Some more progress, fitted the 5thou footplate skin with rivets, came out quite well, considering I made it too short, by 0.5mm so no overhang at the cab end! As luck would have it, the 1:1 sheet metal work is joined just behind the front steps so I was saved from making a whole new one again by simply cutting off the rear and making only that part. The sheet is cut back over the front lifting holes, as is the angle that it fits too, usually flame cut on the 1:1 so not the neatest of cuts and it's also cut back by the cab doors.
Next came the cab but I opted to leave the rear off so I can get in there and do all the detail stuff, I'll probably paint a lot in there too, only leaving the walls aft of the doors to paint after the rear has been soldered on, there is an inner cab rear which is quite handy as that will help cover/assist hiding any wanton errors and such.....that's the current plan.
Bonnet sides were next and a slight deviation from the kit, opening out the radiator grills in the side, these are see through and the area inside quite simple to knock up from sheet metal or plasticard to represent the structures there in (more in due course). adding a work fan is possible but the viewing angle is tight so may not be worth the effort in the long run.
I'd opted for Kit2 as it's for late 08s, define late?, late for the bus, late for dinner, late chronologically or late in the production run, realistically I think its a combination of the last two but I'm not sure which as yet, the kit advises dual brakes and logically you'd think one could model a vac example by leaving off the air brake parts, sadly not so, dual brake locos appear (not all mind) to have an extra box in front of the fuel tank on the LH side, looks like a tool box and this alters the intake grills and such, I'd opted for a Vac brake version but that's now not possible, the kit includes some parts for the vac model but not in this area. To change I'll need to enlarge the LH battery box, make new intake doors and fiddle with a few other sundries, all possible but not sure if it's worth it.
The only issue is that I have two of these kits and I'd like at least one Vac brake example, with hindsight I should of bought one of each, but hindsight is never wrong! So, that area is under suspension at the moment, especially as I have to do more work to the bonnet doors.
The doors are stamped but the kit only supplies a flat sheet door, thus each door will need an extra layer on the outside to replicate stamping of the sheet metal work, additionally I cannot find any images that match the kit door latches, not saying they are wrong, just no good for what I need so will need to make new door latches as well.
The extra layer will probably be plasticard as it'll be easier and quicker to cut and make fit as well as bevel the edges to give a slight domed effect. Going through that lot would mean its a mere trifle to add the enlarged intake doors and LH battery box to make a Vac only loco....he says.
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Note bonnet is held in place with blue tak and cellotape LOL, also note that chassis seems to have bowed when footplate sheeting was applied, so some jiggery pokery required to get a nice tight join between bonnet sides and footplate.
Kindest
on the advice of others....who, like you, know far more than I do in this malarky 
