I already have a couple of GW panniers, so why have another? Well, as all GWR fans will know, it is stated quite clearly in the First Epistle to the Swindonians (11,23) ‘For behold thou canst never have too many panniers’ – after all, there were around 900 of them, in all kinds of variations, and they got everywhere.

Many of these variations have been covered by all the RTR panniers on the market, but the 97XXs seem to have been neglected (although there is a Scorpio kit).

I have always had a soft spot for these condensers – originally designed to work goods trains through Met line tunnels, they were latterly gamely working heavy suburban trains into Paddington. They always seemed big- hearted little engines, despite their BR grubby and grimy state.

So, I was delighted when Minerva came out with a semi-RTR model. Minerva give you the chassis, footplate and cab from their 8750, plus all the bits and pieces and pipework to produce a condensing pannier, which (IKEA style) ‘requires some assembly.’ The extras are resin, with whitemetal and brass castings. The resin parts are distortion free, and the castings are well finished.

The model is a delight to make up – it all fits together very nicely, and the instructions are clear and sequential. I used Araldite for most of it, although I soldered some of the pipework around the air-pump. It makes into a very nice model, which really captures the character of the original.

I normally produce models in GW livery and ex-works, but I decided this one should be in its final state as I remembered it – a grubby, gutsy little BR engine, dirty and neglected. This was my first attempt at weathering, and I hope I haven’t overdone it. The model is a delight, here enjoying itself in the sun on my garden railway here in Hong Kong. Yes, it looks a bit out of place in the tropics – ‘Some corner of a foreign field, That is forever 81A Old Oak Common.’

Thanks to Minerva – for an excellent model which is most enjoyable to make up. I can recommend!