep the water filler lid shut in the end!
     
    I need to source the mouldings for the brake gear pull rods and will fit them when they become available.
    Overall I'm pleased with the finished result and now I've got a decent running representation of a late GWR period Manor Class which as many of you know rates as one of my favourite loco designs.
     
    Of course DJM Models will announce a modern version at Warley to a standard the same as the Hattons King Class!
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  18. 46444
    Before I start thanks to Andy Y for his words of wisdom re: altering image sizes. I wish I'd have asked earlier!
     
    This is my first entry for a while now. I've been working on bits for Juniper Hill, my layout based around the ironstone lines of East Northamptonshire. Hopefully, with the spring coming-believe it or not I hope to get into the garage for some track laying and soldering.
     
    Fred the bus driver has known Doris his conductress for a number of years now. Doris had started working for United Counties in Northamptonshire during the war and had carried on in her role. She works with Fred who'd been demobbed in 1947.
     
    He'd worked for United Counties prior to the outbreak of hostilities and had served in the Army in Europe driving trucks. He returned home to his family in Kettering and started working for United Counties again.
     
    Fred and Doris enjoy one anothers company and particularly like the country routes on the eastern side of the county passing beautiful villages, some once home to hundreds of young American airman-the skies no longer angry with the sound of USAAF B17's.
     
    Along the route from Kettering to Oundle they pass the ironstone quarries around Cranford and pick up some quarry workers. Usually Fred and Dorris get a chance of a Woodbine and a cup of tea in Oundle prior to making their way back to Kettering.
     
    Here's Fred and Doris' bus they use for this journey. It's a Bedford OWB that has seen better days and the timber the body was built with is beginning to warp badly because it wasn't seasoned properly during the war years.
     

     
    Ok so a total work of fiction as is the bus which is a resprayed Oxford product with decals from Fox. Fred, Doris and the passengers come courtesy of Dapol (ex-Airfix) with a few amputations where necessary.
     
    I've tried to use the preshading technique on this bus using either Tamiya or Valejjo acrylics sealed with some Johnsons Klear.
     
    In fairness United Counties did have some Beagle bodied OB's in their fleet. However, there's something about the OWB I like and decided to go for this fictitious member of the fleet.
     

     
    Also another vehicle to make an appearance on JH will be this Base Toys or what ever they're called now AEC Monarch which I think is a lovely model in Pickfords livery. It comes with a trailer as well. I've used Glue n Glaze for the windows, Weathered it and added a sheeted load to the flat bed. Like the OWB I gently placed the finished model on an hot iron for a matter of seconds to gently flatten the tyres. Something I learnt from my aircraft modelling days.
     

     

     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  19. 46444
    Afternoon.
     
    A few photos taken this afternoon of bits I've been working on.
     
    Here's the Model Rail Sentinel weathered and completed on my photo plank. Nameplates by the excellent 'Narrow Planet'
     

     
    The wagon behind is a Cambrian kit and builds up very nicely as an internal user.
     

     
    I've all most finished the Hunslet/J94. Needs final weathering and the Hunslet works plate from NP. I'll post some photos when I've finished it.
     
    Here's something totally different. I couldn't resist getting one of the recent Dapol 7mm scale wagon releases, especially as they'd chosen an S&L prototype too.
     
    Out of the box it does look nice-if a little toy like. Anyway, out came the paints and airbrush and this is where I'm at. It needs some underframe dirt misting on to the chassis and a bit of detail weathering added and should be finished soon. Again I'll post a few pics when it's done. Not sure whether to do it as an internal user too with a few black patches and number on the side?
     

     
    Out of interest what is the three link coupling made from. Tried Carrs nickle silver blackener to no avail. Are they stainless?
     
    This wagon may become part of a long term 7mm scale micro-layout based around the Northamptonshire ironstone industry. Hmmmm! That Ixion Hudswell Clarke does look good.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  20. 46444
    Like many of us we often have numerous projects on the go.
     
    From a personal point of view I have the BR Clan's and Dapol BR Manor Class to complete. See my previous blog postings. All being well these should soon be completed. 
     
    I have had an old Airfix Siphon H in my 'to do box' for a while. A quick strip down and prototype research reveled that Airfix had fitted the wrong bogies which on a Siphon H should be 9ft American Style. 
     
    The existing bogies where put to one side. Then I removed the buffers, vacuum tanks and gas tanks with a pair of Xuron track cutters. These areas were made good with a scalpel, sand paper and files.
     
    I ordered the correct 9ft American bogies as a pair, 3D printed from Shapeway. I believe these are designed by Stafford Road Modelworks.
     
    https://www.shapeways.com/product/CT854ECA7/gwr-9-american-bogie-airfix-Hornby-fit?productConfiguration=60118509&etId=202691468&utm_source=automated-contact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=order-shipped&utm_content=5
     
    The bogie prints are a bit rough and the detail is ill defined however from normal viewing distance the correct impression is given.
     

     
    The bogies were cleaned up with a soak in white spirit and also a fibreglass brush. 
     
    Then Romford brass axle bearings were fitted and masked off. A quick blast of Halfords grey primer and satin black finished the job.
     
    Using the existing mounting pins the bogies are a direct replacement. Bachmann coach wheels fit nicely.

     
    Buffers were replaced with Slater's GWR coach buffers. LMS Models provide the coupling hooks.
     

     
    That's play for today with more planned including replacing the gas tanks and vacuum cylinders with MJT components and scratch building a few underframe elements.
     
    Another Airfix build has involved a 10ft RCH chassis in the stock of spares. Armed with plastic sheet a basic Conflat was built.  I have Cambridge Custom Tranfers to hand so as to finish in early BR colours 
     

     
    I made the fixing rings from fuse wire. Buffers and coupling hooks from LMS Models as previous.  Tie bar is also from Microstrip.
     

     
    Thanks for looking. More soon.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark 
  21. 46444
    The prototype NS2 was build in great numbers after the end of WW2 in Germany by Lokomotiv Karl Marx (LKM). A number of variants were built including some of the later designs with outside cranks.
     
    The kit I'm building here is by Euro Narrow Gauge having been designed by James Hilton and is available through the Narrow Planet website:
     
    https://narrowplanet.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/eng-003
     
    It represents one of the earlier chain driven examples and is powered by the Minitrains Gmeinder chassis. The kit comes as a crisply printed 3D bodyshell along with an assortment of etched nickle silver frets for bonnet sides, grill front panel, roof and assorted cab designs.
     
    I've added some additional detail working from prototype photos including an exhaust stack, hinge detail on the bonnet panel as well as a fuel filler lid.
     
    WP_20160307_001 (1) by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    Here's the kit ready for painting posed next to my Narrow Planet O&K 40HP loco.
     
    I've also used Narrow Planet 3D printed Bosna couplers instead of the kit supplied couplings.
     
    WP_20160307_002 by Mark Branson, on Flickr
     
    This evening I've managed to paint the loco in house colours of Halfords Satin black. Red buffer beans and detail painting should finish the kit nicely,
     
    I'm planning on adding a Monty's figure as driver to one side of the cab and a sheet covering the other side to disguise the motor. RT Models headlights will be fitted to the front and rear of the cab as well.
     
    As for the title...No I'm not a fan of this brand of strong lager if it's still available . The NS2 is to be named 'Kestrel' using some Narrow Planet custom nameplates.
     
    Well worth building if you fancy a dabble in 009
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  22. 46444
    Evening,
     
    Here's a few bits I've been up of late-namely a brake van marathon!
     
    Here's the first one-a Parkside LMS brake finished with Valejo acrylics. I tried the pre-shading effect on this model as well as the Stanier Reverse Brake and the Cambrian SR Brake shown below following on techniques aquired from my aircraft modelling days. This technique has recently appeared in the latest version of Model Rail. Next to it is a Cooper Craft GWR cattle wagon finished in BR colours that appears in an earlier entry. The GWR version is also completed.
     

     
    Here's the Stanier Reverse Brake which Alex (Wiggoforgold) gave me the idea for as he had already done a conversion. It's basically an Hornby model with modified veranders, wire handrails and NEM couplings added. It's not a true representation as the ends should be planked and the arch filled in below the roof but I can live with that!
     

     
    The Cambrian 25t SR Brake was originally built in Plymouth Freedom Fields Hospital Nurses Home in 1993 whilst doing my training. It was originally handpainted and had plastic strip handrails. It had been given to a good friend of mine who is a BR (SR) enthusiast and was returned to me in a poor state for renovation. This consisted of replacing the handrails, using staples for the foot board stays and lamp irons as well as the preshading and respray. As with all the above models they were finished with HMRS Pressfix decals and some MIG weathering powders.
     

     
    Also, her's my namesake hard at work on Brian's layout on a Kettering to Cambridge train in the mid-50's.
     

     
    Thanks,
     
    Mark
  23. 46444
    Hello. Welcome and Good Evening...
     
    A few years ago I purchased the Kernow LSWR Gate Stock in SR Malachite livery finished as Set 373 and suitable for a Plymouth based set.
     
    Overall I was pleased with my purchase but was aware of a few detailing weaknesses including over scale bogie stepboards along with the problem of the continuous rear seat in the mouldings where a gangway should be present.  An excellent review by Graham Muspratt  on his blog highlights in more detail the short comings and positives of these models and is listed below:
     
    https://grahammuz.com/2017/10/26/the-first-ex-lswr-gate-stock-sets-arrival-from-kernow-model-rail-centre/
     
    For me the Malachite paintwork was also a bit flat and I thought I would respray the coaches giving them a more satin finish.  Having stripped the coaches down and having received a coat of Halfords grey primer they sat for many months on my to do shelf.  Thankfully with the completion of Wadenhoe Road my 009 layout  I have managed to start work on this pair once more along with a few other projects., So far I have undertaken the following:
     
    1: Replaced the original pizza cutter 'blingtastic' wheels with Alan Gibson 14mm coach wheelsets on Lima length axles (Due to the bogies being too narrow standard length wheelsets will not fit).
     

     
    2. Opened up the rear gangways on both seat mouldlings with the aid of a razor saw.
     

     
    3: Resprayed the bodyshells with Precision SR Malachite and carriage roofs with Tamiya German Grey.
     

     
    4: Replaced the buffers with Roxey turned brass versions as the moulded ones are fragile.
     

     
    5: I am in the process of replacing the stepboards.
     
    I'll post some photos of my work to date tomorrow but I have a few questions I'm hoping some kind soul may know the answers to.
     
    1: In Grahman's review he mentions the transposing of the battery boxes and the brake 'V' hangers. Can anyone advise on the correct  positioning and which ones need removing?
     

     
    2: What colour would the carriage interiors have been? Kernow have gone for a two tone effect with brown on the lower compartment side and cream on the upper compartment side. Is this correct or would they have been varnished stained wood?
     
    3: What colour would the seating fabric be?
     
    Thanks in advance and photos tomorrow in good light. 
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
  24. 46444
    Work has continued on the GLR Models 3D printed PKP Px48 kits today.
     
    As I've mentioned previously these 3D printed kits are like a blank canvas and offer many variations in the level of detail you want to add. In this case and as with many Continental locos it's going to be pipeworktastic but for the time being I thought I'd concentrate on getting the main work done on the body prior to adding handrails and pipework.
     
    As with any 3D printed kit there are limitations to the level of detail that can be portrayed and also the finesse of the detail. Richard has designed a brilliantly thought out kit but one area I thought that could be improved is the roof of the cab and tender cab,
     
    I carved off the rain strips from the cab and tender and made smooth. In this case Shapeways have used a really hard nylon to print the kit and it's not the most easiest of materials to cut. Also on the cab I removed the overhangs from the front and rear of the roof and bevelled the edges to the rear of the tender cab.
     
    Thankfully in my drawer of 'bits' I had some brass sheet of various thickness and have made new roofs up for the cab and tender. Having cut the brass sheet to shape I scored the edges from behind to facilitate bending the tight curves that meet the cab sides, I then rolled the brass on a couple of sheets of kitchen roll to get a curve, followed by bending the edges with the handle of a needle file. The centre part of the roof is held in place with Blu-tac for the time being.
     
    Here's the close ups testing the ability of my HTC's camera:
     

     

     
    Nothing is fixed at present hence the 'wonk' of the new parts. I made a front vent up from scrap brass sheet and the rear vent is a piece of 60 thou plastic sheet sanded accordingly. I've also marked four points on the roof to add the lifting eyes as well. These will be applied once the roof is glued into place.
     
    I've also added some etched chequer plate to the footsteps sourced from Mainly Trains and added two brass overlays to the front of the loco beneath the firebox door.
     

     
    You'll also notice I've cut away the rear of the coal bunker and this will be replaced with a vertical back piece made from plastic sheet. Looking at photos of my prototype locos these had this style of bunker with the slope sides continuing towards the rear.
     
    Also with the tender I've opened up cut away to the front of the tender cab to take it to the point where the roof meets the tender side. Beading will be applied to this area as well.
     

    Quite a productive session really, although there's a long way to go yet and I've a second loco to be getting on with.
     
    However, I'm really enjoying this build and I look forwards to seeing them run on some 'static grassed' track with a couple of Rollwagens and a green PKP bogie brake van.
     
    I'm away for a few days now so no further progress until Thursday.
     
    Na zdrowie,
     
    Mark
  25. 46444

    1950's Darlington Delights

    By 46444,

    The railways around Cleveland and Darlington hold a certain fascination and here are two 1950's Darlington 51A allocated locos.
     
    Firstly 46472 which started life as a cheap unused LMS version from eBay. The factory printed lettering was removed from the tender/cab sides with the aid of enamel thinners and gently rubbing with a cotton bud.
     
    46472 being a Darlington built example which was fitted with a tall chimney. Comet used to do one of these but are currently out of stock. Brian at 247 Developments does a fair representation of the taller fitted example. The exisiting chimney was removed carefully with a pair of Zuron trackcutters and the base made good. The 247 whitemetal casting was then glued into place with CA.
     

     
    The smokebox and cab roof where picked out in Tamiya NATO Black. Tamiya matt black acrylic made the sides good ready for new numbers and lining from Fox. The lining is really good to work with and went on easily. Smokebox numberplate from Fox as well.
     

     
    Weathering was kept light using Valejo/Tamiya acrylics sealed with a coat of Valejo satin varnish.
     
    Following along a similar process 76050 was another eBay purchase for around £40. The previous owner had damaged parts of the loco and removed the cab numbers. I made good the paintwork using the aforementioned paints. A telephone call to the excellent Bachmann spares department came up trumps and an accessory pack was obtained. Repair, reassembly and fitting the accessory pack finished the main body of work and a very light weathering as per the above process completed the repair. Numbers by Fox once more. Real coal as per 46472 was added.
     

     
    Both are nice locos and it's been a good project to complete the work on them both and enjoy seeing them running. Here they are on my photo plank.
     

     
    Thanks for looking.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark
     
     
     
    Addendum...
     
    46444 in the flesh.....
     

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