Bachmann 3F

Bachmann 3F

This evening I’ve started on a Brassmasters 3F Jinty upgrade. The idea behind this is for a Gloucestershire based BLT layout based on Barry Norman’s plan of Dursley. Hopefully it’ll provide a showcase for a couple of new ideas on presentation, and a introduction to the ‘finescale’ mindset, which I see as an ‘improving yourself and models’ concept, rather than a strict adhereance to a set of dimensional or scale criteria.

It's not just swearing, it's M&S swearing ...

The kit comes as a sheet of nickel silver etchings, with a few white metal castings. The first task to do is to get the locomotive apart, Tim Shackleton in his MRJ article remarked on how difficult this is to get to the cab, and he’s not wrong. This bit of the upgrade can certainly have you tiptoeing through the garden of the English language. I’m awaiting a second set of etches and hope to obtain a ‘keyhole’ 3F variant and I’ll add a step by step sequence, as I tear that one apart. It is one of those jobs however where if you’re personally wary of breaking something, getting into the cab perhaps should be avoided. The rest of the upgrade will work just as well without this additional work. I’m in two minds as to whether I should change the wheels to Gibson wheels to improve the look, functionally there’s nothing wrong with the Bachmann Chassis, but if I’m doing this extra work on the body and chassis, then theres good reason to include the wheels as well.

Next job is to check some prototype shots for Gloucester 3F’s and pick a couple of candidates to use.