Festiniog Railway Double Fairlie "Earl of Merioneth" in 4mm 009 scale

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I built a 4mm scale model of the Earl of Merioneth, a famous steam locomotive from the Festiniog Railway. This is a significant milestone as it's the first time a preserved railway has built its own steam locomotive. Unfortunately, this locomotive will also be the first to be withdrawn by the railway, scheduled for April 2018. Given my privilege of driving the Earl, I decided to create an accurate scale model. To bring this model to life, I printed it in several parts. The body and tanks are a single piece, while the boilers and cab interior are added separately. I salvaged a chassis from a "Lifelike" GP40 diesel locomotive and enhanced it with steam components such as coupling rods and connecting rods. I also included iconic Fairlie cylinder blocks at the front of each bogie. First, I applied car plastic primer to set the foundation for paint. After several light sanding sessions and re-coats, I used Humbrol No2 Green acrylic and Mat Black to achieve a precise prototype match. The result is stunning, with excellent performance to boot.