Friday Update: Nineteen Five Twenty-three…

I’ve been suffering for a few weeks with an old injury recurrent at present in my left forearm, I’m left handed and whilst it hasn’t stopped me working it’s left me grumpy, irritable and worried, no let up yet as my middle age means things just take longer to repair but time will heal…

We’ll kick off this week with last weekend, a wonderful trip on the Llangollen Railway with friend James, whose Mum bought Pont-y-dulais. Blue sky, green valley and steam, could you ask for more? Well I’d have been equally happy with diesel to be honest but the wedding party on board the service train seemed very happy and James enjoyed his first trip on the line. It was nice to show off where I live and work to the best, and it struck me that despite its recent troubled past it does ‘GWR secondary line’ so well and feels very much what it is… which contrasts to the previous weeks rambling about the K&ESR. With the Corwen reopening imminent I just hope it doesn’t  loose what makes it so special. The break at Carrog’s wonderful tea room and browse of the coach shops, the picturesque setting and the road bridge and pine trees make it just ‘preserved’ but quintessential.

This pair of Rapido Hunslet 16” have been knocking around the workshop for sometime, waiting for their etched plates. Whilst between larger jobs this week I had the Holly Bank ones in stock so pushed on and added those to the blue one. It will be great to see these finished, so I can share photos of the weathered finish, I’m really pleased with them both, but especially the saddle tank and coal bunker on the green one. 

Sometimes you just can’t beat getting a pen and paper and sketching out an idea quickly by hand. It was after conversation with James earlier in the week that this idea of a repurposed GWR pagoda needed to be expressed, hopefully it is of use to him, and perhaps you too?

The South African narrow gauge class 91 diesel is finally on the home stretch and painted! The next job will be to touch up the wheels and then I can add decals, when it will really come to life. Sealed with a coat of satin lacquer, this will protect the finish and tie everything together and then it can go to its new home later this month. Just in time to, because the box of Ruston LB parts is growing fuller and I need space to build this years batch, so the windowsill has been requisitioned!

Towards the other end of the scale spectrum, is this brand-new Kaslo Shops Canadian National ‘SWEEP’. I’ve built a few Kaslo models before (S13u and GP9RM) and they always beautifully conceived. Previously resin castings of presumably styrene and etched metal masters, this time we have the familiar mixed materials, but the shell and details are 3-D printed a bit like Briggs GP 20 I’ve built in the past as well. I’ve ordered a chassis, this will be a good project to get into later this summer!

Finally, I’ll leave you with ‘yet another’ photo of Paxton Road taken during one of the many short operating sessions this layout has witnessed this week. I sometimes wonder how two parallel ribbons of ‘steel’ (well nickel silver) can host such joyfully mindful escapes. Simplicity, reliability and believability. I’ve created a miniature world with consistent colours and finish which support the suspension of reality long enough to take a time machine and just play trains.

I hope your weekend plans include some trains, in the meantime though, I’ve one more day of work this week so I’ll sign off here and head off to the workshop. Until next time, more soon…

Donate

I love writing and creating material for the blog. If you enjoy what you read and engage with I would be appreciative of any donation, large or small, to help me keep it advert and restriction free.