Not being able to muster up the enthusiasm to complete the other stalled projects I started messing about with the Furness Wagon Co battery shunter kit I purchased a few years ago.
The chassis is a relatively simple fold up box affair and rather than used the fixed bearings I decided to use 4mm Alan Gibson hornblocks. The chassis was cut to accept these and I also found a London Road Models 1:38 gearbox in my 'not to be thrown away' spares tub. This was all assembled and the ensemble runs sweetly. It drives on one axle and if it can shift a wagon or two then I'm happy.
The wagon sill was made up, again a relatively simple affair.
The kit included two of these - the battery bodies and after initially glueing these to the sill I thought I could do better so.....
I made up four side pieces, two outer ends from scrap nickel silver etch and two inner bulkheads from scrap brass etch to create a support onto which I can apply a wood veneer.
However, instead of wood veneer I wondered if the iron-on wood veneer used for facing shelves would work. So I cut some into into smaller pieces and - yes you've guessed it - ironed them onto the nickel silver sides and ends. Time will only tell how long the glue will last.
The planks were scribed with a scrawker and this shows the effect. The right hand side has been stained with a dilute black wash.
There still plenty to do such as the body ironwork, dummy traction motor casings, sandboxes, buffers, couplers, etc, etc, etc.....