26010 - love in miniature…

Ever since as long as I can remember I have loved the way a BR blue Class 26 looks. The smoother roof reminding me of the Lima 33 I had on my model railway, the head code discs a curious interest I didn't understand. It wasn't until I began working in N gauge that I owned my first model though...

Now in as many years I have three... and the latest a tribute to a my very own first hand acquaintance - 5310 (or 26010) on the Llangollen Railway. Over the past few years I've really come to appreciate the sound of it's Sulzer power unit but it's curious green livery didn't work with the Lochdubh projects 1984 time period - it wasn't until just before Christmas that my resolve slipped.

This then, is my ode to the McRat. 

A work fuelled by that long held love only amplified by recent experience. Perhaps counter intuitively I started with a BR green example (the coal liveried 26/0 doesn't have the oval buffers and scissor springs that my prototype had in 1984) - which was stripped down to it's components and the body soaked in IPA to remove all traces of paint and lining. The end doors were filled and sanded smooth, the side window 'seals' removed and smoothed and the cab door windows filled. The horn boxes got a snow hood and the bogies were modified to feature angled steps. The MU hose hole was also filled and smoothed on the body, as the pilot locomotives had the support mounted on the buffer beam. A lot of work for a 'simple repaint' - but when you love the prototype, and you LOVE to be accurate these details do matter. I know it's as right as I can make it...

The paint was built up with white primer, yellow ends, grey primer, blue - and then detail painted. Decals were added from various Fox sheets. During the removal of the windows one of the cabs cracked. Perhaps in madness, but perhaps because it mattered I set to work in measuring these and having examples cut in 20thou (0.5mm) clear acrylic - the results are good, Dapol below left, my attempt, below right... the advantage too was the ability to fit a vertical drop side window by using a bow pen to add a thin yellow line to the replacement glazing.

Then of course it was a gentle weathering - wet on wet, usual methods, more removed then left behind and an airbrush to soften the edges... dry brushed cab steps bring some life too... buffer beam detail added along with DG couplings - but no ploughs. 26010 didn't have these when it worked out of Inverness in the early part of Spring 1984...  

But this model, whilst powered by research and my love of recreating the prototype, is perhaps more art? She carries the marks of my hand in her finish, she tells my story on my railway - and yes, she connects my miniature worlds to the one outside, beyond the walls of the workshop or your monitor, phone or tablet... she maybe small but she can move mountains and is patiently waiting for Lochdubh's inevitable extension. In the meantime, very much at home on the quayside. Until next time, more soon...

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