Friday Update: Twelve Eight Twenty-two...

Well this is probably the last 'normal' Friday update for a few weeks as the kids all descend here for a fortnight from tomorrow and so with trips to Pembrokeshire, the beach, railways, castles and mountain biking I'm not sure how much time there will be for blog updates, let alone Friday ones...

I've been 'home alone' as Janey and the girls are on holiday so Bronwen and I have been enjoying the peace and quiet. It's been too hot to do to much, but these two new to me books have been enjoyed with cold beer at the end of the day. I love buying books, especially old ones as it seems nice to save something that could otherwise end up in land fill. On the subject of books, thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy of my own - it is selling very well indeed!

Amongst various projects and because of one of them I stripped down a new Hornby Sentinel. Curiosity got the better of me and Steve sent me a scan of the Dorman Long example for me to check vs the chassis! It fits, perfectly which is great news, I've always fancied one of these odd looking steam examples, next up  is working out how best to do it in OO using my usual combination of materials. Before that I've got a few kits in prototyping which I need to progress first, more on those perhaps next week as I'm expecting some etches in the next few days.

A brief interlude in the garden, for morning coffee with a view. The benefit of green space for your mental health has been playing on my mind (no pun intended) this week, If I'm honest the world in general is getting me down, worried about living costs and the environment let alone the clowns running the country. That said, taking a few deep breaths, looking at the view, listening to the sheep and watching the birds play whilst enjoying a good strong coffee isn't all bad is it! I'm very lucky to live here...

Back in the workshop something humongous has taken over - this Heljan 0 scale 47 is getting on for the largest model I've worked on - and fitting a Loksound XL isn't a straight forward task - involving working out how the damn things are wired! Luckily a kind soul on RMweb had done a lot of the donkey work so I copied his notes and created my own diagram to help switch wires from the Heljan PCB to the new decoder. Next will be adding a number, nameplates and some weathering.

Finally, a few new N scale arrivals as I've sold more OO items on eBay. A a bit of a tease here is the a NBL type 2 leaving Barnstaple in 1970 heading for Meeth with the ball clay empties...

...suffice to say I'm sold (for now) on British N and enjoying it too! I will add the buffer beam detail once I’ve got the DG couplings fitted and then give it a bit of life in the finish. The small layout is a delight, as you;llhave seen this week is providing a lot of emotional relief and stimulation. Learning about a new scale and pushing myself out of the comfort zone. 

This weekend I've got a few pre-written blogs planned, and then I'm not sure how next week will pan out as whilst Janey is back home with the girls I'm off to Pembrokeshire with my two, so I'm not expecting to be able to get much online. That said, relaxing in the sun with a good book and a pen usually generates layout schemes so perhaps something of that nature might arrive. Whatever you have planned I hope this finds you well, and you enjoy the weekend. Stay safe, out of the sun and hydrated if you're about in the UK. Otherwise though, more soon...