In an attempt to gather all my enthusiasm to push this model further on, I cranked up the volume and had a playlist of top choons playing through the day.
I didn’t bother with photos, but I tidied the etched balance weights and fitted them to the wheels. Later, I’ll disassemble it all again and get some Milliput behind the etched fronts to make them solid.
Next on the agenda seemed to be fitting the brake weighshaft. All the brakes and linkages are pending some 3D printed parts, but it made sense to fit the operating bits under the cab. I spent a while fiddling about with the bodywork in place, working out where the handbrake appeared under the cab, as this defined where the weighshaft goes. A hole was drilled, not quite centrally, through the main outside lever. In the box of bits, I found a brass casting which probably was meant to be for a tender handbrake. I decided quite quickly it wasn’t suitable for the job in hand, but it gave me an idea on how to replicate things.
Not quite clear here against the tape, but here’s my interpretation of the brake linkage. A section of square tube was found to be almost ideal, and a small chunk of brass was fitted at the top of the frame to support the structure. Anything at the top is essentially hidden by the hanging bar, so I can get away with a fair amount of artistic bodgery.
While I was in the swing, I worked out the reversing gear lever pivot on the driver's side. Some scrap NS etch, a short length of brass tube as a stand-off from the frame, wire and a small brass nut, and it looks about right. I’m not sure what is in the nickel silver alloy of these frames, because I broke two 7.5mm drill bits getting through it!
This is the brake side again, with the lid on.
Sandboxes and sanding pipes seemed the next obvious thing. On the real thing, the rear pipe is quite prominent, running at an angle from the hopper under the cab doors supported with a bracket sprung off the frames. The kit white metal cast boxes underwent some serious surgery, as they were too big and I had nothing suitable to replace them. On the real thing - which I think might be suitably abbreviated to OTRT from now on to save me typing! - the hoppers are virtually hidden by the steps and the hanging bars.
Now, as we know, these kit frames are not quite right. That circular hole is in entirely the wrong place, and it kind of throws things out of whack. The pipe on this side, for example, has had to perform some wiggles to sit nearly right. It was a bit of a pig, but it gives the right impression, at least.
The pipe on the other side is a slightly simpler affair. I couldn’t make either sit right down by the rails, but I might have another bash at them when my head clears again.
I needed to take some better photos of the whole loco for something I’m working on, so it meant reassembling everything. A good test for making sure the cylinder block and gear can be reassembled without anything breaking - and the air pump, which is another story I’m not going to go into now.
Well, I think that’s definitely looking the part now. Encouraged with that, I shall take it all apart again so I can give it a damned good bath in the ultrasonic thingy.
. 
. Far too late to do anything about it now 
. There are a couple of photos in Russell’s book to boot which show it..... 
. 7mm models of the class are thin on the ground. I’ve only seen two in real life, mine and the one Malcolm Mitchell had on his stand prior to JLTRT becoming involved. Interestingly, Malcolm’s model was of one early in its life with a short bunker etc, just as Heather is building.
Don't know how I got that wrong.