Mercian Models Festiniog horse dandy.

I haven't done any serious soldering fo quite a while now, so to get my hand back in I've dug this little Mercian Models kit out from my stash. Its for a Festiniog Railway horse dandy, a type of waggon used in the Festiniog's early pre-steam days. Empty rakes of slate waggons were hauled from the harbour uphill to the quarries by horse, returning by gravity. Dandy waggons were attached to the train for the horse to ride in on the return journey. Early dandies were entirely wooden, later ones, like the subject of this model, had wood frames and iron bodies. The door for the horse is on the straight end. After the introduction of steam some metal bodied dandies found further use for carrying coal. One now survives at the Welsh Highland Railway.

The kit comprises of a nickel silver etch for the main body, wheels, wheel bearings, etched couplings and a whitemetal horse. Instructions cover two A4 sheets, one sheet of general etched kit building notes and the other specific to the kit. This model is part of Mercian's Knightswork range, so called because each kit can be assembled in a night.

The main body is in one piece, which needs to have rivets punched out, panel lines scribed on (there are half-etched grooves on the inner side of the etch, running a blunt knife along them raises a line on the outside of the body) then carefully folded up. I use a drop hammer type riveter, from Eileen's Emporium, which distorted the body slightly. One end is shaped, for the horse's neck, so a little careful bending is required. Here's the body, with wheels in place;

I didn't bother fitting the wheel bearings, the pin points run in etched holes and its quite free running. Once the body was soldered up the floor could be fitted. But the etched floor was too small so I cut out a new one from brass strip. Once the floor was in place I fitted the two outer axlebox covers, for the first (middle) cover I used 188 degree solder and for the outer 145 degree. Even so care was needed to prevent the first layer from coming unstuck whilst soldering the outer layer in place. After that it was all plain sailing, using a mix of 188 and 145 degree solders to add the couplings (RT Models, I didn't fancy the supplied ones), top strip, and brake and hinge detail;

I'm quite happy with the way its turned out, but some of my soldering leaves a lot to be desired. More practice needed! Paint will be sploshed about in due course. But not until I do a bit more cleaning up, digital cameras are great for spotting little blemishes.

Door end, the two straps are in fact hinges;

From what I gather, looking at photos of the preserved vehicle, the body should be red oxide and the chassis black.

Paul.