GWR AA3 brake van end panels...

The lovely GWR diagram AA3 brakeman by Oxford Rail is a wonderfully crisp moulding, and perfect for my longer term Bala branch plan. I acquired one at the same time as the article in MRJ 268, and hadn't realised just how much work might be needed to get one into 1950s condition from the base model...

By this time period the balcony and lower body sides were replaced with steel plating, very distinctive. The Oxford model is a mosh mash of lower panelling on the sides, but wooden ends. I wonder if they based all their research on the example at Didcot? Anyhow, reading about the way Gerry Beale tackled this deficiency sounded like hard work and I set about devising some simple etched overlays.

These were drawn up and duly sent off for prototype etches to be return last week, and after taking a before photo, I quickly set to modifying the end windows of the van (the other big error) and fitting the etches. The fret will include one spare of each one, the advantage is they are a straight fit requiring no filling, just the carving off the end lamp brackets. They glue on with superglue which also helps to 'seal' the edge up against the end bracing, especially on the balcony.

I have primed the prototype, and will now source these in 2020 and offer them for sale here on my blog, as per the 74xx tank brackets. Let me know if you're interested. More soon...