O Gauge Class 37 - Finishing by Aardstorm Models

Many years ago (probably well over twenty years in fact) I purchased a Post-War Prototype (PWP) O gauge class 37 kit. This represented was a pretty steep learning curve for a 17 year old who at the time had been used to detailing Lima class 47's, but I wanted an O Gauge 37 to run on the layout at the model railway club I was then a member of, and there were no other options available at the time. I had actually built 90% of the loco by around 1992 (three years later) but by then I lost interest in 7mm as I was no longer a member of a club with a 7mm layout, and had no layout to run it on. It was then out back in the box until I could get round to finishing it. 

Twenty years later, I now have a O-gauge garden railway, so I thought I would see what needed doing to finish this part built kit off. The problem I have is that my modelling standards have (slightly) improved in the intervening two decades; I couldn't face undoing work I had already done, and have many other newer kits to distract me. So... I decided to send the lot off to Aardstorm Models www.aardstorm-models.com/ and see what Trevor could do with it. The answer is, he can work miracles, as these photos will attest to, 37 421 is now ready for action in the garden as soon as it stops raining, now I just need to finish the rake of 1980's airbraked speedlink wagons to run behind it.

GEWR - Garden Railway Starts Running

GEWR - Major Civil Engineering Ends!

The first of these pictures was taken on the 4th April 2008; the last on the 11th July 2010. Between these two dates some 3,200 bricks, 4 tonnes of sand, half a tonne of concrete and 24 bags of cement had been used to build the structure for the GEWR (Great Epping Wall Railway).

I had originally planned only to use walls for the curves, with all the straights simply on decking planks set onto posts; but shortly after the first two curves were built we made the decision to built it on wall in its entirety. Now it is up and running I'm glad we made that decision, as other than treating the top wooden deck that the track is laid on, it requires no treatment or maintenance and should easily last twenty years plus.