Friday Update: Twenty-one Six Twenty-four…

Welcome to another Friday update and a chance to pause and reflect on a busy week. Perfect with a drink in hand, perfection with a biscuit too, sit back and give yourself a few minutes to get lost in the myriad of projects that have crossed my bench…

This week we can kick things off with two models that ‘appear’ finished (but are not quite). 009 is a lovely scale to work in, the balance between detail and character suiting my hand nicely, and the tools and methods we use to decorate these tiny models only seem to amplify all the positives of their size. This pair, finished in the same base Humbrol ‘crimson’ shade are from very different railways and for different customers. Dolgoch is built from the Fourdees kit whilst Mountaineer is a Shapeways print from Mountaineer Models. Today I hope to get some satin lacquer on to seal them before glazing and a new life beyond my bench.

You’ll notice the pair of Penrhyn examples waiting their turn next week, sat in primer behind.

I did have a blue Class 31 in N gauge - it was a good safe bet for being able to use just about anywhere on any prototype as they seemed to roam widely in the UK in the 80s still with their raised bodywork band. I sold that on though, as I couldn’t personally remember them. Accidentally I bought an another - in the two tone grey sector livery of Railfreight Coal and built a nuclear flask train (now sold) for it… this was more limited in scope! I decided to take advantage of the Railfreight grey body available through Bachmann Spares and now have a model that matches my chosen ‘end of Speedlink’ era and has relatively wide geographical application too… but of course, the white stripe along the roof line had been replaced by cantrail orange by 1989. I used a bow pen and Humbrol enamel to paint carefully over this - and a fine brush to add it over the windscreens. Once this has hardened off for a week or so I’ll weather the body to match the chassis, similar in finish to the existing coal bodied example.

On Tuesday Janey and I took a day off and travelled on the train again, this time to Llandudno from Ruabon. Door to door it was a touch longer as we had to drive to Ruabon, but the train journey was comparable in time. It was a run I’d never experienced as a child so I soaked up everything beyond Saltney Junction on the coast line - and it’s a journey I’d like to extend through to Bangor or Holyhead next time. Four trains made up that return journey, all (sadly) new Class 197. Whilst clean and relatively comfortable (seats still a little too firm for a long journey) it’s sad to think that this is all I’ll see for many years as the 150/2 and 158 are the last variety to be phased out.

One thing I did recognise (perhaps more notice again) was how much I enjoyed being on the train, in all my senses. I love it, but it also seems to soothe me and calm body and mind. Janey laughed because she enjoys it but it makes her sleepy! I wonder where we’ll head next?

A few weekends ago I dreamt up Gerald Road 2, a revised interpretation of the scheme combining the track plan of Paxton Road with some of the signature elements of Gerald Road. Over the weekend I mocked up the layout and placed the structures I had made on to the baseboard to see how things felt in the round. Very promising indeed! Spurred on you’ll note something new, the semi has begun to take form, constructed from laminated styrene in a similar method to the other structures. At the right hand edge I placed the warehouse I built (based upon the one at Gower Chemicals) for Paxton Road 3 as a place holder but was pleasantly surprised. It felt instantly at home and further, offered a disguise for the siding to Distillers to disappear out of the scene… perfect! Thoughts are that I will continue with structure modelling until all the basic composition is finished, and then the layout basics will fall together quickly when the time comes.

Wednesday saw me take a trip on the Llangollen Railway for work! I had a meeting and suggested we use the train and what a wonderful place to meet new clients and talk about trains. I shared this photo on the Unofficial Llangollen Railway group on Facebook signing off with ‘Gloriously everyday’. I love seeing trains 5 days a week in the summer!

I’ll wrap things up with a sign of what is to come. Work has begun on the chassis and bodywork design for the next 7/8ths scale diesel project, this is a Ruston 40/48 sort of thing, but each model can be to an extent personalised with elements of the customers choice. These things are not small, they’ll be bigger than my Keef K40! I do have space in this years batch for one or two more models if you’re interested, specification can be adjusted to budget, pricing from around £1500. 

The weekend is nearly upon us and I’m hoping for a quiet one - next week will see Rushcliffe move to a new home and work start on the next layout commission. I have more wagons due today as well, and a growing collection of weathering commissions! It is going to be a busy few weeks before the summer holidays! Have a good weekend, if you can find some time for your hobby more the better, until next time though, more soon…

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