Railtrack Hopper Info

These wagons are 8mm:1ft scale models of wagons found on the railways of Britain in 2006.
The wagons are ballast hoppers, which usually run in rakes of 5, one having a diesel engine to power the doors on all 5 wagons.  The real wagon doors are usually operated one door at a time by someone with a remote control unit walking by the side of the track.  These LEGO model hoppers operate 2 doors at a time by means of sprung levers at each corner.  I think my LEGO hoppers are what the tan hopper kit could have been if cost and market were no object.
The hoppers hold about 1400 1x1 round plates and are reliable in unloading them with minimal jamming or plates going other than where they are intended to go.
The wagons have used most of the last of the old grey roof bricks in my collection.

The writing is done entirely in SNOT letters.  Three wagons have the name "Railtrack" on the side - the name of the British track company when they were painted.  Due to the spate of cracked rails in Britain a few years ago, and the later demise of the company, now Network Rail, I applied a couple of simple changes to the SNOT letters on the last two wagons, to form "Railcrack" and "Failtrack".  We'll see how many keen-eyed observers notice this at model railway shows!  If I had used transfers on the white areas, which usually say "Renewing your railway", they could instead say "Ruining your railway" on the last 2 wagons.

Possible Improvements:
Harmonise colours of handrails under the canopies (requires 4x Bar 6.6L white, 4095 or 4095a).
Harmonise colours of 2x2 hinge tops under 6x6 composite plates at non-canopy end of 2 wagons (requires 4x black 2x2 hinge top).
Harmonise colours of buffer beam liftarms (requires 3x 1x7 thin liftarms in old grey and swapping a couple of 1x7 thick liftarms in old grey from other MOCs).
Replace vertical canopy supports with lighter tibes (requires 4-6 tubes 9L in old grey).
Replace the canopy of one wagon with the larger canopy and diesel engine that powers the doors on the real wagons.  I'll do this when I find a good picture of the engine end of the real wagon.
Extend the layout so that there is a 21-straight siding to hold a Class 66 and these 5 wagons!