The land fashion forgot

HO Brass locomotive
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.

I don’t think I can get any more unfashionable. Spending time building a model railway locomotive and listening to Dido. My excuse was that early Sunday morning there isn’t much on the radio unless you like church services and I wasn’t in the mood for anything more lively.

The result is as you see. A few hour work and I have a complete loco body. The experience of the previous two goes has paid off again. My work is much neater and squarer. Less visible solder means less cleaning up which saves time. If you want to improve your modelling technique, concentrate on using as little solder as possible, that’s what separates the men from the boys.

I altered my methods slightly from previous models. The top plate (the raised bit on to of the bonnet) was made separately and glued on after cleaning. It’s a pig to solder as the star shaped support (it replicates the prototypes supports) can’t be cleaned out properly. I think the castings (also glued on) are the same as the 4mm version. Although this makes them a bit big it’s not too obvious and for a kit with as limited a market as this, is a sensible economy.

The chassis fits too, although I forgot to shorten it when I built it so some slight bodging has occurred. Mind you the next job is to fit the mechanical bits so I might not be so happy soon.