Friday Update: Twenty Ten Twenty-three…

A week last Monday I was walking in the hills above Corwen in a T-shirt! 24 degrees in October. Last Sunday I was again walking in sunshine, this time in the hills above the village, it was low single figures and I was well wrapped up in coat hat and scarf. This week, things have got wet, very wet, and this weekend looks like a washout…

So grab those opportunities whilst you can! A break on Wednesday and I walked down to the village station to find things locked up, a tinge of sadness washed over me, memories of the long off-season ahead as trains finish after half term and line slumbers for a few months…. Memories of the recent bankruptcy too, and joy in the revitalisation and second coming we’ve seen from the trust and volunteers. Some superb Llangollen Railway experiences this year.

Glyndyfrdwy Station, Wednesday 18th October,  no trains today.

Above Glyndyfrdwy, view includes Llantysilio mountain (left), through Llangollen (centre left) and down towards Corwen (right), this doesn’t quite give you the sense of height and relative valley depths that the real experience had, but wonderful no less… Sunday 15th October.

Moving on from Ruston LB doesn’t mean a move away from large scale commissions - I’ve been scratch building the parts for a Hudson Hunslet - but more variety. Some OO models in for detail and weathering whilst the commission to build Leatown and Boston Lodge have started.

The latter especially exciting, I’ve designed my own photographic backdrop (a bit like Lochdubh) but this time have had it printed, it’s going to look superb in place on the layout. Leatown is proving more of a head scratcher because the board is longer than my usual 6mm MDF 1220x660mm sheet. I’d prefer to stick with this over Chinese ply, but our local B&Q store doesn’t do pieces longer! I’ll phone the hardware store today and see if they can help.

A brace of industrials (a bit of a personal favourite) in OO for weathering this week, always lovely to bring these to life for customers - a Rapido 15xx, Hornby B2 and Hattons Barclay. The 15xx has been based on prototype photos which show a patchy sheen to the side tanks and cab whilst general filth everywhere else! Great fun working on this, a wash, then vertical wide brush and then when nearly dry buffed off the tanks with a clean dry cloth. The NCB Peckett is a lovely model, I weathered one of these a few years ago and was impressed with the finish - it’s really only the wheel flanges that let these down, they’re superb. Finally, the Hattons Barclay, wonderful, and here fitted with the revised Planet Industrials Barclay cab. These should all be finished next week, clearing a bit of space for some more kit building commissions.

I’m lucky to have a few good friends with whom I share this wonderful hobby. Across time and space, some local, some overseas, some recent and some from childhood. Last night I took the opportunity to go and see Tim who was up from London to visit his Mum. We’ve not managed to see one another for a few years but it was like no time had passed at all as we drank tea, talked trains and had some dinner. A wonderful way to catch up and spend some quality restorative time, thank you old friend.

So if you’ve got this far, you’re probably wondering about the Class 26 in the header photo! A new arrival for Lochdubh, mainly a photographic prop but as it’s a Dapol model it’s a sweet runner too… almost accidental really, because the Revolution 128 was due but my pre-order with TMC which was supposed to be about £148 delivered jumped to £175 so I cancelled it and reinvested the money in this model! You’ll see above, on Lochdubh, that she’s received ploughs and the weathering has started. This will continue alongside the OO models pictured (you might also spot Prince and Linda are finished - more on those too soon). This weekend I’m hoping a new book arrives in the mail today and I know it’s going to be wet to perhaps some workbench time on my own models whilst being Dad taxi too! As always, if you’ve a model or idea you’d like me to brig to life for you then do get in touch, any scale, any gauge, any prototype from renumbering to Scratchbuild. I hope you all have a relaxing weekend, until next time, more soon…

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