Friday Update: Thirty Ten Twenty...

All the tens today, hey, and a very soggy wet half term week here in Wales. Despite the rain, and boy has there been a lot of it, I've managed to push on with some of the Hudson Hunslets and other painting jobs...

First though this week, the latest NG&IRM review (number 124) has dropped through the door, and some lovely (obliquely scaled) modelling by George Williamson with Twywn Wharf, and a wonderful set of drawings of a 20" gauge Porter from Arizona (if I could think of a way of using a Busch chassis to represent one...) it also has the Planet Industrials Peckett conversion in the reviews section... thanks Roy (although the confusion for the public reigns with more Narrow Planet smatterings on a Planet Industrials feature!).

The first pair of Hudson Hunslets from this years batch are now painted, and ready for weathering. They share a shade of Humbrol 131 green, but otherwise have quite a few differences - roof withstanding! The engine bay and radiator being the most obvious... these will be washed, drybrushed and distressed next week.

The Plymouth in 1:24 is coming along now nicely as well. I have cleaned up the wheels and checked the pick ups have survived the painting - and began the gentle weathering. Since this photo was taken I've added glass from microscope slides in the windows and repainted the battery black, at the request of my customer. We're just waiting on an etched radiator guard before this one can be deemed 'finished'.

I took receipt of an Athearn Genesis GP15-1 this week for my own Canadian project - more on this another time, but it will be refinished as a patch painted example - it's a neat and well detailed model, but there are plenty of quality control errors all over it - good job it was a little cheaper than normal. It runs superbly though! I've also pre-ordered a second Rapido model, this time an RS18u from Otter Valley in the Trillium railway scheme - a lovely black with CP markings, I think it'll look great on my layout - I think that probably rounds out the motive power. 

The CN S13 us now satin/matt too, as it's had a spray of dull-cote ahead of weathering. What was nice was to compare this to the GP15. I was slightly concerned that there would be a mismatch in terms of quality and detail level, but no, the Kaslo model is not only well proportioned and detailed but the finesse of the parts stands comparison with current RTR standards - that is good to know - I've pondered a GP9Rm in the future, or possibly a bash of a SW1200 and GP9Rm to create a Sweep...

In the evenings I've been digging through some more research and found track plan and industry lists for the Halifax area (thanks Steve for the tip off, and for uploading and sharing these old documents) which has fleshed out plans - I'll share more on these perhaps over the weekend. 

As these large scale models near completion I'll be pushing on with the WDLR Hunslet and some Backwoods kits I seem to have offered to build, I suspect I'll be grey haired by Christmas! Hope you're all well, and have a good weekend. If you'd like me to consider your commission, be it a kit, locomotive, structure, complete layout or just a simple renumbering or weathering - then please, do get in touch. Until then,  more soon...