TIN HAL UNDER WAY

Resin kit takes time to get right

This resin kit, of a 2-car Southern Region EMU, is finally starting to take shape. Having made a brief start on it last year, a change in Model Rail's schedule saw it packed up and placed on the back burner. However, the building of it is now due to feature in issue 185 (out on July 12), so I've been beavering away on it, trying to get the bodyshells ready for painting. 

As there are only five parts to each car (body, interior, undeframe and two bogies), you'd think this would be a quick build. Indeed, the kit is marketed as an Easy Build project and, I suppose that's true in terms of no need for soldering or complicated assembly tasks. However, having spent something like 20-odd hours just sanding, filling and priming the bodyshells to get them smooth and refined, there was a point when I needed someone to remind me how easy this was... In fairness, many resin kits are like this, with heavy coats of aerosol primer being ideal ways of flattening the surface and taking away the slightly lumpy texture of the material. 

All this sanding is not ideal with lots of small details around, however, so most of the supplied fittings were removed and new stuff added once the final primer coating was deemed fit for purpose. Most of the original detail is a bit rough anyway and I've also had to res-scribe all of the door seams. By my reckoning, I've spent nearly 30 hours so far, with the bodies now ready for the livery coats to go on. Having said that, they're looking pretty good and I'm excited about how they'll look under a shabby coat of BR blue.

This resin kit is part of the Ayjay Models range and needs only wheels, motor, paint, transfers, couplings to complete.