Nope, not the shuffling queue of hooded, hook nosed disciples heading to a convenient internet portal to join the weekly disembowelling of a toy train manufacturer, but an update on my Toad.

  
 A year or so ago I started to look seriously at my brake van collection. The BR/WR vans were notable for their relative crude detailing compared to my other vans. I removed the handrails thinned the veranda sides and started to work out how to fit new handrails. The project then stalled, coming back to it, one of the reasons was that the handrail improvements wouldn’t be ‘enough’, the chassis could be better too.

  
So having built a replacement chassis, I’ve spent an evening or two fitting and fettling it to a Mainline, (today’s Bachmann) Toad.  It has improved the overall look, and the running, but it takes a good deal of work to cut the floor away from the original chassis. 

  
So this is a sort of test bed, and I’m already thinking of perhaps a revised build of the chassis area with the etch as the core structure.

  
The chunky footboards and their supports are now emphasised as indeed are the solebars, but feel this may be a useful refresher for me to scratch build replacement chassis components. There’s nothing available from the trade so to get the finesse I’d like I may have to roll the sleeves up and just do it myself. With four (at least) to do, this will serve as a prototype and jig builder for the batch needed. Thats enough modelling for now though, I’m late for the queue!

(NB any inspiration from Mr Jones may not be entirely accidental)