All the strakes that you can see attached to their sprues, all 20 of them, need to be soldered onto the wheel treads, which is a time consuming and not too easy task. It’s a very soundly engineered and well produced kit, but this part of the construction is painfull. I made a start on one wheel but got fed up and dumped it back in its box. It will eventually be the load for a NE agricultural machinery wagon.
This signal box has been under way for some considerable time; I’ve got a little bogged down with the fenestration which is tedious and difficult the way I’m making it. The glazing bars are built up from tiny strips of plasticard, then painted, as they’re not white, and then glazed with clearsheet from behind; effective but slow. I’ve made the signalman and the LNWR style levers and a pattern for a lever frame already and I’ve got most of the other interior fittings, so I ought to get on with it.
You might think I spend all my time making Bens and Bogies; I think I’d go nuts if I did, I need some light relief! So here’s what I’m up to at the moment: it’s a Highland Railway Fish Truck, part of the train that my Skye Bogie will eventually pull. I bought the kit from Andy Copp of Lochgorm Kits at Model Rail Scotland in Glasgow a few weeks ago and I intend to work it through to a finish, and paint it too. I’ve a few finished models in the studio that need painting, including the Skye Bogie, some have been in their unpainted state far too long. As you can see from the picture, I’ve done the hard bit; constructing the body of the wagon that is, so it should be relatively easy going now. I’ve added a bit of extra detail in the way of fastenings and hinges and am considering ways of adding interest to the inside of the truck. I’ve heard that the fish boxes were covered with turf in transit. I don’t really want to model a fish truck full of grass so I’ll have to think about this.
