Friday Update: Four Eleven Twenty-two…

It's half term here in North Wales, and after last week's efforts with Victory weathering and preparation I've felt completely worn out. That said progress has been made on a few large scale commissions...

Amongst autumnal walks with the dog and being pestered by kids I've got these 3D printed parts for a large scale SAR Class 91 diesel finally smooth. I hate filament printers - to the kit supplier they're a cheap way to produce complex shaped parts, to the kit builder they're a right pain. These have taken about 2-3 hours to get to this stage. Fill, sand, smooth, prime and repeat. It's worth it though because the horizontal (or vertical, depending on orientation) striations are all to obvious under a quality high sheen paint finish (note the flat rectangle on the piece back right, hasn't been smoothed properly as I plan to hide it under a rectangle of styrene!). The model has been commissioned by someone who has rather a lot to do with the prototype so it's going to be exciting and important to improve the Bowaters kit to get it 'just right'.

The other large scale commission underway and causing plenty of head scratching is the Cli-Shay. This is a work of fact and fiction blending a home made prototype with the concept and then producing something 'narrow gauge' in approximately 1/12 scale. It's construction is a lovely mix of materials, techniques, high detail items and household objects. The last few 'big jobs' now left are head scratchers - roof (I think laminated card), spark arrestor (possibly some sort of household decanting funnel?) and front water tank (no idea, not found anything the right diameter yet!). These last few items will physically finish the model but I've designed some etched works and name plates to really finish it off. If you have a dream of a unique model, why not get in touch for this sort of commission?

The prototype print has been ordered and the etch artwork finalised for the 'Yellow Aster' Porter. To demonstrate that it really is 009, here posed with a Modelu 1:76 driver (destined for another project). In the kit the cab does have a hole this side for the drivers legs to sit in, so he can perch at the rear of the cab and operate the locomotive. The prototype was oil fired so single crew driving was not a problem. I'm really excited about this project, but I'm working on a second British outline model from the back catalog to use the same Bachmann N Percy chassis - the prototype print is also in this batch so we shall see if the re-design has worked. It would be nice to have it available again!

I've been working on groundwork on Beaverbrook and this section by the Co-op mill is the latest to have some non-sanded tile grout worked into the ballast and up to the roadside. Here I've also begun with ground texture adding some short static grass fibres alongside in a scrubby hap hazard manner I've observed on the prototype. This is not a mm perfect recreation of Beaverbrook - rather an artistic re-intepretation of scenes I've only seen through friends eyes, but the colours, textures and 'feel' of the model work, and work well for me - and for those that have visited the real location track side. The 'middle' of the layout is the next target for ballasting, and once that's done there are 3 unbuilt structures, and 2 unfinished structures - plus street lighting, road signs and other detail that all need adding.

The weather looks pretty awful here this weekend with plenty of rain forecast unfortunately but that will mean more time with a good book and a nice hot coffee and the dog rather than my favoured autumnal walks. Whatever you manage, I hope there is time for some model railways. Until next time, more soon...

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