17 Years but Who's Counting

I was trying to work out how long ago I started putting the NIB set together and I added it up and I reckon it was about 17 years ago. Not a bad gestation period hey? Since I started to put them together they've had the under floor detail built twice, painted an awful strawberry red and cream then stripped and had the bogies rebuilt to take 23.8mm axles. Oh, and removed the cast on diaphragms and replaced them with working ones so I could have the diaphragms touching but still go round corners. Anyway, they're finished now except for attaching the roofs on the HFN's. I'm toying with idea of putting LED marker lights in but we'll wait and see. To be honest, I'm sick of the sight of them as it took me over 2 weeks to attach all the windows....just about every one had to have some filing done to make them fit properly, very poorly designed in my opinion. Here's how they turned out

HFN 2198

End detail showing Diaphragm

FN2200

BN2201

I also managed to finish off all the other carriages I'd been working on. It's a good feeling to finish off these models that I've had in storage. There's still a bunch to go but not for now. Here's how they turned out.

BKD711

BKG789

BKG680

GT74

KB 1105

KKG1524

So, that's it for now. I think it's time to release the Navvies again. I saw the wonderful work Linton was doing with his bench work so he's inspired me to start again and get the bench work finished for my Picton and lay some track. It's about time I get something running but I can't help myself from build rolling stock so I'll split my time between bench work and the carriage works.

That's the plan anyway and we all know how plans end up.......