Access Ladders

I reckon on any model there are always some details that you can get away without fitting but also some that are absolutely essential if you're going to capture the feel of the real thing, and on the WHR water tank wagon I reckon that feature is the ladders.

I'd given these a bit of thought all through the build process.

I looked at seeing whether I had anything in stock which would do the job.

I had a spare section of Plastruct ladder but it was way too thick, with too many rungs and not quite wide enough.

Even so I experimented with filing it down and chopping out every other rung to see if I could get away with it but in the end I decided it was too much of a compromise.

Similarly for a while I toyed with the idea of using the plastic ladders which come with the standard gauge Dapol oil tanker kit - which I'd robbed to make the masters for the ends and the tank filler on top - but it was a similar scenario.

So in the end I pushed the boat out - really quite far out in fact - and ordered a fret of Scalelink etched brass ladders.

I think they're pretty much bang-on for width and not too far off the correct rung spacing either but, jeezo, it's pricey for two measly bits of ladder!

With them cut to length and bent at the top they were given a coat of red oxide primer.

My youngest's Play-Doh came in rather handy for holding them in place while I sprayed!

So here they are ready to be fitted, but I shall tease you for another couple of days before showing you the finished wagon...