Commission: NGG16 in 009…

The big one, I suspect many of you are as excited about it as I am! The behemoth that is the NGG16 Garratt, modelled as she is today, running service trains on the Welsh Highland Railway…

This model is only possible thanks to the patient design work of Michael Tucker who produces these kits in a 3D printed resin. The ‘tenders’ use a Farish Class 08 chassis (the pony trucks are fake and non functioning, clear of the rails) fitted with RT models cross heads and slide bars - although I also added Walscharts valve gear from the Vale of Rheidol tank engines. The power trucks are wired together via some cables that I added to the bottom of the chassis. This makes handling difficult but worth it for the improved performance.

Assembly is fairly limited - modification of the chassis to fit and adding the valve gear but the print responds well to gentle tidying up, cleaning and filling of some of the support marks that leaves dings in the surface when they’re removed. 

She was primed in grey and sprayed with Humbrol 20. George tried this colour too upon my recommendation and thought it not purple enough, but to my eye it’s a good match and is one of the best colours to apply, it goes on in a few thin coats to build up the density. Next up the lining decals were added, I’ve gone with a slightly simplified scheme not including the cylinders or can front as there is little space for the decal corners in these areas. Detail painting followed, adding the black panelling and pipework as well as the deep rich red buffer beams. 

I thought the Endon graphics didn’t look right, certainly for 130 so I drew up my own and had them printed - these were applied to the coal tender. The finishing touch are the etched works and number plates sourced from Custom Nameplate Studio at Light Railway Stores. The completed model was sealed with a dull-satin lacquer.

The completed model has real presence and runs smoothly. I would love to imagine my efforts will be in vain due to an imminent ready to run model but that seems unlikely! Whilst I don’t have the space for a line that could see these impressive machines in action I passionately consumed ‘The Railway to Adventure’ last year - and the photos, landscape and ‘scale’ of the railway in the landscape were incredibly represented in print (well worth a copy if you haven’t got it). Mine would be black though… perhaps one day…  I’ve had a number of enquiries to repeat this commission - if you’d like to find out more you can contact me using the form here (in the menu) or if that doesn’t work you’re welcome to email me (details on my Facebook page, link to that on ‘Modelmaking Commissions’ - you don’t need a Facebook account for it to work). In the meantime, as always, more soon…

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