After the arrival of some new loco’s the research started as which loco’s I wanted to represent. I still find that researching is one of the most interesting stages of bringing my visions to life. I am certainly not a rivet counter but I need to feel that a fair representation of the prototype is modelled.
After settling on the appropriate numbers, their position, styles and other graphics, work commenced. I used Fox Overhead Warning transfers on all five locomotives, I find they are still the best. For numbering I used a mixture of HMRS and Fox on the Class 37’s. On the Class 15’s I used the transfers supplied by Little Loco. There has been some criticism of these rather odd transfers but I followed the instructions and they worked fine. I think the key here is to leave them the ten hours recommended to dry, no short cuts here. After drying I peeled the ‘pink’ carrier film off by using a scalpel in one corner and lifting very gently.
Most add-on parts came with the locomotives. The only extra parts added were to the Class 15’s, these were the control pipes. these were Heljan products obtained from Howes of Oxford.
Only one of my Class 37’s, the blue one, needed a small plate added on both noses just above the coupling hooks. These are only relevant on centre head code variants and appear to have all been built without these plates. They appear to have been added from about 1968 onwards and they all seem to have been modified by about 1972. I do not know why this was done, but it appears to have been a small cut back and plate to ease coupling, but I stand to be corrected.
All loco’s have had their grills blackened in preparation for full weathering. The weathering will be light to medium based on how they looked around 1967 -69.
I would also like to take this opportunity to say what a welcome entry into the O gauge diesel market Little Loco have made, In my opinion they go straight to the top, and yes, I have ordered a 48DS already. Rumours suggest that they are looking to produce further main line type two diesels – bring them on.
I had to sell over twenty OO loco’s to fund these five loco’s – was it worth it? – you bet it was!!!!!!!
