The Minimalist Look

When I first started to design a model of the Hudson-Hunslet diesel my intention was to build a cabless version with the motor and chassis completely hidden within the body. While I've managed this some people have asked me if I intend to also produce a version with a cab. Unfortunately it would appear that every loco that was fitted with a cab has a different cab design. For a first attempt I've gone with a minimalist look, similar to the cab on Macnamara (which is actually a slightly different Hudson-Hunslet design).

Amazingly I seem to have managed to get the cutout in the front panel correct so it fits perfectly over the etched body panel (there were five or six paper based attempts before I committed to the etch but still). Even better it was nice and easy to put together; the roof was shaped by gentely rolling the handle of a small file across it against my leg, pliers were used to fold the roof sides down, and then the front and back panels simply glued into the positioning lines on the roof.

While it all fits nicely, I'm not convinced it's the best cab design. I think of it as the sunhat of cabs; it will keep the sun off but if there is any rain you're still going to get very wet and miserable. Now I know the cutout works though I can have a look at a more enclosed cab.