Steve,
Is it the original Yarrow water tube boiler version you are planning, or the later rebuild?
I will assume it's the first since that's the 'hush-hush'. Get yourself drawing 408 from John Edgson (if you have not done so already)http://www.edgson.net/isinglass/locomotives.html and as many photos as you can lay hands on. Are you a do it from scratch man, or prepared to use what is available to ease the job? For myself in OO, I would buy a corridor tender A3 pacific as the basis, (probably the one in the Railroad range if suitable) since that offers a suitable running chassis once modified at the rear end, and a complete tender. The body can be sold, or stored for the P1 which you might want to build.
Forming the body shape will not be easy. Shape thin sheet metal over a carefully profiled hardwood former perhaps? As for the paint finish 'dark battleship grey' is what the references say. Since any potential reliable witness who saw this beast is going to be over eighty years old, I think you have all the licence required to decide what the colour description means, paint it to please yourself, and double dare anyone to prove you wrong!
Is it the original Yarrow water tube boiler version you are planning, or the later rebuild?
I will assume it's the first since that's the 'hush-hush'. Get yourself drawing 408 from John Edgson (if you have not done so already)http://www.edgson.net/isinglass/locomotives.html and as many photos as you can lay hands on. Are you a do it from scratch man, or prepared to use what is available to ease the job? For myself in OO, I would buy a corridor tender A3 pacific as the basis, (probably the one in the Railroad range if suitable) since that offers a suitable running chassis once modified at the rear end, and a complete tender. The body can be sold, or stored for the P1 which you might want to build.
Forming the body shape will not be easy. Shape thin sheet metal over a carefully profiled hardwood former perhaps? As for the paint finish 'dark battleship grey' is what the references say. Since any potential reliable witness who saw this beast is going to be over eighty years old, I think you have all the licence required to decide what the colour description means, paint it to please yourself, and double dare anyone to prove you wrong!
