Pieces of the jigsaw

The interchangeability of parts between the 3 similar NGG16s on the real WHR is a bonus, but it can make modelling somewhat difficult!

If we say that the prototype time period for Rhyd Ddu is 2009/10, then I can model:

• 138 in her new lined red livery, sporting a new front tank (a copy of its old tank) and the bunker from 143 (both unriveted)
• 143 in SAR black just before overhaul with its own front tank, but the bunker from 138 (both unriveted) or after overhaul with 138's old front tank and the bunker from 138. In fact it will likely have 140's boiler too, so there won't be much of 143 left!
• 87 in light aircraft grey, coal fired with riveted tanks. It is expected to go into black this winter, but you can only have so many black engines, given that K1 is black too!

An illustration of the differences between tanks/bunkers:

87 front tank

87 bunker

138's old bunker on 143

138's new front tank and 143's (ex 138's) front tank and the new 138 tank painted

143's old bunker to go onto 138

and for good measure (all unrestored):

109's bunker

109's front tank

140s front tank

140's bunker

So, how to get this as correct as possible?

I have the following:

• a painted model in SAR black (143?) but with rivetted tanks
• an unfinished model of 138 with unriveted tanks
• a kit not yet started, nominally of 87.

So, if I remove the riveted tanks from the 143 model, strip off the paint, alter them slightly and repaint in grey, these can become 87's riveted tanks.

Given that the real 143 will return with both 138's bunker (which it sports at the moment) and its front tank, we may as well move 138's model tanks onto the 143 model and paint them black.

That leaves the unbuilt kit tanks to go onto 138. Which means I need to make these up asap, with no rivets, so they can be delivered to Cheltenham ready for 138's final fitting out and painting in lined red.

That seems to work - phew!

Colin