These hopper wagons are for the 'fitted head' of my representation of 8M17, the Monckton (Royston) - Northwich coke train which ran via Woodhead until closure. Class 8 trains had to have a certain proportion of braked stock at the head of the train to allow them to run at (I think) 35mph.

They are modified N Gauge Soc bodies riding on the 2mm Association chassis. The bodies are modified with end struts rather than the two solid supports on the unfitted version. They also had a vac cylinder mounted on top of the chassis (there was no room underneath).

The hardest job is representing old, dirty, faded bauxite paint with a lot of rust showing through. These wagons were loaded with hot, wet coke straight from the quencher so they suffered a lot of corrosion. 

I sprayed them with Tamiya Red-Brown, then brushed a light coat of bauxite over it, allowing the red-brown to show through. Dark rust patches were dry brushed/stippled on using Revell No 84. Two or three washes of Tensochrom Smoke put more grime into the nooks and crannies and the whole lot was finished with a grey-brown mix wafted over both body and chassis with the airbrush. The unfitted one is there to make up the numbers.....