C2 in 009: In primer…

Although strictly not a C2, rather the Russian PT4 modelled on a Polish built example used in the forestry industry, most of you will recognise the Chinese ‘copy’ more than its original…

I started this project back in June 2014 after picking up a Fleischmann N gauge BR81 chassis. The model has seen progress in fits and starts, and despite my fondness of the prototype, it’s lack of a clear purpose or home to run has probably been the cause of its drawn out gestation.

Whenever I get it out of its box and gaze at it though, I fall in love with its daft proportions. Those tiny driving wheels under what looks like a monstrous boiler, but actually this is quite a small prototype. For goodness sake they’re hoping to get the one at Ffestiniog up to Blaenau with a slightly cut down cab, actually much closer to my model than I had realised until I visited them at Quirks and Curiosities a few years ago! 

I will be finishing it in black, with red wheels, running boards and buffer beams. I’m not sure yet if I’ll add anymore than small numbers on the tender and cab side, I had planned some Chinese  railway plates, but otherwise perhaps Syldavia might provide some inspiration (I still own the railbus and coaches I painted on these colours for G scale, stored in the loft!).

This is my own personal model, scratchbuilt using both traditional and modern methods. If you’ve got a prototype in mind that you’d like me to recreate in miniature then get in touch, and we can work up a personal proposal based upon your specific requirements, until next time though, more soon…