Friday Update: Twenty-eight Six Twenty-four…

A bumper update this week with lots of news and progress to get through. I hope you've all had a good week so far, grab yourselves a seat and lets begin...

I have been finding my lack of OO gauge diesels (especially blue ones) a bit problematic when photographing layout commissions. This week Rails have been selling off some Bachmann Class 24 so I picked one up - whilst there is no plan for a layout of my own for said beast, I will detail and weather it up for photo shoots. Yesterday I was driving through Brymbo and my mind did recall the Minera branch and it's many level crossings and how, perhaps, that might make a nice little photo plank to try some scenic work out on? I've always wondered if there is a good way to make a dry stone wall for example - and I'd love to try making my own level crossing gates (as I will need all these skills for the Irish layout). We will see, there is a spare Mosslanda here that could work in the vein of my first Mosslanda project where the back-scene is removable and there is no lighting built in - just a scenic base, more of a diorama than micro layout? We'll see... 

Meanwhile there have been all sorts of commissions in progress this week. Kicking things off a very quick project to fit a Dapol B12 front pony truck (which comes with a coupler) to an old Minitrix Britannia. This wasn't as easy as my customer had hoped so he sent it in for me to do a more involved conversion. I removed the Dapol metal articulated 'arm' and fabricated a fixed pivot, like the original, adding a phosphor bronze spring too so it is now a direct replacement. I'll share a few photos of this next week. It isn't a difficult job but the bogie wheels make such a visual improvement too!

With Dolgoch finished last week work has turned to the Penryhn pair and I've been busy adding lining using Fox N gauge BR mixed traffic (grey and black) based upon period photos. The results are worth the effort, they're looking great and now awaiting plates and lacquer to complete. If you have an 009 model you'd like me to work on for you, it's one of my long held passions so I'd love to help you out. Get in touch as usual, through the contact form in the menu of via Facebook (where you can email me too) - details on the Modelmaking Commissions page.

A distraction this week has been the start of the GP11 in earnest. I have added the etched grills and fans and starting with the handrails. There are some more etched parts to fit, and the rest of the handrails to finish before I will get some paint on - this model is going to be finished in black and tan, as per my Irish models and will be the first HMLX unit we've repainted out of it's original colours! Exciting to see another chapter in the HMLX story.

Rushcliffe left this week and now work turns to the next commission - the 'European secondary' scheme from March this year. The idea here is to build this layout ahead of my customers summer holiday, so he is able to pick it up whilst in North Wales in September. It should be do-able, and as you can see I've begun to collect the parts for the basic layout here already - all the track and wiring components have arrived, as have some scenic items. The Dapol catenary is for one of the bridges (non working) and the forest canopy will be used along the back of the scene. I'm excited to see this come together - and what a contrast it will be to my own H0 scale European shelf layout - more on that another time.

Paul Haslam photo.

Mentioning Rushcliffe, here it is in its new home with a pair of Type 4s trying it out for size. It is always lovely to meet a customer in person, I get to share the story of the commission in more detail and get a feel for the home it is going to have after it leaves. I enjoy the collaborative process of commission building, and if you read some of my recommendations on the 'Modelmaking Commissions' page you'll see that many of my customers find that very much part of the process. Layout Design starts from just £180, model making varies but each proposal is unique and I will always endeavour to give you a fixed price. Get in touch, as I said earlier, in the usual way.

After the success of the Compendium I have pondered what next. Whilst I have a few irons in different fires I can confirm there will be a second, towards Christmas with a prevailing wind. Before that I am hoping book three will be in print through Wild Swan and potentially another couple of 'magazine' type projects might be available. 

The book I've mentioned before, and is titled 'Model Railway Companion', aping the old magazine annuals of my youth. 80 pages, it will be a collection of my own and others projects, some from famous names, some from friends, all presented in full colour, full page imagery, introductions from each artist but heavy on inspiration rather than instruction. I'm very excited about the format and can't wait to see what people think. 

Magazine projects beyond Compendium? Both are collaborations, and I can't say much else for now but different and the same all at once. For now, imagine me and Bronwen working hard on the laptop! 

Last week I shared the top photo of this trio, the Class 31 in Railfreight grey had arrived. In the days since I have started the steps to transform this to a work worn model remembered from books like Paul Shannon's Ian Allan published 'BR Traction in colour 2'. I started with a fade (Humbrol 28) heavier on the roof than the sides and sealed this with satin lacquer (side) and matt (top). This is the middle photo. From there I have started to add the weathering, with detail painting and washes applied to this side (bottom). The roof and ends (and other side) all remain 'un touched' but when completed I will have another hard working model in the collection. This suits Paxton Road when masquerading as anywhere but Scotland. It also will suit the joint project slowly progressing through planning with James based upon the Barton branch (with a little what if thrown in) - more on that though another time!

We'll wrap things up with a photo of a few more cars being worked over for Beaverbrook. I like to keep things fresh on this layout and a constant stream of cars in and out keep me interested. Here a pair of Athearn cars are being patched before weathering. The yellow former Winchester and Western car is from their 'Ready to Roll' line and is superb. The Golden West boxcar was a Genesis example so as you'd expect. The W&W car will be patched for another James's 'Hockley and Western' whilst the golden west car will be marked up for HMLX. Both these and the GP11 are yes, distractions from further work on the structures along the back of the layout! I will get around to them again soon!!

The weekends come and go quickly here but I am hoping to see the diesel out on trains today but then just steam and railcar the rest of the weekend so likely I'll spend the time in the garden and doing a few house jobs that need the good weather. Mind, I will I'm sure find time for some day dreaming, book reading and gentle weathering - and I hope you do too - thank you as always for the support, and for getting this far! Until next time, more soon...

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