The locomotive list has undergone a slight modification, and as a result, one of the locos - formerly number 9 - has been renumbered, and now carries the number 4.
 I had kept the number 4 spare as I originally intended building a model of the first Tralee and Dingle loco to bear that number; plans for that project have now been abandoned, and as I don't like gaps in numbering systems, I have given the number to the ex Ballymena and Larne loco.
 This involved removal of the original No. 9 oval plates - they fell off anyway! I also decided to relocate the numbers to the middle of the side tanks, above the nameplates; I ordered some matching No. 4 plates from MDC. The paintwork under the original plates was intact, and I was able to remove the remaining silicone adhesive by gently scraping it away with a fingernail and then giving the area a wash with a piece of kitchen towel soaked in white spirit.
 Like the nameplates, the new numbers were fixed in place with cyano adhesive, the paint under the plates was gently scraped away with the tip of a small screwdriver; this was in order to ensure the plates were fixed to the loco and not just a layer of paint!  A piece of Plastikard strip was used as a spacer to ensure the plates were square with the nameplates.
​ There is still a gap in the numbering system - number 7 - but I have plans to remedy that!

In order to set the couplings at the correct height, the buffer beams were temporarily re-fitted, and using my home made gauge (a strip of 28mm wide perspex) the coupling height centre line was marked on both buffer beams.
 There was just enough meat on the rear beam to allow me to drill a pair of mounting holes below the originals, using a pillar drill ensured that these holes were accurately drilled.
 For the front beam, I cut a recess in the underside of the beam, I then drilled a hole in the centre of the recess and into a hole in the centre of the buffer beam. I had some surplus 15mm scale chopper couplings, left over from my T&D cattle wagon kits, and fitted one of these to the underside of the beam, fixing it in place with a 10BA screw which was secured by a nut in the centre hole of the buffer beam. The centre hole was then filled with Milliput.
 The buffer beams were painted with acrylic matt black, with several coats of satin enamel Royal Mail red on their outward faces. An Accucraft chopper coupler was fitted to the rear buffer beam.

 The strap linking the side tanks was drawn free hand by trial and error on to a piece of card and offered up to the loco and adjusted until it was right. The piece of card was then used as a template for a strap made from a piece of black Plastikard. After painting, the strap was glued in place and the boiler mounted hand rails were butted up against it and fixed with cyano adhesive. On the prototype, the handrails are held by one knob at the smokebox end and just pass through the strap at the other end; due to my handrail knobs being a little too long, the handrails are a bit high, so I have fitted an extra pair of handrail knobs at the strap end.

With the re-profiled dome in position. the DJB Salter safety valve springs and levers were offered up, and the levers carefully cut to the correct length. The dome and the springs/levers were fixed in place using silicone adhesive, I had pre drilled holes in the top of the boiler to accept the springs.

There was a crank on the left side of the loco, this was used to drive the lubricator on the IOM loco, the crank had to stay in place as a spacer; but finally, I removed the crank, cut the excess metal off with a hacksaw and filed the remains down to a circular shape: now it is just a spacer.

There we are, all done, finished; after a good oil round of all moving parts, the loco was given its first test run.

 I have made good progress on this loco over the past month. The holes in the boiler and smokebox for the pop safety valves and handrail knobs were filled with Milliput; new holes were drilled for the re-positioned handrails. An extra boiler band was added in the form of a piece of Evergreen plastic strip; this band was removed from Peveril presumably when it was rebuilt with pop safety valves, among other modifications.
 After ordering replacement nameplates, I finally managed to remove the Peveril plates; however, the very nice people at MDC made my Culdaff plates to the exact dimensions of the Peveril ones, and these cover the marks left by the originals perfectly.
 The bodywork has received several coats of paint, two coats of brush applied Humbrol matt black 33, and once the company crests were added, all the matt black received a top coat of satin varnish enamel from a Humbrol spray can. I rather like the finish, which looks like a dark charcoal shade. The interior of the cab above waist height retains the original Indian Red paint.
 In the meantime, my friend Chris turned the Roundhouse dome in his lathe, it is now a very good representation of the original, the work had to be done with great care as the brass is not very thick in places.
 After painting, plastic glazing was added to the cab windows, and then the boiler, cab and smokebox were reunited with the chassis. The water feed pipes were cut and shaped to give the impression that they run behind the side tanks, rather than over the top of the lower tanks on Peveril. I made a toolbox from Plastikard and this was fixed to the top of the tank on the left side; tank fillers have also been added near the front of both tanks.
 The couplings still need to be added at the correct scale height of 1ft 10 1/2 ins, the front buffer beam should in fact be lower, but the frames would need to be altered in order to facilitate this, I will just lower the coupling; the rear buffer beam has been re-profiled with angled ends, as fitted to the Irish locos.
 Once the buffers and couplings are complete, the final jobs will be to fix the dome and sprung levers (from DJB Engineering) to the top of the boiler, and fabricate a strap that runs over the boiler, holding the side tanks together.

 Progress on converting this loco has been a bit slow this month; however, I have repainted the wheels and cylinders black and wired a connector plug to the motor: the coupling rods had been painted white by the previous owner, I overpainted these with a coat of oily steel enamel; the chassis is now complete.
 Not much work is required on the cab and tanks, I tried to remove the Peveril nameplates, to no avail, so I have filed the lettering off to slim the plates down a bit, and I have ordered a set of MDC plates to cover them up; I opted for the name Culdaff in the end. Apart from painting, the only other mod for the cab and side tanks is to fit a tool box to the top of the LH side tank.
 I have temporarily removed the copper chimney cap while I work on the chimney and smokebox. I have replaced the dart wheel with a dart handle from DJB Engineering. The handrail knobs have been removed from the smokebox sides and holes need to be drilled in the front of the smokebox in their new location. The old handrail knob holes and the safety valve fixing hole in the top of the boiler need to be filled, that's the next job.

 Work has now started in earnest on converting the Accucraft model of Isle of Man No.6 'Peveril' to a representation of one of the two similar locos built for the Ballymena and Larne Railway, in this case number 4.
 I had been on the lookout for a second hand IOM loco to convert for some time, I would have been happy with either a live steam or electric version, the loco that I purchased in April happened to be electric. The conversion will be a lot easier on the electric version as, apart from removing the rail pick ups and fitting a power socket, the work is mainly cosmetic; it would have been a bit more complex if a live steam boiler was involved.
 The loco is beautifully made and includes plate frames like its live steam stablemate, I assume that many of the parts are common to both versions.
 Taking the loco to pieces was quite a challenge but I managed it in the end. The model is held together with hex head metric screws, I had removed quite a few and could still not remove the body from the chassis, unscrewing the two screws fastening the backhead to the cab floor finally did the trick.
 The main differences on the B&L locos compared to the IOM model are:

• Top of tank sides at same height as top of bunker (too much like hard work, I will live with this difference).
• Separate hand rails on front of smoke box and boiler.
• Early type of dome with Salter safety valves retained to the end (IOM loco was rebuilt with Ross safety valves and a plain dome).
• No numbers on chimney.
• No canvas side sheets on cab.
• No lubricators on smokebox sides.
• No mechanical lubricator on running plate.
• Toolbox on left hand side tank.
• Dart handles, not wheel on smokebox door.
• Lamp iron in front of chimney.
• Buffer beams lower than IOM version (buffer height 1ft 10 1/2 ins)
• Originally the sand boxes were mounted on the boiler as per the IOM locos, but later moved to the front of the side tanks; I will leave them where they are, in original condition.

 The model of Peveril is a version of the loco after rebuilding with larger side tanks, so although the tops of these are not in line with the top of the bunker, they are not far out and I will live with this difference. I have not yet discovered whether the nameplates can be removed, I may have to order some replacement nameplates with a name of sufficient length to cover these, Ballymena perhaps.
 I have obtained a Roundhouse Silver Lady dome, this will need a bit of turning down to the correct profile in a friend's lathe, the Salter levers are on order from DJB Engineering.
 Once all the mods are completed, the loco will be repainted in satin black, I may keep the original Indian Red in the cab above the waistline.
 So far, in addition to taking the loco to pieces, I have removed the electrical pick ups and most of the internal wiring (retaining a pair of leads connected to the motor), in addition, the Ross safety valves, canvas cab side sheets, dome and chimney numbers have been removed.
 The motor will be wired to a plug which is compatible with my R/C power van No.3.