A couple of weeks off from the layout building has meant relatively little progress on that front. The down fiddle yard is now complete and the main running lines now extend across both scenic boards.

However, an ongoing project started in the days of Heathley Kirkgate Mk1 has been the creation of an Ivatt N1 0-6-2T. These hard working tank engines could be found all over the West Riding ex-GNR network and regular passenger services on the Queensbury Lines were almost exclusively in their hands. Originally I intended to do a cut-and-shut project on a Hornby N2 but after realising that there wouldn't be much left other than the chassis this later evolved into experimenting with 3d printing. Since I use AutoCAD in the day job this was my weapon of choice and involved a relatively small learning curve with some of the more advanced 3d solids routines introduced in the last couple of releases. AutoCAD is an all round CAD software and I wouldn't recommend it for someone starting out - there are cheaper, dedicated 3d modelling programmes out there - but it works for me.

Armed with as many reference photos as I could find, an Isinglass drawing and relevant Yeadon's and RCTS LNER volumes I set about creating the model. It is designed for 00 and to fit on the Hornby N2 chassis (with some modifications) and so there are some compromises - a valuable insight into some of the design decisions manufacturers most have to go through when creating models for the 00 market, knowing that it's impossible to do it 100% correct and that someone will moan! When I started I designed for Shapeways FUD but reported quality problems with this and the price put me off and I re-designed for i-materialise Prime Grey after seeing some excellent models created with it on RMWeb. The detail and wall thickness of this material is not quite as fine as FUD but it's nearly half the cost.

The chosen N1 is no 69474, a West Riding allocated loco all it's life and one that therefore never had condensing gear. Additional detail, such as handrails, pipework, steps and coupling hooks, will be added later and holes or slots have been created in the model to place and hold these items more easily. These CGI renders show the completed model that has now been sent to i-materialise for printing.