Every time I make a class 50 , i swear it'll be my last, because the job of reprofiling the nose and making new windscreens is such a pain - i hate it!

At warley i got some new shawplan class 50 windscreen frames, , and was lucky enough to find a cheap Hornby 50 to stick them on aswell . These new frames make life so much easier - they fit over the existing Hornby windscreens - after the moulded beading has been smoothed down. The top of the nose still needs building up with a little filler, but over all its a much quicker job and gives neater results.

Heres the frames in place - and you can see the white filler where the top of the nose has been built up a little.

The difference in shape between the old Hornby windscreens and the new shawplan bits is subtle, but makes a vast improvement , and gives the proper 50 'look' - I hear further shawplan bits are also on the way to correct the rainstrips and other areas.

The loco is now almost finished - and looks like this :

If your a class 50 nerd expert , then the snowploughs and black windscreen panel are a dead giveaway that this is 50024 Vanguard.

I have not yet changed the bodyside louvres on this model - the original Hornby ones are uber-naff and will be removed. A replacement resin version is available on ebay or you can chop them out of an old lima 50 shell - either way , its another worthwhile job .

Below is a comparison - 50024 (Left) with the original Hornby louvres, and 50032(right) has the resin replacements fitted.

time for tea and biscuits

tfn

'179