In 1986 I was take to the NRM for the first time as a birthday treat, and I bought this book in the shop.

Brian Haresnape's BR fleet survey volume 7. For somebody who occasionally glimpsed an 08, this book was full of odd little diesel shunters crying out to be modelled. Obviosuly I didn't have the money or skills to do it back then (the less said about an attempt at a cardboard LMS jackshaft shunter, the better), so only now am I finally getting round to doing it.

Two obvious candidates for a SR layout set in 1970 (which is what I'm planning on building one day) are the 03 and 04 classes. Both of these have been produced by Bachmann.

The 03 is newer and far more detailed. The 04 is older, and has a split chassis which apparently are considered to be the work of Satan in DCC circles. I'm sticking with old fashioned DC (I have enough fun with computers at work), so this makes no difference to me. It's also a lot cruder - the windows, for example, are not flush.

The work seems to consist of:

2398 (03 class)

- A new and larger air tank. The model is already air braked, but the tank is too small for the SR examples.

- Filling the gap in the buffer beam where the tension lock coupler goes.

- Some replacement handrails.

- High level jumpers and extra SR marker lights.

D2294 (04 class)

- New handrails.

- New air tanks.

- Filling the gap in the buffer beam where the tension lock coupler goes.

- Full replacement handrails.

- Extra marker lights.

- Oval buffers

- New protective mesh screen around the jackshaft.

- better windows, and some wipers.

None of this is a large amount of work, so hopefully this project won't take as long as the Warship.