Its always useful to refer back to source material and I remembered that I had taken these pictures a couple of years ago.

 There is still quite a bit of detailing add to the ends when you compare to the photos above.

 Now I realise that for some people getting the right shade of green is not important, but for me colour is really important. The very few colour photos of the Ffestiniog in the interwar period show a slightly bluer shade than that used in the photos above but that is probably as much to do with the film quality as anything. I want a slightly drabber and bluer shade for my carriages but ideally a ready mixed paint. Whilst in Games Workshop with my son this week, I noticed a green that looks very promising. It's called 'Caliban' green and his available in an airbrushable mix. It's certainly closer to what I want than the existing Tamiya or Humbrol colours. I will use it for a first coat and see!

 The bogies have had couplings added and I have tested that there is enough rotation for the sharpest radius on the line.

The carriage is now sprayed in grey primer but there are still steps and a few other details to add. I'm going to see if I have any Archers rivet transfers left to add detail to the sole bar.I can't wait to see it sprayed green. Malcolm's cast sides really are exquisite. The only downside is the weight of the model, with gradients on my model I don't think my England Loco will be able to pull more than two of these.

 After a bit of thinking time I decided it was easier to remove the side frames from the stretcher and solder them closer together. This required me to make a jig which can be used when I build more. A piece of brass bar has been soldered on to allow the couplings to be fitted later in the same way the that the MSM bogies work.

A finished bogie- I decided not to add any detail as only the very bottom edge is visible beneath the carriage and when under the strong layout lighting is totally obscured. The bogie is very free running and because it is a lot narrower than the MSM bogie, has a lot more room to rotate in the tight space below the carriage. This has freed up another set of MSM bogies to go under one of the carries where they will be visible.

 Having made the new plain ends to the carriage I dug out some reference material and realised that the original model has an ornate panelled sole bar. I thought I could probably just overlay it with plasticard but this would leave it proud.

 So after several deep breaths I took a razor saw to it and cut the sole bar away. 

 I found this very slow and tedious and plucked up courage to score a deep line with a Stanley knife and then bent the sole bar until it snapped off.

 I had left about 1mm to file down. This allowed me to check that the top and bottom edges were parallel.

The two side panels were then glued together.

 New sole bars were made from Evergreen plastic section and superglued to the bottom edge of the carriage sides

 A new plasticard end was made using microstrip.

 A Worsley Works etched bogie has been built with shouldered pinpoint bearings. Unfortunately its too wide and the wheel set doesn't fit. The bearings will need to be removed and packed out. 

For a little light relief from making buildings, I have made a start on the Colonel Stephen's era rake. The first vehicle is carriage 15 from a Malcolm Savage Kit. This comes with an end door to the servants compartment and therefore needs some modernisation. I have used the end supplied with the kit as a template for a plain brass end. I am then going to overlay this with a thin plasticard layer with the correct panelling for the period.

This rake will be painted in the Kentish green livery with red ends. This is a very heavy model so I am going to use the bogies I had etched by Worsley Works with pinpoint bearings.

The iron railings have been added to the front gardens. The gates have been made from adapted plain fencing panels with the addition of a diagonal brace and nickel silver strip used for the end uprights. The fearsome Mrs Evans is from the Footsore Miniatures interwar range. She really looks the part in the front garden.

The steps down to the first cellar have also been completed. There is a lovely contrast in wall textures between the dresses stone frontage and the rough slate retaining walls to the courtyard. These have been painted to represent a weathered lime wash effect. Just the doors to the store room to be made and some suitable household items added. I think an old tin bath would really set the seen along with a dolly tub and poster- now I don't suppose they are available in 5.5mm scale!!

The slate slab raised front garden have now been completed. The railings have been cut down by soldering a new wire bottom rail to give the correct profile, as the fronts slope gently to the left of the row. I'm particularly pleased with the end wall with its pillar topped by a ball. (actually a dress makers pin covered in PVA and dipped in Sainsbury's hot and tangy what pepper)

The steps down to the cellar have been attacked with a scalpel to make them look more slate like

Then the rendered walls were painted with PVA and sprinkled with pepper- Sainsburys white strong and tangy white pepper to start with!

 This cellar is purely rendered, the uneven glue creates a really convincing look.

This end garden wall is quite a bit darker than the building in old photographs, I have used ground black pepper to create the weathered look. Once this is set off by grass I think its going look really effective.

 The Scale Link GWR spear topped fencing has arrived. Not 100% accurate but given that it's only going to be seen from an oblique view will hopefully look ok at a distance.

The levels are slightly different on the model as the road gradient has been increased slightly. It also appears the raised flagstone gardens have been changed since the 1930s. So I have tried to interpret the evidence to turn the clock back.

The raised area now comes right up to the fence.

 The disk signal designed by Max Brayne is going to look really good when completed.

The front gardens have progressed today quite nicely. I'm not quite sure how to make the iron railings. I think I might cut down some 4mm scale etched railings.

Its been a while but progress is being made again.. The front gardens and cellars have been built as a card shell.

In the last year I have been building a 4mm scale model for my school model railway club. In making some Scale Scenes kits I ordered Brassmaster windows. They come with letter boxes and door handles which are rather oversized for 4mm scale but absolutely perfect for 5.5mm. The front door of the Pilot Cottages will now have some proper door furniture..