The body from this Accucraft Baguley diesel came here for painting in Festiniog-inspired green with red lining and black edging, and was then returned to its owner for reassembly. (Photo by Phil Roberts)

Here we see an Accucraft Baldwin 4-6-0T modified in to a representation of the Welsh Highland Railway's Baldwin 590. The changes included removal of the chimney cap and front and rear headlamps and the addition of the following:
 - Vacuum brake pipe, with "swan necks" front and rear
 - Vacuum ejector steam pipe (cab to rear of steam dome)
 - Vacuum ejector exhaust pipe (cab to smokebox)
 - "Eyebrows" on cab spectacle rings
 - Rear lamp bracket
 - Cab roof extension
 - Dummy coal load
 - 590 numbers on tank sides

All new parts were painted to match the original matt black finish. Baldwin Locomotive Works plates made by MDC Plates completed the cosmetic alterations.

Another Accucraft Baldwin 4-6-0T in the guise of Welsh Highland Railway No. 590. The loco was purchased second-hand by the current owner, and in its previous life it had had a replacement chimney cap fitted, had lost its front lamp bracket, and the front life guard had become detached - all rectified. The valve setting was also attended to as its operation was very erratic. Other work included adding:
 - DJB Engineering resonator whistle.
 - 3-channel (regulator, reverser, whistle) radio control.
 - Spectacle ring "eyebrows".
 - Cab back with wood-effect planking on rear sheet.
 - Rear lamp bracket.
 - Additional pipework for vacuum brakes, vacuum ejector steam supply and exhaust.
 - Summerlands chuffer pipe.
 - Coal load in bunker.

Another modified Accucraft Baldwin 4-6-0T which had already been converted in to a representation of an Ashover Light Railway loco before it came here. Using photographs of the full-size JOAN as a guide, some additional detailing was applied (in particular the prominent steam exhaust pipe on the front of the cab and the large water balance pipe connecting the two side tanks) and the headlamp and vacuum brake pipework were removed. This was followed by a general toning down of the rather too clean paintwork and weathering of the tank tops and smokebox. Custom name and works plates were supplied by MDC.

ARIADNE is an Accucraft model that had probably never been steamed and run before it arrived here. It came for fitting of radio control, a rear cab extension and lamp brackets, removal of the chimney cover and rear hose bracket, and a general service. Repairs were also made to a blocked pressure gauge pipe and to a burner that just would not stay lit.

To complete the job, the loco was repainted in satin black lined in the owner's standard blue and red scheme.

Another Accucraft Baldwin, fitted with 2-channel radio control and given a dose of weathering.

Scrabster's owner was having trouble maintaining steam pressure and a usable water level in the boiler when running, and brought it here for investigation. The problem turned out to be an issue with the boiler itself with several leaks around the backhead, and which unfortunately was not repairable. A replacement boiler in the identical green colour was obtained, and the orange lining either side of the brass boiler bands was applied before reassembly and successful steam testing.

I'm looking for a good collective noun for this lot ... a Decadence of Decauvilles maybe?

Three brand-new MBV Schug - Accucraft Europa Decauville 0-6-0Ts arrived here for attention. These are truly delightful models and I congratulate MBV Schug - Accucraft Europa for taking on the challenge of making a small locomotive in 16mm/foot scale rather than just going for the easier option of producing a larger model in ⅞ths-inch/foot scale. Small locos can be a challenge to make and operate, so it was brave decision. The level of detail and the quality of construction are both superb.

The couplings fitted to these locos are slightly odd in that the front and rear couplings are at different heights, which makes using them with anything else a bit tricky. In addition, the smokebox door fastening catches were not really up to the job, and even when supposedly closed the door was not held tightly shut and could open two or three millimetres. On all three something had to be done!

The plain black one did not change much in appearance, other than gaining a front lamp bracket in place of the dummy headlamp. The couplings were replaced with the buffer/hook type, and the gas control valve lever was replaced with a knob. The main task on this one was to fit it with on-board 2.4GHz radio control, which took some thinking to achieve.

ATHENA gained a cab back sheet, a front lamp bracket, Accucraft chopper couplings and was lined in the owner's standard blue and red scheme.













The final one had buffer/hook couplings fitted and was lined in a might-have-been Penrhyn Quarries-style.
















A few weeks later, this one came here for fitting of replacement couplings, fitting of a cab back sheet, replacement of the front lamp with a bracket and weathering to the owner's "I'd like it to look well-used but not look completely knackered" instructions.

This MBV Schug - Accucraft Europa Decauville 0-4-0T was converted to represent the full-size BARBOUILLEUR housed in the Amberley Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Museum in West Sussex. Conversion work included:
 - Shortening of the side tanks
 - Fitting of dummy side-mounted safety valves to dome
 - Removal of maker’s text from smokebox door
 - Shortening and reprofiling of chimney
 - Reprofiling of dome to give it a rounded top
 - Modification of cab roof
 - Repainting of bodywork, cylinder block cladding, wheels and wheel rims in to Turquoise Green
 - Repainting of motion and buffer/couplings in red
 - Repainting of boiler, cab roof, boiler bands and domes in satin black

The question is, of course, why do model and full-size not carry matching shades of green? Well, the full-size loco is currently awaiting overhaul and, the owner of the model tells me, will be repainted in the colour carried by the model. (Photo of full size loco by Simon King)

This Decauville 0-4-0T came here for fitting of radio control, fitting of a Summerlands chuffer pipe and a bit of weathering. The tank tops and cab roof were also repainted black as they would never have been blue on the full-size loco.

This Accucraft Edrig came here for repair after an accident had caused it to nose dive in to the ground. This resulted in it suffering a bent front buffer beam and some damage to the paintwork. The buffer beam was straightened out and repainted, and the body was repainted in satin green with a cream and black cab interior.

First job on this this Accucraft Excelsior was to reset the valve timing and get it running again, because it didn't. Further instructions were to do some modifications and repaint it to make it look a bit more like the full-size loco that it was meant to represent. EXCELSIOR ran at the Bowaters Paper mill in Sittingbourne and now runs on the Great Whipsnade Railway. Modifications included:
 - Shortening of chimney
 - Modification of spectacle rings
 - Fabrication and fitting of rear cab backsheet (wood)
 - Fabrication and fitting of larger sand boxes
 - Addition of dummy sliding doors on bunker sides
 - Addition of dummy access hatches on chimney
 - Fitting of headlamps and brackets
 - Fitting of modified cab handrails
Radio control installation on a loco with very little bodywork to hide things is always a challenge, especially when the use of removeable batteries is needed rather than a sealed pack. Some modifications were needed to the cab roof and the plumbing to cram it all in. Finally, it had its gas burner jet replaced with one from Chuffed2Bits and was then stripped and repainted in Light Brunswick Green, including the frames, with black/yellow lining.

This Accucraft Excelsior was repainted in an scheme inspired by that used by the Great Eastern Railway.

The owner of this loco wanted a green one but could not find one, so bought a black one and had it repainted and lined.

This brand-new GVT tram loco had its factory lining and lettering removed and had the optional front spectacle plates supplied with the loco soldered in place. Penrhyn-style lining was then applied and the loco finished in satin black.

This Accucraft Joan came here in citrus-inspired gloss black. It had a repaint in to maroon with black detailing and at the same time lost the excess red (edge of footplating, backs of buffer beams, firebox/ashpan, etc.) in order for it to resemble as closely as possible the full-size Joan based on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway here in Wales.

This Lawley came here for the following work:
 - Replacement of chopper couplings with hook-and-chain type
 - Fitting of a DJB Engineering resonator whistle
 - Installation of 3-channel radio control for regulator, reverser and whistle - and with no servos in the cab!
 - Repaint of bodywork from dark green to satin blue with white and black lining
 - Repaint of smokebox and cab roof from gloss to matt black

This Accucraft Leader 0-4-2ST was finished with the intention of showing the loco as it was when it worked for Bowaters Paper in Sittingbourne during the 1960s, rather than as it is preserved now. With that in mind, the saddle tank was lightly weathered and Leader's distinctive rusty patch around the saddle tank filler was recreated. The factory green paintwork was lined in yellow with black edging and then finished in satin clear coat, with matt black smokebox and cab roof. Real coal in the bunkers completed the job.

Since completion of my work, the owner has been working hard to make his loco look even more work-worn by dirtying the frames and cylinders and by adding a wealth of extra detail, including name plates and works plates supplied by MDC. The wonderful result is shown here and looking just like The Real Thing!

The owner of this Accucraft Leader wanted it to look like the full-size loco so it was modified and repainted to do just that, including a replacement smaller diameter chimney and dummy sliding doors on the cab side.

Another Accucraft Leader 0-4-2ST, this time finished finished in Penrhyn Quarry Railway livery to represent their locomotive STANHOPE. This loco came here in factory blue and was repainted in black, lined in blue and red and then finished was a satin clear coat. Repainting the smokebox in matt black and putting real coal in the bunkers completed the job. The second picture shows the same loco with its name and works plates in place, and acquiring a nice workaday look.

And another one... This brand-new Accucraft Leader was also turned in to Penrhyn Quarry's STANHOPE with some red and blue lining, satin black bodywork, a matt black smokebox, cream and black cab interior and name plates and Kerr Stuart works plates provided by MDC. Also included in this job was the fitting of two-channel radio control (for regulator and reverser).

These photos show the lining job on Chris Bird's Accucraft Leader. As with his Roundhouse Bertie, there was little point in sending the whole loco, so Chris only sent me the body for attention. The original factory maroon paint was retained and enhanced with cream lining and black edging, followed by a satin clear coat. Also like the Bertie, Chris has written a superb step-by-step guide to the modifications he has made to this loco to produce the result shown (note the cylinder covers - very nice!) and which can be found here. (Photos by Chris Bird)

An Accucraft L&B 2-6-2T modified to reproduce the look of LYD based at the Festiniog Railway here in North Wales. The full-size LYD was completed only a few years ago and is a reproduction of the original L&B Manning Wardle locos. It was based on last-built LEW and so has a flat cab back, unlike the earlier locos which have a visible rear coal bunker, but it is not an exact copy. Accucraft themselves produced a limited run of these locos in the guise of LYD but these were simply done by changing the name and number and they did not include the modifications made to allow its use on the Festiniog, The model shown here has those modifications and reproduces the full-size LYD as closely as it has been possible to do. The modifications included:
 - Tighter radius on the cab roof edges and consequent modifications to the cab sides (to allow the loco to pass through restricted clearance tunnels).
 - Addition of steps on the tank fronts.
 - Larger coal bunkers.
 - Fitting of two dummy whistles to replace the one provided.
 - Repositioning of the rear lamp bracket.
The body was stripped and repainted in a more authentic shade of green, and was then lined in white with black edging, including the cab back (LEW's cab back was always plain green with no lining). The cab front, boiler and tank tops were repainted in satin black to match the full-size LYD. Name, number and works plates were specially made by MDC.

This Accucraft Lyn had been suffering from jerky and uneven running characteristics, particularly in reverse gear, and so needed a good sort out of its valve timing and some mechanical issues to achieve smooth running in both directions. While here it also had its single-channel (reverser only) 40MHz radio control upgraded to a 2-channel Planet 2.4GHz system operating both regulator and reverser. The 40MHz aerial wire coil had been disguised as a dummy coal load in the rear bunker so this was replaced with real coal ... because nothing else looks like coal.

This Accucraft Mortimer was repainted in to a Festiniog-inspired livery of green with red lining and black edging, and the cab roof, footplating, smokebox and other parts received a coat of satin black. While here it also had a DJB Engineering whistle fitted, its radio control upgraded from 2-channel to 3-channel (an extra servo to work the whistle) and Locoworks lamp brackets, roof gutters, coal bunkers and dummy lubricators added. Name and works plates from MDC gave the final touch.

THISBE started life as standard Accucraft Mortimer 0-4-0 saddle tank. It soon lost its rear coal bunker but the owner is a Tralee & Dingle Railway fan, so he wanted something a bit different. The inspiration was T&D No. 4 built by Hunslet in 1890 as a tram loco for use on the Castlegregory branch. A duplicate set of controls were provided at the smokebox end to give the driver a great view in both directions. I say inspiration as this is definitely not a model of The Real Thing, but hopefully it captures the essence of it.

First job was to fit 2-channel radio control. Second job was to make the loco work! A previous owner had fiddled with the valve setting, which made it run superbly forwards, but not at all backwards.

The rest was all bodywork, but how to create the second cab? Making a copy out of brass sheet was considered but it would have been a lot of work. I then put out an appeal for a spare Accucraft body. One of my other customers got in touch to say that he was about to send me his new Talgarth for conversion to coal-firing and a replacement 7/8ths body, so I could use the body off that. Great! However, on arrival I found the Talgarth body was made of Accucraft's weapons-grade steel, making it impossible to solder, rather than the brass used for the Mortimer. A bit of chopping around and the two parts were mechanically linked together. Lots of bodywork filling and flatting followed to hide the join.

All of this was followed by a strip and repaint in to the owner's colour scheme. (Second photo by Hunslet Engine Company)

An impressive model, from any angle. This NG15 has had all of its wheel rims painted black, and the rear loco buffer beam also painted black as this should never have been painted red by Accucraft. It carries a replacement set of NG 148 buffer beam number plates and number and Henschel works plates supplied by MDC on its cab sides.

Most importantly, it has had its front cow catcher raised by about 2.5mm to give greater clearance over the rail head. As supplied, the cow catcher is very close to rail level and it would strike the smallest obstruction (moss, gravel, etc.) and could cause a derailment. A dip in the track could cause the cow catcher to slide along the rail head sufficiently to lift six of the eight driving wheels off the rails, so causing a lack of traction and a sometimes spectacular bout of wheelslip. The modification raises the cow catcher to avoid this problem and without changing its appearance significantly. The picture shows the cow catcher before and after modification.

This picture shows before (left) and after (right) views through the cab after moving the gas hose, two water hoses and the radio control cables to where they should be: under the floor. This job took some thinking about, and involved drilling a lot of holes in a very expensive model.

Another impressive model. This NGG16 has received a number of modifications and details in order that it represents the full-size number 143 as running on the Welsh Highland Railway circa 2005. It has had all of its wheel rims and cylinder snifting valve covers painted black, and its smokebox and cab roof have been repainted from gloss to matt black. Detailing includes the steam sander indicator flag on the front right-hand sandbox, brass indicator plates on the lubricator reservoirs, a skull-and-crossbones warning board on the rear bunker (not shown in photo) and a dummy fuel oil tank as used on the WHR from 1997 until 2007. It carries a replacement set of number plates supplied by MDC on its cab sides.

The model is from the third batch produced by Accucraft and suffered terribly from exhaust back-pressure affecting its performance. The most important change has been complete replacement of the exhaust steam pipework using a larger diameter tube than that supplied together with removal of the exhaust pipe in the smokebox and boring out of the remaining exhaust fittings to a larger diameter. These modifications eliminate the back-pressure problem and so increase the loco's power and top speed while significantly reducing water and gas consumption and increasing its running time.

Further modifications to improve performance included replacement of the lubricator pipework to provide a bifurcated division of the supplies to the front and rear engines, and a pair of specially made replacement burners kindly supplied by Barley Pit Works.

This Accucraft NGG16 was purchased by the current owner in the particularly lurid blue/green colour scheme carried by full-size No. 138 for a short time. The owner dismantled the loco and the parts seen in the picture came here for attention. The various lumps were completely dismantled and the body components (water tank, coal bunker, cab and boiler wrapper) had their existing paint removed as required. They then received etch primer followed by black and maroon with much masking in between. Lining in yellow with black edging followed, as per full-size 138's current livery, with correct pattern and size number plates supplied by MDC. Finally, the myriad of parts were put back together in preparation for the owner to complete final assembly and a return to working order, as shown in the second picture (by Jon Carter).

This brand-new loco was sent direct to us by an Accucraft dealer for lining in this attractive red and white scheme together with a matt black smokebox. The name plates were supplied by MDC.

This Ragleth came here for the following work:
 - Chassis repairs and resetting of valve timing
 - Replacement of chopper couplings with hook-and-chain type
 - Fitting of a DJB Engineering resonator whistle
 - Installation of 3-channel radio control for regulator, reverser and whistle - and with no servos in the cab!
 - Repaint of bodywork from gloss blue to satin green with red and black lining
 - Repaint of smokebox and cab roof from gloss to matt black

Accucraft Ragleth "CARI" has been on its second visit to RHLW. It first came here a few years ago for fitting of a second channel radio control for the regulator. The most recent visit has been for fitting of a replacement DJB Model Engineering Ltd smokebox, repairs to the r/c components. fitting of vacuum pipes and various other detailing parts, including a dummy tool box over the gas filler valve. This was all followed by lining in red with black edging.

OAKSHOTT came here for lining of its original blue paintwork, plus application of satin black to the smokebox, footplating and cab roof. While here it also had its existing radio control upgraded from single servo controlling only the reverser to two servos controlling both reverser and regulator.

This Accucraft Ragleth came here very much as a kit of parts, along with the coal-firing conversion kit made by DJB Model Engineering Ltd. The kit includes a replacement boiler, water pump, boiler filling system, water tanks, smokebox and all of the other components needed. The job was completed with a repaint from dark green in to satin black with simple red lining to avoid it looking too much like a black blob.

My sincere thanks go to Mike Darby at Chuffed2Bits for the repair work needed on the chassis.

I don't venture in to the mystical world of 7/8ths (of an inch to the foot) scale very often, but here is one I've just finished. This loco has an Accucraft Talgarth chassis incorporating a DJB Model Engineering coal-fired kit (boiler, fittings, axle pump, pipework, etc.) housed in a Simply ⅞ths Baldrig body. The latter needed a lot of modifications for coal firing, in particular the building of proper water tanks to supply the axle pump and the associated pipework. The GW transfers were supplied by Fox and the number plates came from MDC. My thanks go to Paul at DJB for his assistance with this one. I doubt it will ever be this clean again!

This loco was fitted with two-channel radio control and received blue and red lining along with a significant reduction in the amount of bare metal usually exhibited by this model.

It was a few years ago that Accucraft made an 0-6-2T called Superior, supposedly based on the loco of the same name formerly based at Bowaters paper works in Sittingbourne but now to be found at Whipsnade Zoo. That they were both 0-6-2s and both had side water tanks was undeniable, but there the similarities pretty much ended. Compared to the full-size loco, the model was too long, too tall, lacked the upper cab back sheet and had the wrong chimney.

The owner of this Superior discussed with me what might be done to improve the model and make it look more like The Real Thing. We determined that there was nothing critical (driven axles, boiler, etc.) on the loco that would be affected by the changes we wished to make. Using a drawing of the full-size loco as a guide the owner produced some drawings to show the modifications that could be made, principally reducing the cab height by 6mm and the loco's length by 15mm. Once on my bench, some serious butchery followed.

The tanks were cut off the cab and 15mm was removed from the front of the cab sides and the cab roof. The cab height was reduced by removing 6mm from the top, but this also caused the existing cab roof retainers to be lost, so a new method of holding the roof in place was devised. The cab and tanks were then reattached to form one piece once again.

The loco frames are, as is usual, made from Accucraft's choice of Weapons Grade stainless steel. This stuff is hard - very hard - and so is impossible to solder, impossible to tap, almost impossible to drill and difficult to cut. In order to retain the correct cut-out shape for the pony truck I determined that the 15mm length reduction had to come out of the middle of the frames, and the cut-out for the dummy firebox sides would be the ideal place to do that. The pony truck also needed some work to cope with the shortened frames.

The main footplate was also reduced in length by 15mm, which also involved relocating the reversing lever, lubricator, boiler water drain and cab steps.

The chimney was sent off to my good friend Adrian who managed to successfully turn it in to something looking a lot more realistic.

Other detailing work included:
 - Runners on the cab sides for those very distinctive Bowaters sliding windows.
 - Addition of a upper cab back spectacle sheet.
 - Replacement of the spectacle rings with four more in keeping with The Real Thing.
 - Re-positioning of the sand domes reach rod from the right to the left side of the loco.
 - Fitting of lamp brackets, lamps and cable conduits at each end.

Finally, the whole loco, including the frames, was repainted in Bowaters green with yellow and black lining.

The full-size SIR TOM or, as the nameplate says, SIRTOM lives and operates at the Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum and is used on short passenger trains to and from the quarry. It is well worth a visit! Accucraft's 7/8ths-scale model of the typical Bagnall 0-4-0ST provided the basis for this model of SIR TOM, and the owner and I strove to get as close as we could to replicating the full-size loco. Lots of changes were made, some by the owner (*) before the loco came to me, and they included:
 - Fitting of a replacement chimney
 - Fabrication and fitting of front dumb buffers (*)
 - Modification of smokebox saddle front plate (*)
 - Addition of rivet detail and opening panels on cab sides
 - Addition of rivets to front of saddle tank
 - Addition of injector water pipes to rear of saddle tank
 - Fabrication of replacement cab front panel (*) with air compressor exhaust pipe
 - Fitting of a replacement reverser lever
 - Swapping of blower pipe from right side to left side
 - Fabrication and fitting of dummy whistle to cab roof
 - Addition of edge trim to rear footplate doors
 - Modification of cab roof to incorporate gutters

The third picture shows the model and full-size locos together at Threlkeld. (Photo by James Gilchrist)

Accucraft ⅞ths-scale Quarry Hunslets repainted in Penrhyn Quarries livery, including:
 - Red cranks, coupling rods and connecting rods
 - Red reverser and drain cocks reach rods
 - Matt black smokebox, chimney, couplings and wheels
 - Lining in red and blue
 - Satin black finish to saddle tank, cab sides and running plate
 - Name and works plates supplied by MDC.

This one was also fitted with a coal bunker in the left side of the cab and a replacement pressure gauge syphon pipe provided by Chuffed2Bits.

DUNKERY was later fitted with a replacement brass cab which also came here for painting and lining to match. (Photo by Chris Tilley)

The owner did a lot of work on this loco before it came here, and my task was to complete the assembly and apply the paintwork and lining, Tasks undertaken by the owner before delivery included:
 - Replacement buffer beams with dumb buffers
 - Rearrangement of pipework to allow filling of the boiler
 - Replacement of chimney
 - Addition of safety valve extension tubes

In addition, the owner also designed the replacement cab and then had this laser cut from brass sheet, including the rivet and fixing holes.

The loco then came here. The first task was to modify the saddle tank so that the water filler was positioned in the middle of the tank and not at one end. This change prevented access to the original boiler water filler valve, hence the need for a new arrangement with the filler valve positioned in the cab. Removal of the dome required a different method of fixing the tank to the boiler. The dummy rivets were removed from the tank to give the appearance of a welded tank, and the dummy lubricators were removed and replaced by brackets to give the appearance of a loco with mechanical lubrication. The next job was to build the cab from the laser-cut brass sheets supplied. This included fitting of beading strips around the upper door openings, re-use of the Accucraft sliding doors on the rear and assembly of opening and glazed spectacle rings. Finally, it was painted in Victorian Maroon and lined in cream, much like the full-size Quarry Hunslet UNA kept at the National Slate Museum in Llanberis.

Accidentally damaging a loco must be soul-destroying for its proud owner. Fortunately, I offer a full repair service for such an occasion. This Accucraft Wren came to me after it took a tumble and ended up with a very bent cab. The roof itself was not repairable so was replaced with new, but the uprights straightened out again nicely, with one exception where a fracture had occurred at a screw hole. Everything else was found to be in good order.

A representation of the Talyllyn Railway's Edward Thomas built by Steve Acton using Roundhouse Engineering chassis components. It came here for repainting of its boiler, smokebox and cylinder covers, some attention to the existing lining, a valve timing check and servicing of the safety valve.

One of Peter's delightful creations, Lumpy Tom came here for replacement of its cylinder retaining springs and attention to a recalcitrant gas burner.

Another of Peter's delightful creations, GLYN came here for stripping, repainting and lining before shipment to its new owner in the USA.

This Peter Angus / Mike Lax Robey geared saddle tank came here for the addition of a cab back sheet followed by painting and lining. It is finished in the owner's standard satin black with blue and red lining that all of his locos carry.

This is a Peter Angus / Mike Lax model of the Darjeeling & Himalaya Railway's Garratt. It uses Roundhouse Engineering running gear and is very similar to Roundhouse's model of the same loco. The major difference is that this model has a ceramic gas burner in a tubed boiler and so needs an electric blower to raise steam and then uses its steam blower to maintain a draught through the fire.

It carried rather garish Darjeeling blue when the owner acquired it, but the full-size loco was scrapped in the mid-1950s, many years before the blue livery first appeared, so a more suitable colour scheme was required. The owner then suggested returning it to the condition of the loco shown in the Beyer Peacock works photos, which show a number of differences from later photos. To achieve this the changes included removal of the headlights, removal of the flared top from the coal bunker, shortening the front tank filler and addition of a rear spectacle plate.

Other changes made to the model were moving the front spectacle rings upwards to a more prototypical position and conversion from radio to manual control.

All of this was followed by repainting in Deep Brunswick Green with orange lining and black edging.

The photos show the model after completion of my work, the model as it arrived here and two Beyer Peacock works photos of the Darjeeling's Garratt in original condition.

A Peter Angus Climax, driven by the usual Roundhouse set-up that powers a cross-shaft to which is attached a skew gear. This drives another skew gear on an end-to-end shaft fitted with universal joints and more skew gear pairs to drive the outer axles of each bogie. By consequence, it has a lot of chuffs for the distance travelled. An odd arrangement, but it works, even if not particularly mechanically efficient in my view. It came here with a litany of leaks, poor valve setting, broken pipework, and needing a smokebox repaint. One problem was with the cross shaft, which had some side-to-side movement, allowing the gears to not mesh correctly.

Another Peter Angus Climax, which came to me for an overhaul (mainly the cylinders which were showing their age) and a full strip and repaint. It is quite cleverly constructed, with the boiler cradle being nothing more than a Roundhouse Jack / Katie 0-4-0 chassis with end extensions for the power unit pivots. The cylinders are mounted in their normal position on the frames, the drive shaft is mounted in the rear axle holes and the front axle holes are unused.

This unusual loco was built by Peter Angus and is powered by a 2-cylinder oscillator steam motor. Arriving in bare brass (third photo) my task was to paint it to its owner's detailed specification.

This Corpet-Louvet 0-6-0T for 45mm gauge track was built by Stewart Browne of Archangel fame.

The model came here with only the frames, wheels and a few other details painted.

After dismantling, a good clean, bodywork preparation, and lots and lots of masking etch primer and two coats of satin green were applied followed by red lining and black edging, all based on the full-size loco.

It was then a case of reassembly and dealing with a myriad of the smallest of details, including the superb railway, number and works plates kindly provided by MDC.

This loco is a delightful Darjeeling A-Class made by Archangel. Unlike other A-Class locos that have been here it is (a) made to scale and (b) beautifully made. It arrived here in bare metal and so has received etch primer, paint and lining. .

This model of a Darjeeling C-Class Pacific was built by Stewart Browne of Archangel fame.

The model came here with only the frames, wheels and a few other details painted. My task was to apply suitable, and authentic, paintwork. Information kindly provided by David Charlesworth of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (to whom I am very grateful) soon revealed that our choices were: DHR green with red and black lining (carried from 1914 to 1948), Indian Railways plain black (1948 to early 1970s), and black with blue cab and tender combined with red and white details (early 1970s to withdrawal). It is dubious variations of this latter livery that preserved 807 and 808 carry today. I'd never seen a black one in this scale so I suggested it to the owner, and he agreed. Like other models of a similar size, they can gain a real and purposeful workaday appearance in plain black with a few contrasting details.

There are very few pictures of these locos around, and my major source for detailing was, again, the large-format book entitled The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - A Photographic Profile 1962-1998. It is referred to as "The Australian Book" and it includes a full-page colour photo of 807 in black in 1962.

After dismantling, a good clean, bodywork preparation, and lots and lots of masking etch primer and two coats of satin black were applied. It was then a case of reassembly and dealing with a myriad of the smallest of details. Finally, with the paintwork finished, the final task was to affix number and works plates from MDC to the cab, tender back and smokebox and NF lettering to the tender sides.

The Festiniog Railway's Single Fairlie TALIESIN is seldom modelled in other than its current form, but this one bucks that trend with the loco seen in its earlier form with lower tanks, tapered chimney and open cab. It was built by Stewart Browne of Archangel Loco Works and arrived here with only the frames painted and the rest in either bare brass or primer. It was painted and lined to the owner's specification with name and works plates supplied by MDC.

The lucky owner of this brand-new Archangel Snowdon Ranger sent his model here for lining and fitting of radio control. This locomotive uses slip-eccentric valve gear so only a single-channel radio control system was needed. The lining was applied to the matt Archangel paintwork and then given a satin clear coat. The cab interior was painted in cream and black and the tank tops were also painted black.

This loco was built in December 1978 and it was certainly showing its age when it entered my workshop for a comprehensive overhaul and repaint. The work has been done in a way that is sympathetic to its heritage and pedigree but a number of improvements have been incorporated that improve its usability and operation. The work included:
 - Replacement of all pipework, including broken main steam pipe
 - Refixing of cranks and wheels to axles to remove "wobble"
 - Removal of wear from the slide valve
 - Replacement of piston rings, gland seals and gaskets
 - Altered smokebox door so that it can be removed to allow access to interior
 - Improved floor in smokebox which can easily be made air-tight
 - Nozzle in blower pipe to improve efficiency and reduce steam usage
 - Water tanks balance pipe moved from cab to under boiler
 - Overflow pipe fitted to meths burner to avoid "floods"
 - Wicks replaced with modern wick material
 - Tanks made watertight
 - Replacement of cab with original design
 - Replacement of coal rails around meths tank top
 - Stripped to bare metal for repaint in satin dark blue edged in black and lined in white

This loco can be seen in "as received" condition as an inset on the larger picture.

Dating from the 1980s, this meths-fired Archangel loco had been bought at an auction but had not steamed for some time. The new owner asked us to do a full inspection and repair as necessary with a view to returning it to working order. A number of faults were found and corrected, including non-working pressure gauge, blocked blower, stuck clack valves and a missing cab step. The loco had its first run on a track for many years early in May 2010. A 4-page instruction booklet for the owner was also produced which explained the various controls and how to operate an internally-fired meths locomotive. Unfortunately, I was not asked to repaint the locomotive!

Certainly the oldest 16mm scale loco that has been here for work is this one ... an Archangel tram loco. When the current owner acquired it he was told that it had been built by Archangel, but there were no markings on the loco to suggest that that was the case. An email to Stewart Browne at Archangel confirmed that it had indeed been built by him. He kindly wrote, "The model is an impression of 'The Giants Causeway' tram loco. Two were built in the early seventies. The power plant is a Stuart Turner boiler and oscillating cylinder, chain drive, forward only!". Bearing in mind that it is over 40 years old I found it to be in remarkably good condition and it only needed some repairs to leaking pipework, repairs to the bodywork (which is mainly copper sheet) and a new set of wicks for the meths burner. It runs very nicely but it is fixed for 45mm gauge track. The only thing that had really suffered over the years was the paintwork so it was stripped back to bare metal and repainted in colours to match the original paintwork and lining. Hopefully it will be good for another 40 years now!

If there is a word that can be used to describe an Argyle Loco Works "Bantam" it might well be "cute". This one came here showing no signs of a lot of use, but definite signs of trauma.

The most noticeable fault was the bent frames. The loco's 0-4-0 wheelbase is only 55mm but it has an overall length of 285mm, meaning that it has a huge amount of overhang especially at the back end. Something had occurred that caused the rear of the frames to droop downwards so the loco was completely dismantled and the frames were straightened.

Another issue was that the entire gas system was missing. A new tank. control valve, burner jet and pipework were kindly supplied by Argyle.

Attention then turned to the paintwork. The original plan had been to retain the existing paint but my usual plan of a run through the dishwasher led to most of it coming off! The small remainder was stripped off and the loco was completely repainted. This included the frames, the insides of which are clearly visible, and so while the outside received a coat of black the inside received a coat of red.

Yellow lining with black edging was then applied, followed by reassembly and a steam test.

The initial email from the owner of this 16mm Assocation Victory asked me simply to repaint it from grey to satin black, and sort out the valve timing. He had bought the loco second-hand and was not responsible for its construction or choice of colour. Satin black is the colour I spray the most so it was not an issue to fit it in the other work going on at RHLW. However, I did ask the owner to strip the grey paint, which he did. When it arrived here the body was in bare brass but every piece of the etched brass detailing (rivet strips, beading, etc.) had detached and was loose in a box of bits. Enquiries with the owner revealed they had detached during the paint stripping process. I began to smell SuperGlue.

First job was to dismantle the body completely. What little solder there was - a few spot welds - was some odd stuff that my soldering iron would not melt. The rest was welded together with SuperGlue and several joints had failed. A few minutes with my big gas torch soon had the body returned to its component parts. It was then cleaned of all solder and SG residue and rebuilt from scratch using solder as the only adhesive, including for the detail parts, followed by a repaint and some simple lining.

The chassis needed more work than expected too, with various parts loose or not fixed correctly. The poor performance reported by the owner on this radio controlled loco was corrected by replacing the manual regulator for one designed for radio control.

The owner of this Victory had bought it as a kit several years ago, had assembled the chassis, but was now stuck with the rest of its construction. It arrived me with me as a complete chassis and sheets of etched brass bodywork. A number of errors were identified in the chassis and it was soon running sweetly, Although a small start had been made on the bodywork it was not to my standard so was dismantled, cleaned up, and then the whole body assembled. Two-channel radio control was also fitted.

These locos have some unusual design characteristics but they can be improved with a bit of thought, including using tapped holes or captive nuts in some of the fixing holes to avoid unnecessary fiddling about with loose nuts and bolts.

Diagram 085 Penryhn Slate Sled - Small Main Line Type
Diagram 084 Penryhn Slate Sled - Large Main Line Type

Diagram 089 Penryhn Runner Wagon - "Alan George" Type
Diagram 090 Penrhyn Coal Wagon - Early Type

Diagram 093 Penrhyn Rubbish Wagons - Splayed Sides, Wood Underframe, Early Type

Diagram 092 Penrhyn Rubbish Wagon - Parallel Sides, Wood Underframe, Early Type
Diagram 071 Penrhyn Slate Wagon - Wood Underframe

Diagram 071 Penrhyn Slate Wagons - Wood Underframe

Diagram 061 Penrhyn Fullersite Wagon - Hinged Sides
Diagram 063 Penrhyn Fullersite Wagon - Lift-Out Sides

Diagram 062 Penrhyn Fullersite Wagon – Lift-Out Sides and Ends
Diagram 091 Penrhyn Coal Wagon – Later End Door Type

Diagram 088 Penrhyn Runner Wagon – Shallow Buffer Headstock Type
Diagram 086A Penrhyn Slate Sled – Early Small Quarry Type

You can't win them all... The owner of this Bassett-Lowke Enterprise contacted me to see if I would be interested in restoring his loco to its former glory. The loco dates from the 1930s and he told me "It has had some adventures in its lifetime, but ran quite well until the meths burner leaked, and led to a fairly spectacular fire". The result of that fire is seen here. After fixing a number of leaks and refixing the cylinders to the frames, I did manage to get it running, but only eratically. I found that the safety valve threads in the brass boiler had partially stripped and so it was impossible to raise more than a few pounds of steam pressure. The wheels would rotate when the loco was suspended on blocks but it did not have enough power to drag itself along a track. The owner and I agreed that further repair was uneconomic.

Big Big Train plastic tipper wagon with slate chippings load, with steel wheels and red oxide and rust paint finish. The second photo shows a short rake of these wagons being hauled by a Saltford Models Simplex.

Binnie Engineering injection-moulded plastic Festiniog Railway wooden slate waggon with correct pattern three-hole wheels running in brass bearings. Total weight is about 112 grams. After completion they are spray painted in red oxide, either all over and numbered 475 or with a matt black underframe (as shown) and numbered 79, to represent the preserved waggons of this type.

Binnie Engineering injection-moulded plastic tipper (or skip) wagon with all joints made using Plastic Weld solvent. Correct pattern Slater's four-hole steel wheels running in brass bearings were also fitted. Total weight is about 63 grams.

The top photograph shows a red oxide skip after "rusting".

The lower photograph shows a set of five skips in pale blue with "rusting", with the nearest one being built on a GRAMODELS frame incorporating a dummy handbrake and brake gear. The appearance of these skips was based on those that were used at the Liverpool Corporation Waterworks filter beds near Oswestry.

Another kit assembly job, this time for a Bramble Line railcar. The body parts were formed to shape and soldered together, as shown here. The owner took on the task of turning it in to a fully-finished working model.

Some years later I was asked to assemble another one. However, this time the owner wanted it powered and fully-finished as part of the job. I do basic electrical work but I avoid anything to do with electronics and so assistance was sought and found. The assembled and very bare brass body was sent to Friog Railway Services who fitted it with bogies, a power unit, radio control and sound. It then came back to me for fitting of windows, removable roof, door and grab handles, roof ventilators, headlights, horns, replacement buffer beams and couplings. Finishing work included lots and lots of painting, fitting of floor coverings and installation of seats.

A Brandbright PS19 bogie carriage constructed and painted at the Rhos Helyg Locomotive Works.

These four tipper wagons were constructed from Brandbright Quality Quarry kits. They feature a white metal chassis with a brass and white metal tipping body and steel wheels.

Shown here are a pair of Burton Leech Jinties, ostensibly built for coarse scale O-gauge and which, despite their appearance, date from the 1980s. They have meths-fired pot boilers and are powered by a single cylinder and slip-eccentric valve gear between the frames. Neither had seen use for some time and one was found to be in reasonably good order after some attention to its burner wicks. The other was a different story and required attention to its piston, valve and several loose wheels to make it run. A replacement meths burner was also fabricated as its own was missing.

A bit of 16mm heritage... Mike Gaskin (Caterham Works) No. 8 ANT was here for attention after suffering from old-age and some accidental damage, including:
 - Manufacture and fitting of new coupling rods
 - Replacement of crank pins
 - Quartering and fixing of wheels
 - Valve setting
 - Replacement of meths burner wicks

The loco is powered by a single cylinder between the frames driving on to the rear crank axle. Slip-eccentic valve gear is used but it is unusual in that this is driven from the front axle.

The owner intends to deal with the bodywork repairs and a repaint.

This Mike Chaney loco was repainted from maroon in to gloss black with red lining.

Quite a rare machine this one. When comparing it with his other locos the current owner soon decided that something had to be done to reduce its overall height. We looked at dropping the boiler, smokebox and the cab down but this would have involved some difficult but not impossible major surgery to achieve due to the smokebox and plumbing arrangements on this loco. The eventual solution agreed was to remove 12mm from the height of the cab and the chimney. Fortunately the dome was already short enough to not need any modification. The original plan with the chimney had been to chop and sleeve it, retaining the original cap. However, after making the first cut the stovepipe look appealed to me and a quick check with the owner found that he agreed. A full repaint in the owner's fleet colours of satin black with red and blue lining followed along with an upgrade from 40MHz to 2.4GHz radio control using Saturn equipment. The large picture includes an inset of the loco as received here.

This Cheddar Models Samson, like the same owner's Hercules, has been lowered by about 12mm by reducing the height of the cab and chimney. The body, boiler and smokebox were repainted and lined.

Anything but tiny, Tiny Tim came here for replacement of various O-rings and adjustment of its lubricator control valves.

MAIA had been in store for a number of years before coming here for inspection and repair before being used again. A number of problems soon came to light, and all caused by use of exceptionally hard water at some point. Chalky deposits were everywhere, including the tender water tank. This had resulted in the tender hand pump, the whistle valve and the boiler filler Goodall valve all ceasing to function as they should. The bottom fitting on the boiler water gauge glass was also blocked, and so gave a false reading of the boiler water level. A thorough descale and clean improved matters, and the various fittings were individually cleaned and checked. While here it also had its regulator and reverser servos replaced (one was dead when it arrived), had a Summerlands chuffer pipe fitted and had a Yatton Models TRXS radio control system installed.

This Cheddar Models Samson came here for a general check over after purchase second-hand by its owner. All of the Cheddar Models locomotives were robustly built and beautifully engineered, although they do have their own particular quirks! It is a real shame that they are no longer manufactured. This one had a heavily scaled boiler, and the chalky deposits had blocked the passages to the water level gauge glass causing it to give a false reading. A couple of days treatment with descaler resolved that problem. It had also been fitted with a 40MHz radio control system that was prone to interference, so this was replaced with a Planet T5 2.4GHz system.

A few years later it returned for some accidental damage repairs and repainting of body, boiler and smokebox.

This is a BIG loco ... a model based on the Bowaters/Welshpool & Llanfair Bagnall 0-4-4-0T MONARCH. It came here for stripping back to bare metal and a repaint and lining in to the scheme carried by the full-size loco.

Cooper Craft injection-moulded plastic Festiniog Railway 2-ton slate waggon fitted with Brandbright steel axles and wheels and an underfloor weight to increase its weight to about 165 grams. After completion it was painted and "rusted".

Each wagon uses 100 individual copper and brass rivets in its construction, although all joints are soldered for extra strength. After completion they are painted with etch primer and then in a colour of the customer's choice, followed by weathering.

Four Penrhyn Quarry Fullersite waggons of two different designs made up from David Bailey Designs kits and then suitably aged and weathered.

The model depicts Taliesin in its original open-cab form. It came here for replacement of its interference-prone 40MHz radio control with an Ikonnik KA-6 2.4GHz system, and a repaint of its boiler. The paint on the boiler was going soft when the boiler was hot, which had resulted in it being covered in finger prints, rag marks and fluff.

This loco came here in a non-authentic British Railways lined green livery so the bodywork was stripped back to bare metal and repainted in to the authentic Southern Railway scheme of green lined in black and white with yellow lettering (supplied David Bailey Designs) and correct pattern name and works plates (supplied by MDC). It was also converted from radio control to manual control and had a Summerlands chuffer pipe fitted.

As well as supplying their Lynton & Barnstaple 2-6-2T locos in ready-to-run form DJB Engineering also supplied them in kit form, and this loco is one of those. Cosmetically it was in rough condition when it arrived here but the paint hid a multitude of sins.

First job was to strip all of the paint, every last bit of it. Fortunately, no expense had been spared with the etch primer, in that there was no expense on etch primer and none had been used. Most of the paint had become detached from the brass and visibly moved when pressed with a thumb.

Bodywork construction was poor with many failing joints and fastenings and with some odd features which only left me thinking "Why did you do it like that?". A myriad of repairs later turned it in to a solid body that was square and not falling apart.

Painting then followed, in the rarely seen scheme used by the L&B between 1903 and 1913 and incorporating lots and lots and lots of lining.

DJB Engineering etched brass Penrhyn Quarry slate wagons featuring soldered construction for extra strength and with correct pattern curly spoked wheels running in brass axleboxes. After completion they are painted with etch primer and then in a colour of the customer's choice, followed by "rusting".

The owner of this coal-fired DJB Emma was not happy with the original cab so it was rebuilt with new sides with a Hunslet-style look. While here it also had attention to its axle-driven water pump, repair of tender and bogies, attention to valve gear and running gear and fabrication of a tender coal space that could actually be used to store coal. All of this was followed by stripping of all paint and a repaint in Deep Brunswick Green with yellow lining. My grateful thanks go to Paul Bailey at DJB Model Engineering for his assistance with the axle pump repair.

From this...

To this...

Life had not been kind or fair to this coal-fired DJB Robert. It came to me initially for some attention to the valve gear and cylinders, but subsequent discussions with the owner resulted in his agreement for a full and comprehensive rebuild of the loco in to something of which both he and I could be proud.

The loco was completely dismantled and returned to its component parts, including all of the bodywork. Each component was stripped of paint and repaired where necessary, including some major repairs to the cab and side tanks to make them "square" and fit for purpose.

As part of the process, a hand water pump has been placed in the left-hand side tank (accessible through the hole under the tool box), and provision has been made for full access to it in the unlikely event that the pump should fail in some way in the future.

The owner sent it back here two years later after it suffered a fall on to hard surface. It landed on the chimney, pushing it backwards and sideways, and also bending the bodywork and the frames. While the body and frames were relatively simple to correct the boiler was a different matter. The smokebox on these locos is an extension of the boiler barrel and so it was not easily removable or replaceable. On impact the chimney had collapsed the smokebox immediately in front of the boiler's front tubeplate and the copper had been stretched, preventing the chimney from being pulled back to vertical without the damage being visible. The damage also gave cause for concern as to the tubeplate's integrity. Consultation with DJB Engineering followed and it was decided that a replacement boiler was needed.

Work included straightening out the bodywork and frames, fitting the boiler and its fittings, replacing the cab roof and the dummy toolbox lid (replaced by a hinged flap) that had been lost by the owner, and all followed by a new coat of black paint.

An unusual livery of grey lined in white with graphite grey edging applied to a coal-fired DJB Engineering Robert built from a kit. This loco was purchased by the current owner in working order but with only the frames, boiler and smokebox painted. It came here for painting and lining but it soon became apparent that some of the soldering was not the best and various joints were repaired and/or strengthened before painting commenced. Included in this work was pressure testing of the two water tanks to check for leaks - they did! I feel sure the owner will have hours of fun trying to keep this one clean...

This coal-fired DJB Robert came here as a part-assembled kit, so I finished the assembly and painted it. This was followed by extensive testing and running-in before return to its owner in the USA.

An unfortunate accident befell this coal-fired DJB Robert when the front left-hand crank pin managed to unscrew itself. The loose coupling rod then caught on the track and pole-vaulted the loco off the raised trackbed on to the ground. The loco landed on the back right corner of the cab, which bent the cab but the regulator also took an impact sufficient to bend the steam turret on top of the firebox and also the regulator fitting on the turret.

The first task was to determine if the boiler damage could be repaired. RHLW does not have the facilities for such work and so the boiler was removed from the loco and sent to Shawe Steam Services for their attention. Fortunately it was possible to return the turret to vertical and make a new regulator connection. The boiler then had a hydraulic test to prove that all was well.

Knowing that all was well with the boiler work could then proceed with repairing the rest of the loco. The chassis had survived remarkably well and just needed a small twist removing and straightening of a buffer beam. The impact on the cab was sufficient to not only bend but also stretch the brass over the right-hand cab door. The existing brass was cut away and replaced with new. The bodywork was then stripped back to bare metal, minor dents were repaired and then repainted in maroon with cream lining and black edging.

The final picture shows the loco running on the track at Pecorama in Devon a few weeks later. (Photo by Paul Negus)

I don't know what it is about the DJB Model Engineering Ltd Robert, but they do seem to have a hard life. This is the third one that has been here for accident damage repair following an excess of gravity, or lack of support, in its immediate vicinity. This one looks to have landed upside down, with the the back of the cab taking the initial impact and ripping the cab roof off its hinges. The boiler also suffered, with the safety valve turret being pushed forward and to one side. On arrival here the loco was dismantled and the boiler went to Shawe Steam Services for straightening of the turret, testing and re-certification. With the bodywork I decided to try and keep as much of the original paint and lining as I could. The tanks and, surprisingly, the lower half of the cab had survived relatively unscathed so only the top half of the cab and the roof were actually stripped of the original paint. Much gentle heating, hammering and rolling later the cab and its roof were returned to their original shape and painted and lined to match the rest of the loco.

The DJB Engineering Robert is a fine kit for a coal-fired model locomotive, but my customer wanted his to be something a little different. The result is shown here.

The standard Robert model has the side tanks aligned with the front of the smokebox but a completely different look was achieved by moving them back towards the cab. The necessitated modifications to the tank undersides to accommodate the Hackworth valve gear together with different mountings and pipework arrangements. A Roundhouse George tender was added to carry coal. The loco was painted in satin finish bronze green and black.

Another variation on how to do the tanks on a DJB Robert... This one had been built from a kit and was acquired second-hand by the current owner. The first picture shows the loco in as received condition, complete with spacer blocks added between the front of the cab and the rear of the side tanks. Both the owner and I were rather taken by these but they were poorly made and had to go. They were replaced by the dummy coal bunkers shown in the later photos, firmly attached to the cab front and complete with matching rivet details.

Another change made to the tanks was removal of the fairing that encircled the smokebox front, leaving the tanks' inner edges vertical.

The original builder had made the cab back removable but this weakened the cab structure and necessitated a complicated roof hinge to allow the removal of the rear panel. Neither the owner or I could see the point of all this so it was rebuilt in standard configuration.

All of the paint was removed and the loco then received coats of etch primer, bronze green and black with orange lining.

Another Robert, built here from a kit, and again featuring the the dummy coal bunker sections between the cab front and the back of the water tanks, filling the gap nicely and changing the look significantly.

This is the fourth DJB Robert that has been here for accident repairs. They are heavy locos so when they fall on to a hard surface the damage can be severe. Despite the evidence in the first photo, this coal-fired one didn't actually suffer too badly in that no boiler damage was incurred, with only a bent blower valve spindle to deal with. The rest of the impact was absorbed by the body work, and mainly the cab. The second picture shows it after bashing back in to shape and a full strip and repaint based on the livery carried by the full-size LYN. New name plates by MDC to replace the wooden originals finished the job nicely.

Some of you may have read my "getting ready to retire" article in 16mm Today (SMT) magazine (No. 190). In it I wrote about lining locos and said "I know my skill limits and have no hesitation in recommending others to take on the job if I consider myself unworthy. Victorian Maroon Double-Fairlies spring to mind.".

This splendid model of Double-Fairlie Little Wonder was built by the very talented Graham Duncan-Smith. He sent me the bodywork which was then painted in Victorian Maroon and lined appropriately. (Photo by Andrew Mounfield)

The bodywork for this NGG11 Garratt was painted and lined in a scheme carried by the full-size loco. (Photo by Graham Duncan-Smith)

This wonderful Pechot-Bourdon locomotive was built by the very talented Graham Duncan-Smith. I was very pleased to have played a small part in its construction in that I was asked to paint and line the bodywork components. It was a delight to be asked, and a delight to do the job, Looks great, doesn't it? (Photo by Graham Duncan-Smith)

The Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds is well-known for its Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0 saddle tanks. Although they all looked very much the same, there were many different types of Quarry Hunslet as they varied in size, power and a whole host of detail differences. Synonymous with North Wales, large fleets of Quarry Hunslets were used in the Penrhyn slate quarries near Bethesda and at the Dinorwic slate quarries near Llanberis, with correspondingly smaller numbers to be found at the smaller quarries such as Pen-yr-Orsedd and Dorothea. However, Hunslet also produced many similar but less famous locomotives for use elsewhere in the UK and abroad. IANTHE, seen here, could be one of those.

IANTHE is a converted ELR Engineering Large Quarry Hunslet that came here direct from the builders for fitting of a cab to the owner's design followed by painting and lining. A test steaming on arrival showed that it ran very nicely but there were some assembly and alignment issues concerning the chimney, smokebox and saddle tank which, at the owner's request, I spent some time dealing with before proceeding with the work we had planned. The loco came here largely unpainted, and the few parts that had been painted were stripped and then primed and painted along with all of the unpainted parts. Lining in blue and red followed to match the several other locos in the owner's fleet that carry this scheme.

Like IANTHE, the owner of this one also wanted a cab on his loco but in the traditional style used by Hunslet and some tourist railways. The cab is a completely new fabrication but incorporates the lower rear panel and sliding doors originally supplied with the loco. Also like IANTHE, this loco had some unfortunate construction and alignment issues concerning the chimney, boiler and saddle tank which, at the owner's request, I corrected before proceeding with the rest of the work we had planned. Again, many nuts and bolts were replaced with tapped holes or captive nuts, especially the ones that secure the saddle tank in place which, combined with the new cab and a few adjustments, give a much stronger fastening. The loco came here already painted black with Penrhyn-style lining but due to the nature and extent of the work involved it was necessary to strip the bodywork and footplating back to bare metal, repaint in satin black and apply new lining.

This was the third ELR Engineering Quarry Hunslet to come here for attention. Unfortunately it needed the same rectification and modification work as the other two but a cab was not fitted this time. Working under specific instructions from the owner, this work included:
 - Straightening of the chimney to make it vertical
 - Modified saddle tank fixings to allow it to sit level
 - Replacement of most loose nuts with tapped holes or captive nuts
 - Fixing of chimney cap and safety valve collar with solder instead of glue
 - Stripping of flaking paint
 - Replacement of broken/missing/misaligned boiler fixing stud
 - Modification to rear doors to avoid them falling off the loco when picked up
 - Modification to safety valve turret
 - Replacement of lubricator filler cap with Roundhouse Engineering equivalent

It was then repainted in to a Dinorwic Quarry-style livery of maroon with red lining.

Another ELR Engineering Quarry Hunslet has been on my bench for attention. Others that have been here have run very well, despite their many shortcomings in other areas, but this one was reported by the owner to be off-beat. After checking that the slip-eccentrics were not the cause of the problem my diagnosis was that a valve head was in need of repositioning on its spindle. Unfortunately with these particular models there is no easy way to achieve this without completely dismantling the locomotive. Removing the bodywork, boiler and footplating allowed access to the valve chests and after half a turn of one valve buckle perfect running was restored. The time then came to reassemble it...

You can read above about the issues that I have found with other locos of the same type, and this one exhibited much the same, along with a saddle tank which was coming apart at the seams. With the owner's consent it then went through the normal programme of bodywork modifications and adjustments followed by stripping of all paint, repainting and lining in the earlier Penrhyn Quarries scheme.

ELR Engineering converted this standard Roundhouse "Jack" 0-4-0ST to coal-firing. It came here for a check-over, service and repaint. As is usual with these things, the job list grew a little and ended up looking something like this:
 - Restoration of axle water pump to working order.
 - Modification of the saddle tank filler cap to give a positive fixing, rather than depending on gravity.
 - Fitting of Swift Sixteen buffer beam overlays.
 - Modification of the cab roof to prevent scratching of paint on cab front.
 - Unblocking of boiler water gauge glass bottom pipe.
 - Descale of the boiler.
 - Recalibration of safety valve for 60psi operation.
 - Various modifications to ease future disassembly and maintenance.
 - Fixing of a water leak from the saddle tank.
 - Stripping of paint from body, roof, smokebox, etc.
 - Application of etch primer, satin black, Victorian Maroon and red/black lining.

All of this was followed by a thorough testing session to make sure all was well.

A representation of a Darjeeling Himalaya Railway A-Class built by Elstow Engineering.

The eight A-Class (formerly No. 2 Class) locos were delivered by Sharp Stuart (and Hunslet) to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in 1879 and 1880. They were the forerunners to the larger, more familiar and much-loved B-Class.

The third and fourth pictures show the model as it was delivered. lt came here for testing, extensive modifications and repainting at the request of the owner.

My sincere thanks go to Shawe Steeam Services for their considerable help with this project.

I found some irony in that it was provided with an unsigned and undated boiler test certificate, yet the boiler leaked from its backhead in three places as soon as the boiler was filled with water with no pressure raised. The reverser weigh shaft was constructed from many components held together with grub screws, which failed to grip sufficiently when a direction was selected.

The bodywork was poorly constructed, requring major work to correct. And whoever painted it decided that etch primer was unnecessary. A thumb nail would easily remove the green paint.

Without doubt the worst loco I have ever worked on. And that is all I have to say.

The bodywork from this Essel Engineering model of the Festiniog Railway's diesel locomotive came here for repainting.

The second picture shows the loco after reassembly by its owner. (Photo by Robert Chisholm)

This brand-new Evans Steam Services "Frank" Garratt came to me for conversion from radio to manual control and then repainting in Deep Brunswick Green and lining in orange and black. While here it also received some modifications to pipework and bodywork to allow for easier and future disassembly, maintenance and reassembly. I like to think its new paint garb makes it look more "grown up" and credible than the basic green and bare brass as supplied.

For those that wish to economise on the running of their passenger services, here is a possible alternative to steam power. This battery-powered unit is made up of three Faller railcars mounted on Lima bogies.

Control originally was a simple Forwards-Off-Reverse switch but this was soon replaced with radio control taken from a toy car. This has since been replaced with an Mtroniks Viper electronic speed control coupled to a Planet radio control receiver.

Sometimes it is an absolute pleasure to do work on a loco, and those produced by Finescale Engineering definitely fall in to that category. LEAMINGTON SPA is a Finescale Peckett 0-4-0ST and it came here for remedying of its poor performance issues. Worn piston rings, a stuck slide valve head and a faulty safety valve all contributed, and normal sewing machine-type performance was restored after correcting these issues. Just lovely...

This 20-year old locomotive was showing its age and was looking a little scruffy. The owner specified that it was to be restored to its original as-new condition, so it was stripped back to bare metal and repainted in gloss blue with cream lining, but with blue cylinder covers instead of black.

This Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet had suffered some impact damage to its rear end, causing the cab back sheet to part company with the footplate and the paintwork to be scratched. This cab back was repaired and the cab, footplate and saddle tank were then stripped back to bare metal and repainted in satin black with Penrhyn-style lining. Doing this allowed me to make a couple of changes to the loco as supplied in that I added lining to the cab front panels and also positioned the name plates in the slightly odd positions in which they were and are carried by the full-size loco (GWYNEDD, for example, has them higher up the tank side and further towards the front).

This loco was completely dismantled and stripped back to bare metal. It was then resprayed with etch primer and satin black. followed by lining in the Penrhyn Quarry Railway's scheme.

This delightful Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet had not been used for a few years so it came here for some attention. Included in this work was freeing and repair of the regulator handle which was seized solid in its housing, unblocking of the pressure gauge syphon pipe and adjustment of the valve timing to improve backwards running. The first two issues were caused by deposits from hard water, and so the boiler had a descale too.

After 20-odd years of use, this Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet had lost its usual impeccable performance and was struggling to pull a train. Examination revealed that the slip-eccentric valve gear had worn out and was preventing the cylinder steam valves from opening fully. Repair work included fitting of new slip-eccentrics, coupling and connecting rods, axles and crank pins. It also received a respray in satin black of the smokebox, boilere, footplating and cylinder covers. Gorgeous...

Lady Madcap came here for application of satin black to the smokebox, footplating, boiler and firebox, and the addition of a spacer between the rear of the smokebox and the front of the saddle tank that fills an unsightly gap.

WINIFRED is a Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet and came here in as-new gloss black with blue and red lining. It received a coat of satin clear to the tank and cab panels, a coat of satin black to smokebox, footplating, chimney cap and handrails, and a coat of red on the cranks and rods. It looks a bit more quarry-like now...

This loco came here for repainting from black in to blue with red and black lining.

This delightful model of a Glyn Valley Tramway loco was built by Finescale Engineering in the early 1990s and came here for a number of repairs, including:
 - Leaking meths burner
 - Leaking lubricator
 - Pressure gauge not working correctly
 - Reversing lever jamming
 - Safety valve unreliable

The meths burner was also serviced and modified so that the boiler could supply enough steam for the 2-cylinder power unit as a second cylinder had been added to improve its performance.

The three main body parts for this diesel loco were sent here by Friog Railway Services for painting in green and lining in red with black edging.

The second picture shows the loco after completion. (Photo by Rob Brown)

Another Friog Punch, painted in green and lined in red with black edging. (Photo by Phil Roberts)

An unusual machine, VICTORIA is meths-fired and is powered by a 2-cylinder oscillating engine driving a gear on the front jackshaft. It was purchased by the current owner at the 1988 16mm Association AGM. The works plates read GREEN / 1987 / ENGINEERS and the plate on the front reads NERRISGECH SLATE QUARRY, so not giving any huge clues as to who built it. However, an appeal for information on Facebook soon found the builder: Chris Green. Chris kindly wrote, "I built it in 1987. The oscillating engine was as built for me by Dave Baker, who is better known for Gauge 1 locos. It's very roughly based on a Sentinel quarry loco. I sold it to Tennents Model Shop in Halesowen, who then sold it on at the AGM. I used the funds to purchase my first lathe. As for Nerrisgech Slate quarry, you will have difficulty finding it in any books, but take a little look at the letters in my name. Glad to see it is still running after 30 years.". It came to me for a full strip and repaint, an overhaul of the steam engine to improve its running and prevent leaks, and replacement of the burner wicks.

Repainted, lined and fitted with Accucraft couplings...

David Hick made a number of these gas-fired Peckett 0-4-0ST locos in the 1980s and this one was bought on behalf of a model locomotive collector in the USA and shipped to him shortly afterwards. It changed ownership in 2012, but when the new owner tried to run it he found a few problems after its years of storage, and the plain pea green paintwork was looking very tired. After going through the process of registering Rhos Helyg Loco Works as an authorised temporary importer of goods for repair (and the acquisition of an EORI number from HM Revenue & Customs) the owner and I made the necessary arrangements for it to cross the Atlantic once again. I found and corrected problems with the valve timing and the safety valve, and followed this by a full repaint and lining in the scheme shown here. The job was completed with the name and works plates supplied by MDC. Gorgeous!

This loco came here as the proverbial box of bits, with a request that it was assembled and tested in steam. The task included supplying the many missing components (gaskets, O-rings, screws, gauge glass) and some modifications to the cab layout to accomodate a gas fuel tank.

This carriage is one of three identical models built from I P Engineering's Festiniog Railway No. 15/16 kits and painted in a livery based on that used on some carriages at the Markeaton Park Light Railway in Derby.

These two carriages were built for a customer in Australia from I P Engineering kits. The roofs were deliberately not fixed on before shipping so that the customer could add internal detailing.

The second picture shows them after completion at their home in Australia. (Photo by Julia Bell)

The first picture shows an I P Engineering cattle wagon which was built here and then painted and weathered. The second picture shows a cattle wagon that was built to 45mm gauge for a customer who wanted it to match his Accucraft Welshpool & Llanfair wagons in Great Western livery and so it was painted to match. It features Accucraft chopper couplings and opening side doors hinged at the bottom and held closed by chained pins.

I P Engineering MOD Low Loader constructed, painted and weathered.

My first ever 16mm/foot scale loco was a Brian Clarke / Saltford Models Simplex battery diesel. For the few pounds they cost Saltford sent a motor, wheels, axles, a switch, a selection of whitemetal castings and comprehensive instructions. The bodywork was made from styrene sheet (not provided in the kit) and it was a couple of evening's work to cut out all the bits, glue them together and end up with a working loco. Other locos featured in the Saltford range and I am sure I am not alone in following that introductory route to modelling in our scale.

My Saltford Simplex lasted me well but various impacts (one caused by a cat flicking it off a shelf on to the floor) had caused much damage to the bodywork and so it was retired for a major repair a few years ago. Subsequent investigation revealed that it was slowly returning to its component parts and so I decided to rebuild it completely, but this time in brass rather than styrene. As a wet North Walian Sunday afternoon job I made a start but other projects came along and it got forgotten.

And then I P Engineering announced their Leighton Buzzard sand quarry Simplex diesel kit and I thought it looked so much nicer than anything I could be bothered to make, so I bought and built the one shown here. The kit is almost entirely made of whitemetal and features a wealth of detail, such as rivets and the emergency door handle. I chose to solder the parts together for extra strength, and I also incorporated some of the whitemetal castings from my original Saltford loco, such as the starting handle and the diesel engine details.

Being a loco built for myself, of course I was always going to make some changes to the kit as supplied. The engine bonnet had rounded edges front and back (as used on a cabless Simplex) and so it was squared-off at its back end, as most of the Leighton Buzzard locos seem to have that arrangement. I also added the protective mesh on the front right. I turned the radiator around so that the cores are on the left of the loco and the fan is in the middle, again as that seems to be common at Leighton Buzzard. The window on the left cab side is unusual but I decided to leave it in place. I also replaced the switches either side (one for off/on, one for forward/reverse) with a single centre-off slide switch.

There were two quarry operators at Leighton Buzzard: Garside's and Arnold's. Although the liveries were similar (green with white details) I chose the Garside livery for my model and in keeping with their policy of naming locos after famous horses I applied an appropriate name.

For those of you that receive and read the rather excellent Throwback Modeller digital magazine you may have seen on pages 51 and 52 of issue 42 an article giving a short history of this Garratt built by the late David (Dave) Johnson in Leeds, probably in 2002. The Garratt's body components came to me recently for repainting and lining. The owner chose dark blue lined in cream and edged in black. (Photo by Mike Leckenby)

Kestrel plastic tipper wagon with steel wheels and red oxide and rust paint finish.

A few repairs and modifications were made to this Locobox Afrikaans Garratt. The main change was to the front and rear pony trucks which now sport dummy axle box details, instead of the "naked wheel" arrangement that they used to have. The dummy axleboxes fitted to this loco are designed to cope with regauging from 32mm to 45mm, and vice versa. The repairs included remaking some of the soldered joints on the cab and tanks which had failed due to flexing of the bodywork.

A few years later the bodywork components of this locomotive returned here for repainting in satin black. The second photo shows it after reassembly by its owner. (Photo by Richard Hay)

Imagine if the Penrhyn slate quarries had flourished beyond everybody's wildest dreams, they might have ended up with one of these for working trains on the Main Line to Porth Penrhyn. Well, maybe. This is a Locobox Garratt that came here for conversion from radio to manual control, a few changes to its appearance including a proper smokebox door and the rear headlight moved from cab roof to the coal bunker, and a repaint in to Penrhyn livery. The repaint proved rather problematic as the original thick coat of green paint returned to a semi-liquid state when the black was first applied, and then set solid again. Needless to say, this did not give an acceptable finish and so the whole green and black sticky mess had to be completely removed - a filthy and very time-consuming job. Worth the effort though...

The owner of this fine machine sent it here for a service, some minor repairs and some attention to its paintwork. The original couplings were also replaced with I P Engineering centre buffer/hook type on specially-made mounting plates.

This particular model of Cackler by Locomotion was being a bit of a problem child and so it came here for some attention. The main problems concerned the pistons and valves, with the former so tight in their bores that it was almost impossible to rotate the wheels and the latter having a propensity to dismantle themselves at every opportunity. These issues were corrected, but still the problems continued with a steam leak in the smokebox, a blocked boiler water gauge, faulty gas burner and a safety valve that was anything but safe. The safety valves on these locos are unusual in that they rely on a spring under tension (rather than compression) for their operation, and the spring on this one "let go" of its top fitting in spectacular style during a bench test run. Fortunately it was working on compressed air at the time and there was no hot water or steam involved! The safety valve was successfully rebuilt and recalibrated by Shawe Steam Services.

Two more Locomotion Cacklers came here for similar repairs. It seems that once they get to a certain age they seem to have similar problems involving degradation of the O-rings used on the live steam supply to the valve chests and of the piston rings. This degradation then causes steam leaks under the smokebox and "blow by" of steam to the pistons, so causing poor performance. They had all of these O-rings replaced with modern equivalents and the performance returned to how it should be.

While here the top one also had its red lining re-applied as the original lining had worn or faded so much that it was almost invisible.

The bottom one proved to be even more troublesome in that it needed some modifications to the slidebar brackets to make the chassis run freely. The gas burner also received attention to make it work better and quieter than it did, including the removal of an ageing in-line filter that was causing more gas jet blockages than it was meant to prevent. Repairs to the smokebox door, cab handrails and the roof hinges were meant to complete the job. However, after leaving the gas tank full one evening and then finding it completely empty the next morning some remedial action was needed to the tank and two separate leaks were repaired with silver solder.

This loco first came here a few years ago for attention to the poor running characteristics unfortunately common in these locos. The usual battle with the cylinder end covers and their steel 10BA screws snapping when unscrewed followed. Fitting a new set of the correct type of piston O-rings soon had the loco running again as it should, and that was about all I did. Four years later, and the same loco was back on my bench having changed owners in the meantime. The new owner wanted it to be fitted with single-channel (regulator only) radio control, more detailing (lubricators, pipework, cab vents, etc.) and a repaint in to the maroon lined in red scheme that the full-size loco carried while at Dinorwic Quarry in North Wales.

The bodywork for this loco came here for a repaint in to the maroon lined in red scheme that the full-size loco carried while at Dinorwic Quarry in North Wales. (Photo by Gareth Jones)

The proverbial Box Of Bits can always be a challenge, especially when there are no instructions, few others around of the same type to copy and the box contains bits from more than one kit. Such was the case with this one, which eventually turned in to a model of Penrhyn Quarry's Avonside 0-4-0T MARCHLYN.

I've had a couple of the similar Maxwell Hemmens Ogwen/Marchlyn locos here, but this one was made by Roger Marsh so there are a few differences. I started by finishing assembly of the chassis and running it on compressed air. I then put enough bits on to get it running on steam. The chassis ran nicely but the boiler was not so good. The pressure gauge pipe was fractured where it was soldered directly in to the boiler, and the backhead water gauge glass was also leaking. Not something I can fix, so the boiler went off to Shawe Steam Services for repair. The pressure gauge pipe can now be easily removed from the boiler should the need arise, and a different and better method of retaining the backhead in place has also been used.

Meanwhile, I removed the poorly applied paint and applied etch primer, black with Penrhyn lining and red detailing, all followed by reassembly to give the result shown.

The body (only) of this loco came here for repainting in satin black with the smokebox, cab roof and tank tops finished in matt black. (Photo by Dave Billmore)

The bodywork parts for this Merlin Major were sent here for painting and lining in the colour and style carried by the Rudyard Lake Railway's locomotive KING ARTHUR. The owner then completed the assembly of his locomotive and the superb result is shown here. The lower picture shows the painted and lined parts. (Photo by Keith Greenwood)

The bodywork parts for this Merlin Mayflower were sent here for painting in Victorian Maroon and lining in cream. The owner then completed the assembly of his locomotive and the superb result is shown here. The lower picture shows the painted and lined parts. (Photo by Keith Greenwood)

This Merlin Midas came here for a replacement pressure gauge syphon pipe and a repaint from chipped and scratched maroon into pristine maroon, complete with black tank tops.

This Merlin Minstrel came here for stripping and repainting of the boiler and bodywork in to the Great Eastern Railway-inspired scheme of dark satin blue with red and black lining shown here, along with the obligatory white cab roof. The side tanks are made of tinplate and the cab from brass, and it also has a brass boiler. The paintwork on the frames was left for the owner's attention, at his request.

The owner of this Merlin Minstrel had decided to replace the original gas tank and burner with replacement items from Roundhouse Engineering, and to upgrade the radio control system. Unfortunately circumstances then prevented him from finishing the job, so he sent it here. Various brackets were made to fix the gas tank and the burner firmly in place, a single-channel 2.4GHz radio control system was installed, the now unused holes in the cab roof were filled and the roof was repainted.

The owner of this 1980s Merlin Monarch reported it to be "a bit wobbly" when running. Investigation revealed that the axles and their frame holes were badly worn so new inner axleboxes were made and fitted. It was found that the valve timing was out and this was corrected by making a replacement valve rod for one side. Brass pistons with O-ring seals replaced the original worn plastic pistons. Attention to the gas filler valve, pressure gauge and safety valve made it usable once more.

This delightful model of the WHR's Russell was built by Paul Millington in 1997 and came here for a number of repairs, including:
 - One tank filler lid missing (copy made)
 - Loose cylinders
 - Leaking valve chest
 - Pressure gauge not working
 - Axle pump not working
 - Boiler clack valve not seating
 - Boiler gauge glass giving false readings

All of these issues were corrected and it was returned to the sewing machine-like performance for which Paul's locos are renowned. Lovely!

Morgan Locomotive Works Garratt No. 15 had a more substantial cab fitted before being repainted in to green with white lining and black edging.

Garratts have a reputation for being big and long locos, but not this one as it is barely 15 inches long. It is powered by a 2-cylinder oscillator steam motor mounted under the boiler, with power provided to each end by drive shafts and universal joints. It is beautifully made and a credit to its builder. It came here for a repaint in to green with yellow and black lining.

The bodywork for a Morgan Garratt painted and lined in a Great Eastern Railway scheme.

VICTOR was repainted in "Improved Engine Green" (yellow ochre), lined in white with black edging, and finished off with a satin clear coat.

A number of repairs were performed on this exquisite machine, including:
 - Replacment of piston O-rings
 - Resetting of valve timing
 - Replacement of boiler water gauge seals
 - Servicing and recalibration of pressure gauge

A few years later another one came here for much the same attention.