Friday Update: Seven Seven Twenty-three…

First things first this week - big news, the price of the Planet Industrials 'Victory' has returned to £130. With limited stock remaining now is a good time to pick up our award winning model. If you have one already, why not get a second? If you've not got one - why not?! (tongue in cheek)...

The workshop has been quiet on physical commission work here this week as I continue to work on the final leg of the book, plus a new project - also a book... that said, there has been plenty going on outside of 'work' so to speak so let's take a look!

What do we have here? A pair of TT (ish) narrow gauge North American diesels - one you've seen before and one that is very exciting indeed! The GMD G8 is a project I've had for many years - in fact 20 odd years I've wanted to model one of these distinctive, squat locomotives after standing on the roof of 802 at Trinity Loop in 2001. The CAD work is based upon a download I found many years ago on Thingiverse (long since deleted I think) that has taken hours and hours of work to turn into something approaching the Canadian built examples. So this is TTn3.5, it runs on 9mm track and uses an Atlas SD9 chassis to approximate the A1A trucks of the prototype. More than it's physical form though, it's a promise, it's so incredibly exciting - a ribbon again through our hobby, through my life... intwined with others and partially fuelled by their excitement for the project, this has seen the light of day thanks to two individuals who at this juncture will remain nameless but they've been a big part of putting a smile on my face this week! So what next? I'm working on the etch design now for the grills and handrails - and then pondering does this locomotive warrant a train? A dangerous slope, but the idea of a branchline exhibition layout based upon the Bonavista branch is a massive distraction - something most people would not get at all, but would be amazing to those of us who are familiar with the prototype, or like myself, have walked some of the trackbed (or remember running on it - it was abandoned as late as 1984). We shall see...

In other narrow gauge news - and at the other end of the spectrum - progress is being made on a new pair of wagons for the tramway. These skip chassis will have a wooden deck scratchbuit and added to transport tote bags of slate waste for onward sale - as detailed in the final chapter of the tramway history. Based upon the Model Earth budget range they're quite a faff to assemble but the end result is full of character. It feels good to be working on the garden again.

Further to that, it was friend George who popped around earlier in the week who helped out with work on the tramway wharf's wall and played trains. It was George and I who planned to work on the Cambrian project in N if you recall, a project still in the offing but on the back burner (sadly) for the moment. George also brought this diorama with him, built for the Talyllyn's competition this year - a lovely piece of work and very reminiscent of the inspiration. We had a great chat about the mix of media, I think the hand painted back scene - in the style of the original - is wonderful. George runs a YouTube channel and the build is documented on there - and his commitment to creating content is wonderful. We talked about the relative merits of the different creative forms, and although I dabble with the odd video, written and illustrated will always be my centre - and here I can control the lack of adverts etc - which is a wonderful gift back to you all I hope - as well as forming a great collection of 'previous works'.

Regular reader and occasional customer Alan Sewell recently sent me this photo of the Rio Tinto Victory and the narrow gauge Ruston at work together - slightly incongruously - on his North American logging layout. They are destined for  new project, but I really appreciate him sharing the photo with us all as it's lovely to see past models in their new homes. Wrapping things up, I've enjoyed running trains on Beaverbrook again this week, below the Halifax South Western GP9RM is caught about to leave with a train of cement cars.

This weekend, gosh, it's been such a whirlwind of late, I'm not sure what I'll do - perhaps get the basic boards together for Gerald Road, or start something else new - either that or structures on Beaverbrook? Either way, a good dose of personal restorative modelling is on the cards. I hope you manage to get some time away with your hobby too - and in the meantime, until next time, more soon...

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