The metal parts of the Rheneas body have been treated with paint stripper. (This is only the second time I’ve used the paint stripper I brought in December 2018!) The smoke box was glued to the shortened boiler with epoxy glue.

The paint on the plastic parts of the model was very shiny and I wasn’t sure any new paint would adhere to it. I purchased some ‘Strip Magic‘, a paint stripper especially designed for plastic. After a couple of treatment most of the paint has been removed, and best of all the plastic moulding hasn’t been affected.

(It goes without saying: if you are using any paint stripper wear gloves and goggles and work in a well ventilated area).

The metal and plastic parts were glued to the footplate I had made previously.

Then I added a buffer beam and coupling to the rear of the body.

Finally, I replaced the smiling Rheneus face with a Dolgoch smoke box door by Blue Models on Shapeways. The door was (just) slightly larger in diameter than the smokebox and I’ve lightly filed it to size.

Good progress, although the model definitely isn’t shiny any more!