My layout,Tonfanau Camp, is a 1950s/60s military themed project inspired by Tonfanau on the Cambrian Coast line. It features a rail-served army camp.

I have always liked the Fowler centre-cab 0-4-0 DMs that were used at RAF Stafford and ROF Bridgend. The chassis is very similar to the Ixion RTR Fowler. I used donor parts from a rare faulty return and an engineering prototype for the conversion.

Now, I should post a health warning. This conversion involves the mutilation of innocent locomotives, a complete disregard for proper planning and design and a total disrespect for rivet counting. Instead, this project follows the Claude Monet school of modelling to create an impression, also known as 'the-make-it-up-as-you-go-along' approach. Consequently, it is best appreciated from a distance through squinting eyes. So, if you are sitting comfortably, we will begin.

• Remove the superstructure from the chassis. The good news is that the chassis requires no alterations
• Cut the footplate from a sheet of black 80 thou Plastikard 121 x 49mm. From the chassis measure and cut a hole in the centre cut to clear the motor and gears. Test for fit.
• Cut the buffer beams from 30 thou Plastikard 49 x 18mm. Cut two strips of 30 thou to 49 x 7mm to represent the ballast weights on the buffer beams.
• Fit the weights to the buffer beams and round-off the corners.
• Cut the buffer mounting blocks from plastic strip 6 x 3 x 10mm and fix in place. I used Evergreen 6 x 3mm strip.
• Cut the coupling mounting plate from 10 thou Plastikard. Impress four mounting rivets from the rear and attach to the buffer beam. Drill and file slots for the couplings.
• Mark the buffer beams for fixing bolts. I attached bolt heads from a sheet of cosmetic polystyrene nuts and bolts designed for military modellers (Meng Supplies SPS-008 Set C).
• Attach the buffer beams to the footplate. The footplate is a tight interference fit over the chassis side frames that should mean there is no need to use screws, nuts or bolts to hold the superstructure in place on the chassis. It has worked so far.
• Cut a rectangle of 10 thou Plastikard to overhang the black card and buffer beams by 1mm and the sides by 1.5mm. Mark and emboss fixing rivets around the edge and glue in place or, alternatively, apply small blobs of sticky PVA glue to represent the rivets. When set, cut the clearance hole for the motor in the 10 thou overlay.
• Cut and attach valences to the sides of the footplate underneath the overlay.
• Fit buffers and couplings of choice.
• Add steps to each corner of the footplate from stiff wire and small steps of brass or nickel silver.
• Make and fit the cab steps from Plastikard. The new footplate is a a neat interference fit on the chassis.

All I needed from cab were the front and rear cabsheets, spectacles and roof. The front, rear and side cab-sheets are moulded integrally with the cab roof.
• Shorten the cab's length from 47mm to whatever length you want by making two cuts either side of the centre.
• Cut away the cabside sheets, clean up and glue the residual cab parts together along the roof using scrap Plastikard to strengthen the joint on the underside of the cab roof. When hard, fill the joint with filler, allow to set and then sand and polish to finish.

While the roof is setting, mark and cut new cab sides. I used clear Plastikard with an overlay of 15 thou to give a near flush-glazed effect. I decided to make the cab doors flush with the sides because I am lazy. The white overlay overhangs the glazing by the thickness of the front and rear cabsheets to allow a stronger, stepped joint at each corner.

Mark and emboss riveting on the cabside overlays before fitting. Scribe the door joints. Drill and fit handrails salvaged from the donor cab. Door handles will need to be sourced and fitted to the cab.

You will be able to see the flywheel and part of the PCB through the cab windows, but the appearance of these is not too obvious. New cabsides ready for fitting to the original ends and roof. The modified cab in situ.

• Take one of the donor bonnets. Remove the starting motor and lever.
• Carefully cut through the bonnet between the upper inspection hatches.
• Clean up and, if necessary square-off the cut face. Cut a couple of pieces of 30 thou Plastikard to brace the inside of the bonnet.
• Cut a piece of 15 thou to the profile of the bonnet, emboss with rivets and glue in place.
• Mark, cut and attach the inspection panel on the end of the bonnet from 15 thou. The securing levers and handle were salvaged from the surplus half of the donor bonnet. Modifying the rear bonnet.

The electric lamp comes from the accessory pack supplied with the Fowler diesel. I decided to mount it on top rather than embed it in the face of the bonnet because I think it looks nicer.

• Remove the starting motor.
• Remove the chimney and file down the base until flush with the top of the bonnet.
• Remove the oil lamp.
• Attach Plastikard inside the bonnet underneath the holes left by the chimney and oil lamp and fill the holes with scrap plastic and model filler. Sand smooth when set.
• Fill and smooth the gap on the left side of the bonnet left by removal of the starting motor apparatus.
• Carefully cut out the radiator grill and front of the bonnet. I replaced the moulded mesh effect with some etched mesh from the Eduard range and made a new grill covering from Plastikard.
• Cut and fit the exhaust stack from 2mm brass tube.

The shortened front bonnet before adding detail Front bonnet mods included a new chimney and some etched mesh.

• Install the air-brake tanks salvaged from the donor. Make sand boxes from Plastikard and fit in position. Work completed and now the model is ready for the paintshop.
That is the construction completed. Prime, paint and apply decals to taste. The Fowler works plates came with the model. The BR registration plates and the name plates are from Narrow Planet. In service but waiting delivery of nameplates

This little project took me back to my teenage years when we hacked Airfix armoured fighting vehicle and aircraft kits with basic tools, a photograph or two and, if we were lucky, a 'scale' drawing.

The header photo shows things before and after. Happy bodging and bashing.