Commission: Kerr Stuart 4T in 009...

Last year a customer commissioned a pair of Tralee and Dingle Hunslet's, and commented that he'd like to look at the Kerr Stuart in 2020. He ordered a print from Shapeways and asked if I'd source and fit a chassis and modify it to represent the model as it ran towards the end of it's life on the T&D and early years at the C&L...

I decided that a Grafar GWR 2-6-2t 61xx prairie tank would be a suitable donor for the chassis. This arrived and was stripped down and serviced before being dissassenbled and the 3D print modified to fit the chassis. The print was slightly banana'd end to end - to stop this getting any worse I added a second footplate in styrene under the body, and used this to cut out a slot and fit the Grafar chassis. Two birds and one stone...

The print was modified by adding an extended rear buffer beam, and the T&D cow catcher at the front. The customer supplied the latter, along with a Hunslet chimney he wanted fitting, which although not quite right better suits the model than the under nourished and poorly detailed.

The cylinders weren't in quite the right place, so as well as 'beef' them up, I was able to make them look like they were further forward by mounting the styrene tube used more in line with the smokebox. The open ends were filled with filler. False frames were added at the front and rear of the chassis, the front with cut outs to allow the front pony truck to swing.

Painted in satin dark grey before a gentle weathering, plates were Narrow Planet, although on the first photos here the works plates were fitted incorrectly (my mistake) - they are now fitted, as per prototype, on the front sand boxes.

If you've got a project or model you'd like to realise then get in touch for a personal proposal. I can work with kits, scratch aid kits or scratchbuild a model in any scale or gauge. More soon...