Moving chassis

This locomotive is divided into two parts - top and bottom. The box like body sits on the chassis with side skirts and cowcatchers which in turn sits on the mechanical bits that make the whole thing go.

To fit the Bullant I had to make the hole in the footplate quite a lot larger, in fact I was worried that the gearbox would fill the cab area. In the original 7mm scale kit and even the occasionally available 4mm version, this isn't a problem. In fact parts are supplied to permit the builder to create a fake boiler and firebox to fill the innards. No such luxury in 3mm scale - I need that space for other things !

The bogie support has been firmly attached to the main spine to stop it turning. Then in a fit of engineering I drilled holes in the footplate so the bogie could be bolted in place rather than relying in superglue or solder. I actually want to be able to strip this model down for maintenance if required and anyway, it's not difficult even for me...

The only other point of note here is the cowcatcher. A fiddly bending job but not to difficult. Square ended pliers are the key to nice sharp corners. That and looking at photos of the real thing to realise that the proximity of the ground meant they weren't as perfect as you might think.