Model Rail (UK)

Create a Shap soldier

to mark the 50th anniversar­y of the closure of tebay shed, george dent recreates one of its Shap bankers.

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Much of my modelling output is inspired by images, be they archive photograph­s or sights captured by my own eyes when out and about. For this project, I unearthed a superb photograph of BR ‘4MT’ No. 75039, portraying the locomotive in its final weeks of service, acting as one of Tebay’s fleet of bankers for the taxing climb up to Shap summit. One of the most notable prototype features that demanded replicatio­n was the crudely hand-painted smokebox number and 12E shedcode; the cast ’plates having already been removed. The crusty and weathered appearance also needed to be captured in model form. As well as the layers of grey-brown grime, white staining is visible, emanating largely from the regulator valve packing. Emulsified grease on the valve gear and connecting rods, and patches of corrosion on the footplate and valancing, were also clearly visible. Using the fine Hornby BR ‘4MT’ as a basis, a number of minor detail tweaks and upgrades were required, especially to the smokebox. As well as changing the locomotive’s number and adding later-style BR crests, it needed a small but vitally important detail - the overhead line warning stickers. Finally, I also indulged in a spot of scratchbui­lding, with a speedomete­r drive being fabricated from off-cuts of plastic rod, strip brass and a steel guitar string. Hopefully, my rendition of No. 75039 has captured the look of the real thing, as it counted down the days until withdrawal and its appointmen­t with the scrap man. What a sad end to a powerful and versatile locomotive, that had been in service for less than 15 years.

 ?? RAIL PHOTOPRINT­S ?? A typical Tebay banker in the last years of steam: Standard ‘4MT’ No. 75024 awaits its next banking duty on August 5 1967. The locomotive has a handmade smokebox numberplat­e and faint traces of lined black can be seen, as well as its former Western...
RAIL PHOTOPRINT­S A typical Tebay banker in the last years of steam: Standard ‘4MT’ No. 75024 awaits its next banking duty on August 5 1967. The locomotive has a handmade smokebox numberplat­e and faint traces of lined black can be seen, as well as its former Western...

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