Commission: Heywood sisters...

The 09 model of Muriel I built last year was returned recently by my customer for some repairs to the bodywork sustained during use, and I took the opportunity to pose her with Ursula before they head off to their new home...

It's interesting to compare them, Muriel is 'to scale' having been scratch built - although compromised by the use of a Bachmann USA chassis which threw the wheelbase (and inside frames) off a bit. Ursula on the other hand is a caricature being too short but of correct height - this sort of shrinking has the habit of maintaining character but adding cuteness...

From the front the fidelity of the scratch built fittings over those in the kit is obvious - the smokebox door handle especially being overscale - out back the same goes for the handbrake lever. The shape of the buffer beam on Ursula isn't quite right, but with a transfer of the right shape fitted it's not as obvious.

The finishing touch, those wonderful turned brass domes by Paul Barrett are really the icing on the cake, and give both models a little bling, but it's the finesse of the lining capturing the look of the prototype perfectly that convey the character and beauty of these miniature Heywood locomotives.

If you'd like to commission you're own dream model, be it a kit or scratch build, then do get in touch for a personal proposal, either by a forum message, Facebook or the contact form on the website. More soon...