Engines and more engines

So... The first two of my four new Fourdees locos are here; two shades of green; a Hunslet and a Bagnall. I'm really happy with both of them and they will be very nice additions to the IoSR fleet.

Next on the list was the loco I've made a few modifications to. The most obvious is the turned brass chimney which I added for two reasons; firstly that I really like it and second that I dropped the print and snapped the chimney off. It would have glued back on but would always have been a weak spot. The other mod are the coal rails on the bunker which I made in my usual way from Langley L&B etched slatted seats. All the four new locos also have vacuum pipes added.

I went for an all black livery, I had thought that I would add red and grey lining but actually I really like the plain livery. One more addition was the open windows on the cab front. These are jewellery links that I bought years ago and never found a use for. They are a perfect fit and I glazed them with Glue n Glaze.

I went to Narrow Gauge North as part of the F&WHR marketing team but of course also in attendance was the 009 Society 2nd hand sales stand so before the show opened I went for a quick browse. Lo and behold I saw a pair of familiar looking vehicles in a box with my hand writing on it. The weird thing is I had been wondering where I had put them a couple of weeks before... so I bought them back.

This is a bit of an odd one. KATO provided the F&WHR with a demonstration layout and rolling stock including this Prince. However the great unwashed public want to push the train along. In consequence poor old Prince has had a chassis melt down. Dan from Fourdees very kindly sent me one of his printed replacement chassis which I duly painted up and stuck in the body. It is now gracing the rather cute layout in Caernarfon Station shop.

My Bachmann double Fairlie has now finished transmogrifiying from Merddin Emrys to Dylan Thomas. Lord Stoner has always been a fan of these handsome locomotives and so had a duplicate of ME made for his railway. Never a great success on the IoSR the remains languished at the back of a shed until the preservationists took over and restored the loco, in the process renaming it after the trendy Welsh poet and piss head. Actually I've just added new plates and some coal and carefully removed the FR crests from the cab sides. It is a beautiful runner and no doubt will see service on high days and holidays.

Those terribly nice folk at Bachmann have recently released ALR coaches which are ugly great things and which I had no interest in... then I noticed that they were doing them in IoSR maroon and cream so here they are. One has been heavily weathered and has had passengers added. Not sure what to do with the other one.

Three little maids

I don't usually remember to take pictures of work in progress but here is the fourth loco with just the black bits painted roughly.

Here it is finished all bar plates and crew. I have Modelu crews waiting to be painted for all of these locos. Hopefully my eyes will get better and I'll be able to do them justice with the paint brushes.

Here are all four together

Lastly a couple of pictures of my Bachmann/Fourdees Nesta sitting on the mortal remains of the real thing which awaits its fate at Boston Lodge.

Sat in the chimney