Friday Update: Four Two Twenty-two…

Largely smaller commissions on the bench this week, a few finishing touches on the 009 Taliesin before her plates arrive and on to some new things…

Taliesin will wait for her own post, instead let’s wander through what I’ve been working on in earnest. The focus of most of my attention has been this pair of EFE Rail (Kernow, ex DJM) Austerities. When these were announced there were comments about a revised drive train but to be honest, I can’t find anything different about these models, apart from the fact they’re easier to get it to as it’s not all glued up solid. Cab comes off with two screws under the bunker and easing of clips around the firebox. Then a screw in the dome let’s the saddle tank be lifted clear.

I’m working on specific prototypes here from photographs. The model as jr comes is a well proportioned and detailed model; but by its nature intentionally generic. By working over all elements systematically you can breathe a real character into each model.

The Geisel ejector, headlights and turbo, conduits, pipework, lubricators, buffers, injectors, lamp irons and cab plating is all modified here and primer hides the materials allowing you to focus on the smooth finish. Paint next week… Ashington blue for number 53 and USC crimson for 52.

The other OO commission that’s taking up a lot of space, is this rake of 8 PXA bogie wagons. There is a lot of work that my customers and I go into with prototypes like this, trying to match a colour to poor quality photos. This is the result of a third coat of yellow which in the end I custom mixed, always a danger when you’ve 8 wagons to do and don’t want to change shade half way through…

Last year at Statfold, whilst on the Planet Industrials AGM, Steve and I were particularly taken by the smaller well tank tank engines in the collection and decided that I’d look at doing a version based upon the reworked O&K. This isn’t a model of a particular prototype rather a collection of attractive details that will make into a lovely little model. I can’t wait to put this together, the etch contains parts for a tender which will run on one of the same bogies that come in the NP RNAD crew van. It will offer the same ‘out of the box’ basic detail that allows the modelled to inject their own personality with extra bits and pieces, perhaps a headlight and turbo generator, a spark arrestor, air brake pump and cylinders. Look out for the prototype in primer soon!

Finally, and finally, I've been pushing on with the next section of card road on Beaverbrook - in my mind this needs to be finished before I can begin working on the track painting, so this long stretch with it's complicated curved joint with the front spur as it crosses over was a stumbling block now completed. Just a short section out of view to the left, and one one more grade crossing - mind then all the infills, but I'm planning to use styrene for those - before I can say 'done'. Although I thought this would allow track progress, I think I'll actually build up the ground and then get some filler in to do the basic landscaping before painting and ballasting the track. Having a linger term project like this proves again and again the wonderful nature of our hobby. After a day of working on others models, I find the variety offered by Beaverbrook, be it rolling stock, structures, a running session or scenic work, to be a real tonic.

If you've got a project you'd like me to work on I'm taking commissions for the late third quarter onwards now, so do get in touch via the form in the menu, Facebook or one of the forums. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend. More soon...