This by far the closest match to what the kit is intended to be, the only one I've found with the double V handbrake hangars. It has the suspected rod between the tank supports - and nice simple plumbing on the tanks ends. The handrail is an easy addition, as is the steam pipe, which confirms that the wagon ran in passenger trains (or at least milk trains?).
Relevant also in the photo is how far the bed extends over the sole bars - this helps with a problem I've run into building the per the instructions. I fitted the sole bars (before finding the photo) as instructed at edges (of the cut-outs) of the floor and the distance between the sole bars is way too wide.
If the bearings are fitted anything like in the W irons there's going to be very little to keep the wheels attached to the wagon.
Also, the brake shoes are ridiculously out of line with the wheels. Okay, when this kit was designed things were different, but too much is too much.
The spring castings are intended to he hacked at overlaid on the etched W irons, but keeping the tab for them to solder to the back of the sole bar is one way to make the wheel arrangement better - but still leaves the brake shoes wildly out line. So Plan A, which I really should do, is remove the sole bars and move them in, adjusting the ends of the buffer beams to match the photo (and adding rivet detail) and moving the brake shoes, or Plan B is hack the W iron etc etch and place the bits individually. The trouble with Plan A is my 10mm fibreglass cleaning stick has expired, and they have got stupidly expensive so cleaning up would be a nightmare.
On a happier note, the two end tank supports have been filled with Milliput and roughly sanded. A touch up withe more filler and some serious filling will get these ready to fit.
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