Black Adder, Black Adder (N part 54)…

…he rides a pitch black steed… I’m sure when these Allied Steel and Wire POA scrap wagons were christened black adders it was their black body with yellow diagonal markings on the top edge, and the similarity to the UKs only venomous snake, rather than the dishonest anti-hero of Elton/Curtis/Atkinson fame…

I’ve been enjoying the best British N gauge ready to run has to offer in this journey so far, yes I’ve repainted the blue 08 but otherwise everything is box fresh. The most I’ve done is replace wheels and add small bits of wire - in fact I’d gone as far as promising myself ‘not to do kits’. So here we are, looking at two completed ‘non-kits’ and wondering why?

They started out as basic 3D printed bodies from Shapeways. Very nicely designed and proportioned I thought. Married to Peco 15ft wheelbase chassis, another useful ‘Speedlink’ 2 axle wagon and compact, perfect for Paxton Road. Scope creep started when I bought some Oleo buffers from N brass and Mosskito 6.2mm brass wheels.

Although I didn’t add detail to the bodies apart from etched ladders (N brass) the chassis have been heavily breathed on - replacement buffer beams (styrene), turned brass buffers (these were 4.2mm diameter loco buffers, I’ve turned them down to something more suitable in my drill!), thinned the brake gear (carefully with a sharp blade) and added extra detail (brass 0.35mm wire and details in the bits box). Finished with Railtec transfers, they look the part alongside more detailed brethren, but have cost more than £30 each in bits without any ‘time’ accounted for!

I’m not sure I enjoyed the process either, so my gut was right. Although limited by what’s available or has been announced my enjoyment in this scale is closely linked to childhood. Back then I’d paint or weather ready to run models but I’d not build rolling stock kits. Today I build kits for others, and have and do assemble and finish kits in other scales for myself, but I think I’ll keep N pure. There were times when these pair almost ended up to the window, their size and my desire to up their detail challenging, but now they’re done I like them. I like their contrast. I like how they tell another chapter in this N gauge journey.

Until next time, more soon…

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