Keep Banging the Drum

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of an oil drum with hand pump that I had built following an example Ian Holmes had made for Gn15. I can now report that it is completed and painted/weathered.

It is sat on another recent "quick" project, a scenic wagon built on a wobbly Black Dog chassis withdrawn from active service and reunited with a basswood floor I made some time ago. New couplers are Black Dog castings I picked up at Narrow Gauge North yesterday (see sometimes I can work quickly!).

I have made a little progress with the Exmoor this week. All of the work now is that little more involved but the reward is that the detail starts to build up. Earlier this week I added beading along the edge of the cab footplate from 10x10 thou styrene strip, tops to the tanks from 10 thou sheet and a smokebox door from 20 thou styrene cut with a circle cutter.

Today I have added a few more details, including the sandpot in front of one of the tanks and mechanical lubricator in front of the other. These are constructed from various styrene sections and strips, although the sandpot lid is an Airfix mineral wagon buffer head! Both of these parts will have to remain removable until after painting so have wire re-enforcement built in to aid location and strength. Moving to the boiler I have added bands of 5 thou styrene to the barrel and hinge and strap detail to the smokebox door. It is starting to look a little more locomotive like!

Colin