Thank you for the likes and comments. Next project: continuing the themes of brake vans and resurrecting old models: Originally built in 2019, and intended as a mess van to accompany the crane I was also building. I had to borrow duckets from another kit as this version doesn't include them. Based on this (courtesy of the Bartlett site): https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsbrakevan/h18c6e2a4 Something a bit different from the usual brake vans. Matt
Thanks both! Andy, do you mean The Clearing House? If so, it's one of my favourite FB groups. Anyway, the prototype is a pretty faded bauxite which I'm trying to recreate. Lots more work to do. Matt
Thank you very much once again for the POTW! Next up is this Hornby 20t brake van. I've got a real soft spot for these and had a couple of the old Airfix/Dapol ones. I was pretty pleased when Hornby released the all-new version a few years ago! I wasn't as pleased with the drooping and floppy handrails on my model when it arrived though and promptly chopped them off. The model then got boxed up and forgotten about...until now! Seeing as I'm in the mood for completing half-built models at the moment, I figured now is as good a time as any. I disassembled the van and removed the inner ends and the floor. The whole thing is pretty fragile and vulnerable to damage like this and I've snapped various bits off, including one end, so quite a big of patching up has been required. I've made a few cosmetic changes to the underframe, just to visually bring it in line with my other stock. It'll be repainted into grey/yellow once I've finished the handrails. Matt
Sometimes things don't go to plan! Despite the care I took in scratchbuilding the solebars, and then attaching to the floor, the wagon had a slight wobble. Try as I might, I could not eradicate it. So, off they came (and unfortunately got destroyed in the process) and I reverted back to the kit parts. I will try again to build a van with roller bearings, but not this time! You'll also notice the grey line - another @$%^$%& on my part. When removing the handrails, I managed to gouge the bodysides! Matt