Friday Update: Nine Six Twenty-four…

Blink and you'll miss it - another week gone here, a mix of busy with work and busy with life! I've taken some time out to sit down and distill all that's happened here in the workshop, I hope you enjoy this week's summary...

I never tire of a walk to the station and managed a trip down yesterday afternoon after some chores. The railway is running Wednesday/Thursday/Friday as well as weekends at the moment, and it's lovely to hear the DMU in the valley - there are even some diesel turns coming up on Fridays! Whilst green does feel at home on the railway, I continue to yearn for something more fitting from my own childhood - I saw the tail end of BR blue and the proliferation of sectorisation and growing up in Chester this largely meant Provincial liveries of blue Pacers and grey/blue Sprinters - later some Merseyrail and GMPTE liveried units too... imagine if we could hope to see at least one of these represented here in North Wales?! Perhaps not popular with 'management' or the 'steam crowd' stuck in 1950, but I would put money on it being a draw for the younger generation and volunteers - surely the lifeblood of preservation tomorrow.

Post holiday Talyllyn in 0-16.5 is nearly complete. I've been adding a very subtle weathering to the finish, so far just a wash on the under frame and footplate - this will see a little airbrushed soot along the cab roof and top of the boiler and then she'll be ready to head home. The commission has seen an aging white metal model repainted and lined, lifting the finish of this old but characterful model.

In 16mm the Hudson GoGo tractor I have scratchbuilt has broken out in a bad case of rust! This is applied by hand with a variety of brushes and Humbrol 33 and 62. The streaking achieved with careful use of a wide flat brush and enamel thinners. The way the 62 pigment separates slightly as it is dragged down the body creates some wonderful effects and the black adds relief, drama and shadow. I've left this now for a few days to fully harden so I can apply the usual 33/98 weathering wash mix and starts o bring the engine block and chassis frames to life. I can't wait to see it finished and out on the railway. You might also notice the skips have had the same treatment, I've really enjoyed distressing these with paint effects, even in 16mm I think texture can be overdone and I hope this 'looks and feels' right to the modeller, historian and general punter alike.

  

The current layout build commission is moving through the final stages quite quickly now. You will see a sky has been selected an fitted. This is one of the custom ID Backscenes I had printed as a single roll. Not cheap but worth it, and easy to cut to fit, it's a plastic backed one but rather than rely on the self adhesive film I have glued it in place with PVA. The ground work has then been formed with foam board and scupltamold which allows swift progress and helps with my flow - allowing a variation in ground height to be achieved quickly.

Yet more though, after being painted with a suitable earthy coloured emulsion I have added the first pass of static grass. This is applied in small sections using the Peco precision applicator which means I am refilling the little cannister often. I take a pinch of various colours, adjusting almost indiscriminately at this first stage to give some subtle variation in colour and length. Further work will begin to add more obvious deliberate variation - some longer grass in places and dryer shades on the embankment. Then nettles, shrubbery and ground cover in various materials. It's great to see this stage though as it gives me confidence to move forwards with purpose again.

It is always lovely to see my commissions in place on a customers layout - this pair of CDAs left the workshop before my holiday and so have yet to grace a 'Commission' post here. They look great on this Cornish based layout. You will be able to see them in the popular press in the near future I am told, and I will aim to share their completed photos next week.

Not as much personal modelling as perhaps I'd like, but it's all a balancing act. I have enjoyed operating Paxton Road and flicking through some favourite books in the evening. 

I have mocked up something for the back of Kohlenbachbrücke, a new section of panel fence and a somewhat dubious looking pipe! I will need to add some sort of 'box' around where this passes through the panel fence and the power pole that has fallen over may be used to disguise the end of the building. Some greenery and small trees will be needed along here though to help break the foreground and background. 

Beaverbrook has seen no further progress itself, but the GP11 project has moved quite swiftly. The chassis (a donor Athearn Genesis GP9 with Roco Austria drive - superb) has been modified to fit the shell and I've tested the ESU decoder which sounds exactly as I had hoped. The 3D printed shell needs a few bits adding, which I have started, before I begin to bend and form the handrails. This is destined to be the 'first' unit of the HMLX roster to be painted in a home livery - the intention being to steal the CIE Supertrain colours and format of tan with a black waist band, matched with some white lettering - as a result I expect only a light weathering. I do enjoy these 'easy' kit builds. They are a nice distraction from the day job, and as North American H0 scale 'diesel' modelling is reserved for just my own pleasure, it doesn't feel like work - although, lets be honest, compared to most of us, nothing I do feels like work!

It's been a funny old week really, I spoke to Chris on Tuesday and reflected how much I have learnt about myself in the past few years. Recognising stress and anxiety, recognising my own patterns of behaviour both useful and unhelpful too... using all I do as a way to understand who I am - and more - to share that experience with you all has been wonderful. One of my hopes for 2024 is to distill some of these mindful ideas into a more coherent content - be that a series of more specific videos or perhaps a fourth book. I do hope you all continue to enjoy what happens here - and that my thoughts and reflections beyond the hobby help you in some way either appreciate yourself or others. 

I am still open for 2024 commissions so if you'd like to work with me this year on bringing your own project to life do get in touch so we can discuss your specific requirements and how I might help. I can prepare a fixed price proposal based on your specifications and we will work together to bring that to frution. You can reach me using the contact form in the menu here on the website, or via Facebook (where you can email me without needing a Facebook account), the link is on the Modelmaking Commissions page. 

In the meantime, Friday awaits - as does a weekend to focus on myself again. I hope you can find some time for your own hobby over Saturday and Sunday be that half an hour with a favourite book or new magazine, or more serious work at the bench - or perhaps just a pleasant hour operating your model railway. Until next time, more soon...