Friday Update: Ten One Twenty-five…

Welcome to another wrap up of the previous week here on the workbench and around the valley. Typing this it’s about -5degC outside, foggy, the ground covered in crusted snow, the road an ice rink and the news that school have decided to close, so the kids had an easy 3 day week the - groan…

I have made a decision to not focus upon commission work this week, rather try and utilise the fluidity I have found in my writing in recent days to push on with ‘Small Layout Design - Construction’. This much requested follow up to my first book will feature the usual mix of my own railway photography, encouraging words, practical tips and ideas on building a cameo layout box and the associated technical aspects along with over twenty new layout plans. This decision has been fruitful, and whilst it certainly needs lots of tweaking the bones of nearly 95% are complete… just a short section on some physical construction methods to wrap up.

That said, I have made progress on one commission - the 009 NGG16. This has featured in a number of YouTube shorts his week as I road test and tweak the running. I’ve added a connection between both power trucks as well as painting and fitting the NGG plates from Light Railway Stores and the Custom Nameplate Studio service, excellent as always, thanks Steve. With these fitted, even without he finishing coat of satin lacquer she looks superb! If you’re interested in commissioning your own example I would be happy to discuss a fixed price proposal, get in touch to explore if your dream model is within budget.

Another smaller job this week was finalising another layout design commission - as the photo might suggest, based upon the Looe branch. I had a great deal of enjoyment from diving back into Beale and Messenger’s books and working with my client we’ve developed a scheme that meets his needs and yet isn’t too much of a caricature. More exciting is that this build is pencilled in for after Easter so you’ll get to see it come to life here on the blog. I’ll write up the design in the coming weeks, keep your eyes peeled.

Outside we’ve had terrible weather. Never enough snow to be exciting, just enough to be pretty at times and certainly treacherous. We’re only a mile or so from the A5 but it’s an undulating little single track road that quickly becomes and ice rink in these conditions. This was the view mid week when I thought we had seen the end of it, and it started coming down thick and fast again!

So whilst outside was cold, thoughts turned to my own Scottish modelling - this model has been quickly realised from another Farish 37/0, a Dutch liveried split headcode. Removing the high intensity headlight and modifying the body side panels are two small but important jobs to capture the feel of a 1984 machine. This has been painted with Phoenix Precision paint and Fox decals applied. I need to re fit the glazing, and then it will be couplings, buffer beam details and ploughs - and weathering to finish. 37025 received large logo before my May half term 1984 date, an early Scottish recipient. The logos were definitely hand painted as none of the Fox ones quite matched but I settled on the 16mm ones as being the best option. This, when finished, brings my 37 stable to four, two for a Lochdubh and then coal and Network Rail examples. All four repainted, lowered and detailed… not bad for someone who said he’d never do this sort of work in N!

The railway has certainly taken on a chocolate box appearance with fresh snow and no footprints to spoil the platforms appearance. It feels meloncholic to see it locked up like this, I wonder if it’s how it felt back in the 60s when people’s local railways were closed and locked (for good). I have hope, that trains will return in a few months.

The double! 

Yes, articles in both major British model railway magazines. Paxton Road (N) in Railway Modeller and Traeth Hafren (N) in BRM. 

It goes without saying that even after having many tens of articles published it still gives me a tingle of excitement to see my work in print - and I’m honoured and surprised to have managed ‘the double’. 

The cold weather must have got to me as there are more Scottish models on the bench. A green Dapol 26 turned up (bought with YouTube ad revenue!) to be forward dated to 1984 condition and to represent 26010, the locomotive in which I enjoyed the cab experience here in the valley before Christmas. The work has been quite extensive and there is more to come! So far I have filled and smoothed nose doors, plated cab door windows, removed ‘window seals’ on body shell, filled and smoothed MU socket plug on body as it will be mounted on buffer beam, removed Xs on battery covers and added horn grill covers. Sadly the cab window glazing was very fragile so that’s going to need to be replaced. I still need to convert the bogie foot steps to angled, but will do that when I detail buffer beams.

Finally a few candid shots of my week with dogs, good books and walks amongst all this modelling and writing progress…

A funny old week. I find this time of year difficult - in 2011 my Dad died today. His influence on my life was massive and his untimely passing led to a deep and difficult depression. Even today there can be echoes in this cold weather but the sun will rise, day will follow night and I will carry on moving forwards. Wherever you are, stay safe in this weather, enjoy the warmth and comfort of your sofa and dive into some old familiar books. Until next time, more soon…

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