Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
When I started to get very seriously into railway modelling, just after I met Best Beloved, I was keen to develop my own 4mm/OO scale exhibition layout. That eventually came to pass, though it was never finished and has since gone to the Great Railway Room in the Sky. I did, however, need to learn to solder brass kits.
Best Beloved had moved up to 7mm scale stuff, and he gave me an old box containing an etched kit for a GWR Siphon G. He also loaned me a soldering iron and various tools. After a brief demonstration of how to solder, he sent me on my way (we weren’t a couple at that stage, but it wouldn’t be long after).
And this is the result. A mutual friend lent me a book - probably the Russell volume on GWR rolling stock. Cast details had to come from third parties, so the gangways, buffers and bogies are MJT if memory serves. The gas lamps were top hat bearings. It runs on Romford coach wheels. I say "runs", but in fact it doesn’t roll at all well. It is guaranteed to give any loco attempting to haul a train containing this vehicle a serious case of wheel slip! I brush painted it in BR maroon and hand lettered it.
I really went to town on attempted detailing of the underframe, as you can see. I added in most of the brake rodding from wire and scrap etch. I can’t recall the manufacturer, but in the last photo you can just make out what might be CBA and the year 1972. The kit could build into the outside frame as well is inside frame Siphons, but I chickened out on sweating the outside frames on - perhaps understandable for my first ever etched kit.
While it will never win any prizes, and never gets played with, I still keep it in my 4mm stock box for old time's sake.
Best Beloved had moved up to 7mm scale stuff, and he gave me an old box containing an etched kit for a GWR Siphon G. He also loaned me a soldering iron and various tools. After a brief demonstration of how to solder, he sent me on my way (we weren’t a couple at that stage, but it wouldn’t be long after).
And this is the result. A mutual friend lent me a book - probably the Russell volume on GWR rolling stock. Cast details had to come from third parties, so the gangways, buffers and bogies are MJT if memory serves. The gas lamps were top hat bearings. It runs on Romford coach wheels. I say "runs", but in fact it doesn’t roll at all well. It is guaranteed to give any loco attempting to haul a train containing this vehicle a serious case of wheel slip! I brush painted it in BR maroon and hand lettered it.
I really went to town on attempted detailing of the underframe, as you can see. I added in most of the brake rodding from wire and scrap etch. I can’t recall the manufacturer, but in the last photo you can just make out what might be CBA and the year 1972. The kit could build into the outside frame as well is inside frame Siphons, but I chickened out on sweating the outside frames on - perhaps understandable for my first ever etched kit.
While it will never win any prizes, and never gets played with, I still keep it in my 4mm stock box for old time's sake.
