Davenport in 009: home straight...

Well with a full complement of glazing fitted it was time to 'finish off' my Davenport Gas Mechanical in 009...

The first job was to add an Engineer. I looked through my collection of usual 009 figures and couldn't find anyone suitable to 'stand' in the cab. Then I remembered the old Hornby 'super detailing' crew I had in my spares box. There is a nice fireman in action pose, and a seated driver figure. I took a razor saw to half his body and managed to fit him alongside the motor.

I painted him in Games Workshop acrylics, blue overalls, white shirt - and then washed him in Nuln Oil and Reckshade Flesh. I think he is probably say a little too far forwards, but he fits and finishes off the cab nicely.

The foot boards have been given a coat of Humbrol enamel. I started with a mid grey, and then dry brushed with matt chocolate to give a weathered wood appearance. The sides of the bonnet along the the foot plates were looking a little empty so I have added a gas can to one side, an old Airfix moulding painted green and again washed in Nuln-oil, and a RT Models oil can on the other side, a lovely little white metal casting.

I'd not run it for a while and I was dissappointed in it's performance. I don't recommend the major bodgery involved with swapping the axles around, basically the fly cranks were a little out of quarter on one wheelset and one is 'loose' on the axle so can rotate a little and jam, or cause a limp. I have tried to re-quarter these, and set them with Loctite 603, which seems to have done the trick. Not as smooth as the Krauss chassis under the Porter though, so I might do a little more tinkering or etch some replacement rods with a little more 'slop' with slightly elongated holes.

The last thing to do will be fit Greenwich couplings to the coupler pockets - there is a small slot in the buffer beam inside the pocket so these should work out to be the perfect height - fingers crossed.

More soon, hopefully as it begins to help out with 'construction' of Dawson Creek...