It's nearly a year since work began on the Junkbox Jury series of models and a while since they appeared on the blog. There were a couple of loose ends that I felt needed tidying up, including one that I swore I had published here previously, but it appears that I didn't...
The first unfinished item was last seen as a flat wagon with pseudo-Hudson axleboxes and not a lot else. Combined with the A1 Models loco bonnet that ever-so-nearly ended up on the dismantled diesel they were brought together to create a generator on a flat wagon. Back in February I reached an impasse as to whether the load should be loose, sat on a couple of planks and strapped down, or should sit permanently on the wagon with some 'L' section and bolts to hold it in place... After much thought I opted for the latter.
The bonnet received an inset styrene infill at what was the cab end and this contains some familiar looking bits of Dapol railbus underframe as the controls and some sort of outlet. Holes that were once intended to house an air horn have been filled over with a fuel filler access flap from 5 thou styrene sheet, with another at the front, presumably for the water. The exhaust is brass tube in a hole drilled for that purpose back when it was going to be part of a locomotive.
The cover is removable to aid painting, when removed it reveals a crude representation of a radiator from a scrap of Evergreen siding and an indulgence in the form of an engine block rescued from a toy motorbike, just so you can see something through the holes (some careful painting required).
During all this work the wagon received a new Peco underframe, a 10 foot example cut down to fit, leaving a wheelbase of approx 16mm. Black Dog Mining-style axleboxes are fitted, using the Farish buffer heads as the centre circles. The change of underframe was prompted by the frailty of what was left of the original, it had been whittled down a little too much earlier in life and an axlebox eventually split off.
Next to be completed is the original
4w open coach that I built to a c.26mm width.
Regular readers may recall that this was replaced mid-build by a 28mm wide version when I wanted to match the width of commercial models. The first model has now been completed to the primer stage, with detailing added from Grandt Line bolt heads and Chivers (4mm scale) axleboxes added to a Peco 15ft chassis. Inside, the seats are currently only placed in position to aid future painting.
However, painting both these models will now be left to someone else, as I have opted to let them go in the near future as surplus to requirements...
Colin
