Friday Update: Fourteen Six Twenty-four…

A week of railways large and small here in North Wales. As Rushcliffe is completed I also travelled to Neston for a ‘day out’ on a sunny Monday, so settle down and let’s take a look at things here…

The big news is that after a concerted push of focused effort I’ve finished Rushcliffe. Pushing a layout commission over the line is ofterm a drawn out affair of noticing and remembering little things you want to add or need to finish. This occasion was no different but I’m really pleased with how the layout appears at viewing height especially the bullhead track through the various ground textured and big sky all contribute to a much greater feeling of space. I’ll share more on the finished model next week!

With the 16mm/ft Hudson Hunslet and 7mm/ft Talyllyn off to their new homes this week work has turned to a batch of various 009 models in for assembly and painting. My own Fourdees ‘Windle’ (back) and new kit prototype (left front) sneaking in on the photo, showing a Narrow Planet ‘Barclayfication’, Robex ‘Jubilee 1897’ and Mountaineer Models ‘Mountaineer’. I will enjoy these as 009 is a long held personal passion of mine. 

James Hoyle photo

Speaking of new homes, I’ve already been sent a photo of the 7mm/ft Talyllyn! Longer term my customer is intending to finish Dolgoch in a similar livery. Whilst the baseboards for his new project are still just in construction here she is (above) posed on his Ffestiniog layout. Last week I shared a photo of the recent CDA commission and a few of you guessed for who and where they were headed. Peter kindly shared another photo of this layout project he has built and is serialising in Model Rail at the moment.

Peter’s ‘Fowey’ project, serialised in recent Model Rail magazines. Peter Marriot photo.

Beyond the bench I managed a day off and a day out with my partner. We have a two together railcard with the intention of using it as an excuse for travelling on railways closer to home to places we don’t usually visit. This time, a picnic lunch at Parkgate on the Dee Estuary via a short hop from Gwersyllt (where there is a free car park) to Neston. 

Despite growing up in Chester and spending time in my late teens mountainbiking around Heswall I’ve never used this railway so it was an adventure to see the old spur for the Mold branch at Penyfford, the cement works there too and then the sidings at Dee Marsh still in use for steel traffic. 

Gwersyllt station looking towards Bidston. 

Gwersyllt looking south 197021 arriving from Wrexham Central.

IHA steel carriers at Dee Marsh sidings, staging point for the steel works at Shotton.

Neston station, peculiar mix of old (wooden station platform!) and new(ish).

230009 arriving with a service from Bidston to take us back to Gwersyllt.

I keep wondering what layout to work on next as both Rushcliffe and my own Euro project are done. I like having smaller scenes in hand, to counter the longer term Beaverbrook project. Maybe this weekend is a chance to dust off the structures I had started for Gerald Road and push them on to enable some thinking about the feasibility of that layout project, an earlier period Paxton Road almost, in a much grittier setting?! Anyhow, it’s also Father’s Day here in the UK, a time for family. Always quite difficult for me as it reminds me of loss, but accepting the light and dark of our lives is part of being human. Wherever you are and whatever your plans I hope you have a relaxing and recharging weekend. Until next time, more soon…

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