Thoughts turn to the remaining detailing on the body of my 57xx tank.  I like to take pictures pre paint for prosperity before it all disappears under plain black and grime and no one really notices what you’ve done anymore!

Front 3 quarter view.  You will notice that the buffers are different.  Due to a timely new casting arriving from Lanarkshire models. Lamp irons are from Masokits and the sanding levers from RT models. The footplate pipework has been replaced with wire  The Whistle shield is from Modelu reinforced with a bit of wire. The tool box seemed a little ‘floaty’ as mainline had modelled it so I filled in the gap and re-scribed a finer one.

Rear view. The fire irons are from Springside Models and the rear windows from Mainly Trains (now Wizard models).  I’ve thinned down the cab sides I tried to do the water balancing pipe as one piece secured by magnets but as its all a little bit small the magnets weren’t really strong enough.  I had fears of it falling off and causing havoc with the inside motion so I had to settle for it being in 3 parts instead. Not sure what the little box is behind the rear footstep not all locos had them.  I think it might be related to the AWS gear.

Underside view – you can just make out the way the pickups are arranged.

My intended victim for this model was 8718 which in Brettell Lane era was a Kidderminster Loco.  It later went to Stourbridge where it lost its number plates and gained painted on numbers in a reasonable attempt at the GWR font.  I preferred the proper number plate.  Searching for pictures I couldn’t make out a BR logo on the tank sides. A request to the GWR modellers and British Railways Steam era 1948 to 1968 facebook groups didn’t yield any answers either so reverting to my ‘model what you see, not what you think you know’ approach I left the logo off.

Below a few images of the finished loco. The crew are the customary Modelu products.

So there you have it – An unremarkable little tank engine.