Hi everyone, another month, time for another blog post.

Work on the ‘H’ class continues and the end is most definitely in sight. It’s amazing how adding the little details to a model takes so much time in comparison to completing the large objects like boiler, smokebox etc. But it’s worth the effort in my opinion as those little details add so much character to a locomotive.

Because things like pipes often pass through the floor or cab sides, these big objects can’t be put into the game until the smaller items are finished and I’m happy with their positions. So while I still don’t have any renders of the locomotive in game to show, I thought you might enjoy a couple of renders of some of the more unusual items I’ve had to build for this add-on.

This might look a lot like a Westinghouse air pump, but is in fact the heart of the Ashford steam reverser. The various rods you can see are all essential in the operation of the steam reverser and as such will all move in the game.

The second item I wanted to show is the Ashford Works builders plate that was attached to the front splashers of the ‘H’ class, though some locomotives had their’s removed in later life. As you can see the lettering is all 3D and this will be the standard for things like the brass cabside numbers and BR numberplates.

I mentioned in the last blog post that some of the variations that will be included with the add-on, are ones that have never been revealed before. While I’m not going to say what those are just yet, I can say that the add-on will feature over 40 detail changes, some big, some small, that will be adjustable either through the dynamic numbering or will have separate locomotive models.

In terms of liveries, I planning on including 10, with some changes like logos being controlled by the dynamic numbering.

The manual will be a bit different from normal, as I’m going to be splitting it into two documents. One will be focused on using the add-on, while the other will focus on the history of the class and the various changes made over the years. This will hopefully make it easier to find information, rather than having to wade through a 40 page manual just to find a particular keyboard shortcut for example.

Another first for this model will be in the included stock, again I’m not going to reveal what it is at the moment, but to say I’m excited is an understatement.

In summary the ‘H’ will be a big leap forward for SLC in so many aspects and hopefully will be worth the wait.

See you next time.

James (SLC)