Friday Update: Twenty-three Six Twenty-three…

A week of contrast here, and happy to say goodbye to several commissions, with a few more reaching the ‘nearly there’ point and news that the parts I’m awaiting for 7/8ths Ruston being due soon, everything is falling into place really nicely…

New in this week a second Hornby 08 destined for Renfrew, which arrived in BR blue, but my, a dark shade. Since the model was being renumbered and I needed to move the BR arrows anyway I agreed with my customer David to respray the blue in a paler shade which will form a great base for further weathering. I’m hoping this one will be out the door next week, we shall see, I could do with the space!

Who awe these motley crew, the Planet Industrials crew packs were destined for a pair of a Victory destined for my business partner’s own layout - more on those next week, but for now here we are, note left is further away from the camera than right - note also that Steve (right) has his own body in he new ‘modern’ figures, whereas in overalls as a fireman it is someone else’s body, so he has grown a little as Alan scaled the original creation to match my diminutive proportions! These are still available from Liht Railway Stores, as are the Victories themselves.

This little creation, Falk#2 we’ll call her is actually a few steps on from this photo (more to share on that next week as well) and should also be off to a new home shortly. Painting to represent a hard working home made locomotive is quite good fun and I’m looking forward to sharing how things turn out. I’ve said it before but primer has a wonderful way of bringing a model to life for the first time as all the different materials are blended into one, as if a 3D render on the computer!

This collection of 009 models are destined for a sugar cane inspired layout in Australia, yes actually in Australia not based on Australia! They’re nearly finished, the two large Pecketts are from Fourdees kits and the smaller O&K from my own designs (available in the EuroNG and Narrow Planet ranges). I’m just waiting on some etched numbers to finish the latter pair off, although I might see if I’ve anything suitable in the bits box, then a light weathering.

Lochdubh hasn’t entirely stopped either, I’ve been tinkering with the muddy earthy texture on the left hand foreground and although not happy yet, it is moving in the right direction. This is a blend of DIY emulsion tester pots sponged and dabbed on to the talc over grey paint base. The variation is quite pleasing and from a side perspective, the normal viewing angle, pretty effective, I might call this a day and move onto finishing the last few elements I want to add, most obviously finish off the road and bridge edging, and bed the croft down.

It has been a sunny week here and I often start my mornings with a coffee and the dog on the sofa in the lounge, sadly she has hurt her shoulders this week jumping down some steps so I hope she feels better soon, poor thing. I hope you all have a chance to spend time in your own hobby at some point over the weekend, be that reading, sketching, out visiting a real railway or model making. As always, thank you for reading, engaging and supporting the blog, it goes from strength to strength as more people find out about it and I’m sure some of that is down to word of mouth from you all. Until next time, more soon…

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