What it's cracked up to 'B'

Some progress to report.  Firstly, as you can see above the first B wagon has been completed to the level where it can be painted.  Dad had completed the fiddly angles on the sides a while ago and I've added the details, strapping etc.  It even has lead weight added already!  I have another 3 in stock, I'm just trying to summon up the courage to have a go at that angle myself (without Dad's resistance soldering kit!).

I've also put together 2090 the WHR brake saloon (despite the risk that it may change as it's in the works at the mo), ordered some extra plastic strip I'll need to build FR No. 124 and also completed the new No. 12 (Van 5) seen in bits in a previous post.  The old one (window spacing was wrong) sold on ebay a few days ago.

On scenics, the Ffridd Isaf board has had its track treated with the sleeper grime to match the adjacent board and the underbridge has had another coat of 'concrete'.  However the smell of the railmatch paint seems to be lingering and getting into the house, so I have to be careful here.

The platform lamp columns have been tested with DC and AC to see which is best - controlled DC certainly gives a better light and allows dimming, so a cheap hornby controller will be used for this and also to supply the 15v AC out required by the points decoder (the famous 99p off ebay H+M has been relegated due to concerns about its electrical safety).  The bits are in stock to complete all the wiring (an evening frankly), but I'll wait until the weather improves!

A load more Lilliput bogies were purchased from my supplier (I only know of one place you can get them and he only has stocks every now and again).  Parkside (romford) 8mm diameter wheels have been added to them and they run superbly.  This means that all the new WHR carriages will run on these bogies.  

Scale link benches have arrived and 2 of these are being fabricated, whilst a plan of the platform area has also been drawn up.  As my platform cannot be scale length, I have to decide which features to include and which not to, whilst maintaining the correct look and feel.

I have bought a few test pots of hornby acrylic paint (also in photo above).  Once a brass vehicle is primed, obviously you could use acrylic or enamel paints and acrylic is somewhat more palatable for use indoors (although it definitely needs a coat of lacquer/varnish afterwards to avoid chipping) and I plan to use more of the acrylics.  I also like the way that errors can be corrected immediately and easily with just water.  I understand humbrol are phasing out enamels altogether anyway.  

I'm sure Dad is most amazed by this as, being an artist of some renown, he can mix any colour from just a few base colours, but I haven't got that knack and would also be concerned about keeping a consistent colour when a lot of paint is needed, so a pot of a certain colour is preferable (they're pretty cheap anyway).    

Shepton Mallet is just a week away and there is as yet no sign of the imminent arrival of the baby, so fingers crossed, I may yet make it.  

Colin