Friday Update: Sixteen Two Twenty-four…

This week feels like it has evaporated (well actually more like dissolved with the weather). How is it Friday again! Half term, bad weather, kids off and 5 consecutive layout design commissions mean there isn’t quite as much progress to share as I’d like, but let’s kick things off…

Let’s kick things off with a hint at another distraction, sorry layout! With the ‘winter’ micro finished thoughts turned to the larger layout it was designed to be a test bed for and with that the first test structure has been put together. This boat yard workshop will sit towards the rear of a more typical LACK shelf scene and the balance of texture with the embossed styrene roof and printed paper walls is one I’ve previously honed on Paxton Road. I’m not quite at the stage to share more on this and with layout design commissions bursting the iPad at the seams, inclination to draw my own ideas is somewhat lacking - but the concept is basically very similar just larger and with more to look at! It will also be a joint project. Watch this space…

In the workshop it has been mostly about layout design and, as seen here, layout building. Leatown now has a basic composition finished. The back-scene has some photos added from Silvertown and the London dock lands. The styrene structures are all complete, it’s ready for some painting and then once I’ve secured them in place, moving forwards with scenic work towards the front of the layout. When choosing images for a back-scene it is useful to have examples taken from distance, this isn’t always possible, but helps massively with two key elements that are important for some semblance of realism. First, the horizontals are horizontal and the verticals vertical - there is less parallax. Second, they’re in a softer focus and less sharp. I usually desaturate them slightly when printing out and in this case went through lots of different prints at varying sizes, less a realistic position and more artistic composition. 

Two examples from the box of 009 Talyllyn commissions I’m working through at present, these Westcliff kits are almost complete apart from transfers and finishing. The Peco couplings match the height gauge but their tails curiously sit just below the rail level, mind they can’t be mounted any higher because the NEM socket has been cut and modified to sit behind and up against the bottom edge of the buffer beam. These look lovely and when treated with a satin lacquer will easily match the look of a high quality ready to run equivalent. In the background I’ve been sourcing more parts and kits for customers for 009 commissions, if you’ve got a model you’d like me to breathe life into do get in touch!

The walk to the station has become something of a daily routine and a lovely way to start the day in whatever the weather. Even just standing looking at a sleeping railway is strangely calming for me, I feel the heart rate reduce, any stress or anxiety evaporate, my mind quieten. The effect of being at a station, I’d never really appreciated I had this on the doorstep in the same way as being at Chester or Crewe. Mind, the walk down is equally mindful, listening to birdsong and the river, observing the first signs of spring with the snow drops in flower and the daffodils poking through. Signs of rebirth and the year to come.

This week HMLX 1220 and 5606 have arrived at Beaverbrook having come off lease on what was known as ‘the Shove’. My own GE that I posted to Chris last year has returned with his own shortline power, a budget Bachmann GP7 with Soundtraxx decoder. It feels so exciting to see this here, alongside my own models - the connection we have as friends is strong but through these models the railroads we discuss and create independently feel real and connected. The problems with the blue GP chassis seem less than terminal, the quality of these drives seems at odds with their convincing but fairly bland detailing. No decision has been made on their future, we shall see where HMLX sends them next!

We’ll wrap things up here with a new (to me) rabbit hole as I dig about in Ireland for inspiration. I’ve found it by the bucket load out west in the late 1970s early 1980s but what this interest generates in terms of modelling as an artistic response remains to be seen. For now, as always, I’m enjoying learning, absorbing, distilling the character and beginning to imbue a scheme with my usual traits. Oh, and another book is on the way! As the weekend approaches I look forward to more sofa time in this way, but I’m keen to progress one of my layout builds - we shall see which grabs my attention first! I hope you have a relaxing one planned, and thanks again for stopping by, engaging with my work and as always I really appreciate it. Until next time, more soon…

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