Old dogs and new tricks…

I love the Class 08 and 09. It N it started with a repaint of an old NSE ‘Ivor’ shell into BR blue on the original design of chassis but then, I was bowled over by the performance of the revised ‘coreless motor’ chassis and application of the ready to run liveries…

Graham Farish produce examples from all periods of the life of the prototypes and mundane and one off liveries alike but I’ve found a great deal of pleasure in more recent months from dreaming up ways to take things beyond either using a new identity on a RTR livery or a simple respray. This started with the 08113 for Penpont - an older hinged shell on an older chassis - but I added the extra vertical framing on the back of the cab. A few models had their wooden cabside windows carved out, next, to represent the later steel framed drop windows. 08971 had the Farish livery adjusted, but also the first to have the solebar modified. The RMS Locotec example took things further with the equipment cabinet removed from the front and resulting gap made good. The most recent, 09013, saw high level air pipes fabricated. The next, 09001 combines window frame, cabinet removal and high level pipes (below pictured grey). The next next, 08202, a hinged body with cabinet removed…

But this hinged body was sourced from eBay and was from the original style chassis - and these older bodies don’t fit the new coreless motor. However, if you cut the cab piece off at the slot, this will still glue inside the cab, and it can be modified easier away from the bonnet. You then open up the cab end of the bonnet to clear the motor with various razor saw and files… 

So as time goes on the modifications become more adventurous but the models remain full of character. They retain the chunky coupling rods and pins that I love, a nod to their small scale and amplifier of the excitement I feel when they crawl along the bull head rails of Paxton Road.

So an old dog, definitely some new tricks. Until next time, more soon…

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