Last month I mentioned that a Rapido Kerr-Stuart Sirdar had arrived. It needed a little personalisation before entering service. It is supplied with a bag of detailing and optional parts. I chose to swap the straight tapered "stovepipe" chimney with this capped design, using the supplied screwdriver and checking it is fitted vertically. I also attached vacuum pipes, although I found they had to be set far enough from the coupler that the loops of adjacent vehicles didn't foul them. 

I found the couplings drooped slightly, enough to uncouple on the join to Hexworthy's fiddle yard. This was easily solved by punching a "washer" from 10-thou plasticard using a leather punch. This was inserted below the coupling on the pivot and held by the screw - which fits the same supplied screwdriver as used for the chimney. This means the coupling is clamped by the screw and doesn't pivot though. 

Light weathering takes a box-fresh model to a more convincing look. As usual, I used water-soluble oil washes; a dark black-brown over the body, wiped off with a damp brush or cotton bud, leaving an oily-rag finish and dirt/shadows in the crevices, plus a mid-brown over the chassis. Finally, the airbrush was used to mist some sooty black over the top and mid-brown up onto the lower frames and buffer beams. The result, I hope, shows a cared for but working loco - and tones down the paintwork slightly.

I added the toolbox from the supplied detail pack but smoothed off the moulding line and painted it matt brown first. I left off the coal loads but put crushed real coal in the bunkers, secured with matt modge-podge. Finally, a driver was recruited from the Dapol (Kitmaster) agency, I only added one figure mainly so that the delightfully detailed back-head is visible from some angles and partly because of a lack of space on the footplate. 

The two Rapido wagons got much the same weathering treatment which improves them greatly. The couplings look rather large, but I may replace them with Microtrains couplings for use on Loctern Quay. 

I also prepared the additional coach by painting details such as the end steps and handrails and weathering in a similar way with the airbrush, focusing on the roof and underframes as the body remains relatively clean other than a little splashed dirt along the bottom.

Sadly, shortly after this the loco developed a fault and stopped moving! I did a brief investigation but could not identify an obvious cause, so I reached out to Rapido. They promptly replied with details on how to return it to them, so it was packaged up and dispatched, exactly a week later it was returned fully working. 

The loco spent the whole Sunday at the Aldershot exhibition running the freshly extended GVT coach train without issue. 

Hexworthy will be out again at the Wycrail exhibition (High Wycombe) on the 7th November. This looks like being an excellent show, held in the Brunel railway shed. Do say hello if you are there,