Friday Update: Twenty Nine Twenty-four…

Perhaps not quite an Indian summer but a lovely week of sunshine and warmer weather combined with fresh commissions has to some degree reinvigorated the workshop, still, it’s already the coldest room in the house first thing in the morning, a foreboding of the winter ahead!

Unplugged. Enjoying a cheap second hand book and a coffee

Regular readers will appreciate my enjoyment of an old fashioned photo book, especially if a bargain! I’ve really been enjoying this example in coffee breaks this week, all black and white but some real gems of modelling potential, lots of clutter and period signage, cars and such as well as a few wonderfully artful,y composed examples… cheaper than a coffee too!

On the bench have been a large batch of 009 models (and there is a seventh not pictured here too), from repaints (Joan), through repairs and detailing to assembly - all are in the final throngs of the paint shop and will go into storage this week until the custom etched nameplates arrive from Light Railway Stores. What is more, I have a few more 009 commissions yet to reach the bench, I love the variety and character of the modelling in this scale, it has been a pleasure to bring these to life.

My ‘Fancy Another Beer’ scheme (from the first book ‘Small Layout Design Handbook’) is finally making more visible progress. This week I’ve changed my cardboard mock ups to styrene and detailed them up with pipework and conduits ahead of painting. However, today’s job is to lay the track, add the wiring and then fabricate the concrete / tarmac around this which also provides a way of hiding the bottom edges of the structures. This won’t be long now as most of the hard work is done, it will be exciting to see it come together!

Once the layout is done it will be full steam ahead on more large scale diesel builds and there are a few etched kits I’d like to start before a Christmas too, so no rest here! That said, if you have a project you’d like some help with then do get in touch - whilst large projects have a bit of a waiting list smaller jobs can be slotted around them and layout design work can usually start immediately! I love the variety of work and people commissions lead me to engage with - get in touch to start the conversation.

Chris Gore photo.

Always great to see photos of my customers models back home - Chris has done a great job with the crew and lamps on this 47xx that has been pictured on the blog earlier in the week. I enjoyed working on this one, if you have a model you’d like me to breathe some life into I have a range of weathering levels to meet your scope and budget.

On my own modelling, with Kohlenbachbrücke gone I’ve been more reflective. You may have seen my blog earlier in the week about the double tuning fork, and this has stirred back my connection with GE44t switchers and in particular the Claremont and Concord (but more on that another time). This is probably also due to the arrival of Rapido and Bachmann sound versions - alas beyond my budget and the wrong liveries (thank goodness) so at home on Beaverbrook HMLX 1220 has enjoyed stretching her legs.

I enjoy having a wide variety of projects on the go at once these days, to pick up as and when the mood takes me - and locomotive and rolling stock especially fits this requirement perfectly. This N gauge model started life as an undecorated N gauge Society VIX ferry van. I’ve designed, sourced and fitted the stainless steel etched overlays and now painted and custom decalled it is lacquered awaiting final weathering of the roof and glazing. It’s worked out beautifully and I think shows the massive potential of N to become a modellers scale - perhaps moving from OO as the standards of RTR increase? This crew van is part of the Hilton and Mears UK operation, the stock for which is slowly amassing. I’m hoping the layout (Modern Goods) will follow next year and be available for exhibitions. We shall see!

The Kaslo RS23 is making good progress in the evenings this week too - in fact, after this photo was taken I added the grabs and door handles on the hood! The last ‘big’ job before painting will be handrails - something I expect many hate, but I relish! This model will wear a faded CP Rail action red patched for HMLX and for now, will complete the HMLX roster on Beaverbrook. With news of the Margin’s demise as the last customer (Prince Street feeds) went out of business last week there is also hope, as rumour of a third Shove are on the cards - I’m sure Chris will be able to share more as time permits but in one of our regular trans-Atlantic catch ups we both felt energised and recharged for life and fresh modelling challenges!

I’ll wrap things up this week with a photo of the Irish stock out on the LACK shelf vacated by Kohl… sadly I feel the Irish scheme is too compressed when squeezed onto the shelf - it needs a long shelf to breathe, not something I have at present… so where does that leave us? 

Well, I had a Peco Code 75 Y in stock, a second has been ordered along with some Kadee magnets and a Rapido ‘Caprice’ - yes, a Claremont and Concord inspired scene will emerge, at last! I have the space, I have proven the operation on a small shelf, I have a prototype that fits - all the jigsaw pieces fit! I’d like to give it a name that follows the tradition of Pont-y-dulais and Kohlenbachbrücke… perhaps Coalbridge Street? It will be a nice autumn project. Talking of projects, and my usual Christmas three weeks away from commissions I am thinking this year I’ll do an N project - so either Gerald Road or a Mosslanda… it’s nice to feel new layouts are about to be born, an exciting time. 

I’m typing this, as usual, with a snoozing dog who is keeping me company on the sofa, feeling a little under the weather again. I’m not sure if it’s the ‘week’ that just tires me out post-Covid or if I’ve got ANOTHER virus from the girls (the youngest is full of a cold again) but I’m going to take it a little easier today and over the weekend. I hope you’re all well, and until next time, more soon…

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