I had the idea for this loco after seeing a photo of a similar one taken on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. A chance find at a car boot sale provided a very badly made 1/24th plastic model of a Bugatti Royale which I stripped down as carefully as I could and ended up with several useful pieces including the complete bonnet and radiator assembly which resisted every affort to take it apart easily, so I used it as it was!

Photographs © Terry Allen

Placed on a Sidelines chassis, the bonnet was cut across where it met the edges and the bottom of the radiator trimmed flush with the bottom of the bonnet so it sat square onto the chassis. A piece of thick plasticard was cut to size and glued across the end of the bonnet and the Sidelines controls and gauges fitted on it in no particular order. The headlights and horns were also removed from the car and added to the front end.

The diesel tank was made from half a 1:24th truck fuel tank (Italeri) and the seat from a Fujimi accessories set (office chair), the gauge on the side was from a Ratio OO oil tank set and the raised housing on the floor was part of the clutch/gearbox assembly from the Bugatti, as was the raised sander pedal.

This is as far as I have got with this loco and it still needs weathering etc but it is something a little different.

Why “Bug”? Well, it is the front half of a Bug-atti of course and it fits in well with my “Gnat” and “Midge”!