A little while back an internet friend offered me some surpless kits and bits for Welshpool style wagons, I think they were Nine Lines kits. He'd started them, made some modifications, but lost interest and realised they didn't fit with his plans. I'd guess they'd been kicking around his workbench for a while for a few of the parts were damaged or mising - such as most of the wheels! Still there are enough parts to make up 5 wagons, I picked up some wheels at Sparsholt and have been slowly working on the brakevan, cattle van and goods van.
They make up into rather nice vehicles, slighly larger than most of my stock but not excessively so. The kits have needed some fettling though, and depsite my best efforts all 4 wheels are not quite level - so the solebar/axlebox mouldings are not very accurate! If necessary I'll have to re-work the chassis but they may be OK. I've had to use a few bits of plasticard, including supports for the running boards of the brake van, I've made plasticard roofs using the boiling water method, and added handrails from wire. They have had lead sheet added under the floor for weight, so now all they need are couplings and painting.
A little over a year ago my latest Paul Windle loco arrived, just a couple of days after my daughter. It seemed like a loco that needed a name, and my daughter's name "Lucy Ann" just seemed to fit, so my wife suggested I get some name-plates. Well, suitable bespoke name-plates proved hard to come by and not cheap, so when a freind started offering etched nameplates via the NGRM forum I was delighted! So here is Lucy Ann, along with a reasonable representation of Hunslet style works plates too!
While I was at it, in the interest of sibling equality, I got a set of "Joshua" plates, which seemed to fit the Sharp-Stewart tram nicely. And as for the LNER style tram loco, well that just needed the name "Toby"! Both are also Paul Windle models. The plates are finely etched, but do need a background colour. I chose red, just Humbrol matt enamel, and after it had dried I removed the paint from the raised letters and edge with a scalpel blade, and by rubbing gently over some fine wet-and-dry. I lined them up on the side of the loco's against masking tape to get them level and central, and stuck them on with a little PVA, on the basis that it should provide sufficient bond without damaging the paint in case of excess.
Considering that the name plates are just 2mm (a scale 6 inches of course) high, they are very sharp and really add to the locos' appearance, but I am not sure the photos do them justice. If you are interested you can find out more and order your own from Narrow Planet, who also do works plates and are planning other related products. Now I'm sure I have other loco's in need of names ...
