Paul Windle Bagnall Wing Tank

I don't usually buy anything RTR in 009, not that there's been much available until recently. However, there were exceptions. Paul Windle has been making bespoke ready to run 009 locos for quite a few years now, using RTR chassis with bodies scratchbuilt from styrene. He doesn't advertise and has no internet presence (I don't believe that he owns a computor, something that I completely understand and respect), so ordering is done the old fashioned way and the quality of his work is such that adverts aren't necessary.

Many years ago, in 1995, I ordered one of his locos from his stand at ExpoNG, a wing tank Bagnall, built on a Bachmann dock tank chassis, which arrived in January '96 (I still have the letter that came with it). A lovely well proportioned loco that I found difficult to resist. At the time my interests were decidedly industrial and therefore I felt that it needed a layer of grime to weather it. I didn't do a particularly good job so it sat in its box for many years, coming out every now and again for a quick spin before being shut away once more. I really wanted to re-paint it, but as I've mentioned before I dislike painting and have little confidence with either brush or airbrush, and this loco deserves better than my efforts. And I was afraid of making a mess of it. Recently however I finally decided that this little loco really deserved to be enjoyed rather than sat in the loft. So, I took it with me to a narrow gauge show that I knew Paul would be attending, and handed it over to him for a re-paint. A week or so later I got a phone call, the axle muffs were split and needed replacing, a common problem on old Bachmann chassis. So we agreed that Paul would fit new muffs, and at the same time add some ballast weight to the body, something that I never got around to doing.

The original paint used is no longer available, so Paul has used the closest match, in this case Railmatch 610 LMS Red. Bufferbeams are 241 Royal Mail Red.

I picked out the rods in matt black when I bought it, at some stage I shall re-do them using Vallego Oily Steel.

A quick spin on my oval of Unitrack shows the running, never a problem before, to be much improved by the fitting of new muffs and the addition of ballast, if a little noisy.

I do need to add some coal in the side bunkers, and possibly a nameplate, but I'm very happy with the work that Paul's done. This one shall no longer live in a box in the attic, but will now sit in my display cabinet.

There's something very pleasing about wing tank/inverted saddle tank locos, probably due to the tanks being at the front and visually balancing the cab. There's an antiquated look to them as well, which I think adds to the appeal. The proportions of this loco are just right, far better to my eye than Minitrain's effort, which I feel compromised by a chassis which puts the rear axle too far back, and the tall cab (not to mention the Tri-ang Jinty style boiler skirt...).

Paul.