This was a straight forward build from a "Celtic Connections" kit. I thickened up the roof a little but apart from that there was little else I could do to improve the kit, it’s a very simple vehicle really. I hand painted the model mostly using NBR freight grey, which I found in the listings of "Precission Paints"; then I lightly weathered the van with an air brush.
I made this Caledonian Railway goods brake van from a very nice etches only kit from "Caley Coaches". I made the springs and axleboxes myself as well as the mechanism for the hand brake though you can’t see it in this picture, it’s behind the guard. He’s based on a figure in an early photo of a CR brake van and is wearing a characteristic jacket that seems to have been uniform issue to guards and other railway employees too. The model was hand painted, though I used an air-brush to add a little light weathering as a finishing touch. The ends of the brake van are vermillion; the colour of the sides is difficult to describe, as these vehicles don’t seem to have been painted the same oxide colour as the general CR freight stock. I mixed up a colour myself based on that of the preserved 6-wheel brake van in the SRPS collection at Bo’ness; it certainly cheered the van up.
I’m sure the Highland Railway had an almost identical horsebox; anyway I’ll paint this one as a Caledonian vehicle, it’ll look grand behind my "Pug". I’ll add the glazing after I ‘ve painted the model. There’s a bit of work needed on the interior of the groom’s compartment and I’ll add a seated figure, I like to do this as I think figures help bring a model to life.
