Friday Update: Twenty-eight Three Twenty-five…

I woke this morning to wall to wall blue sky and sunshine. One coffee and dog chores later it’s overcast and grey, reminding me of two things, that the only thing certain is change and that beauty can be fleeting…

Fleeting but never the less appreciated. We’ll kick off this weeks update with 3/4 of the 7/8th scale Ruston 44/48 fleet. The 3D printed parts for the late comer arrived this week too, so I will be building that today, constructing them gearbox and drive train. Whilst it’s nice to see these on the home straight I’m definitely pleased to see them moving forwards as they’ve been hanging around the workshop too long!

At the other end of the scale spectrum is this OO gauge etched kit, whose superstructure has been assembled this week and is now about to head to the paint shop. I often find etched kits a little overwhelming to start, with sheets and sheets of metal and castings - but they soon come together and by the end of the process things move very quickly and soon you’re left with empty frets and burnt fingers. If you have a flat box of etches and would like me to assemble it into reality get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Like a YoYo we’re back up to garden scales and this batch of 16mm GVT models are making good progress - with colour applied last week I’ve been adding the detail painted strapping and beginnings of the raw wood finish - they’ve now had some gloss varnish applied so I can move on to decals… I’ve really enjoyed this project. Lifting the excellent Binnie kits to new heights along with the fiddly but clever ‘Perfect World’ brake van. I am looking forward to seeing the markings applied more than anything, as they’ll begin to feel ‘real’ at that point. I promise we’ll get some photos on the tramway!

Earlier in the week the visiting Class 14 was out on a loaded test run. As it’s early in the season there is a lovely spot just west of Carrog so o set up there to wait for its arrival. I should have taken a pack lunch as it was lovely weather, but at least I took my notebook because after waiting 45 minutes with no sign I called it a day, only to learn that if I had stated in the village, like I almost did, I’d have seen it! Suffering a cooling system failure she turned around at Glyn!

Back in the workshop and under some heavy magnification I’ve put some paint on a few N scale Modelu figures. These really come to life with some simple Games Workshop acrylics and just a light wash of ‘Nuln Oil’, certainly the best option for recreating the human form in any scale - but I’m consistently blown away by how well they do work in this tiny scale!

Wrapping up this weeks wrap up let’s take a quick look at Gerald Road - my latest N scale hi-fi cameo. With the track and wiring complete I’ve begun to add he scenic foundation which started with the roads and ground cover in the warehouse area - yes I’ve still got to sort a back scene and one more structure at the back but it was nice to just work with card and a blade and see ‘rapid’ progress. Looking at the composition I think it’s a pleasing balance, stage left will feature a ‘modern’ 1960s concrete ring road, those who are familiar with Bristol will hopefully recognise that - and this curious blend of inspiration from across the city comes together as one. 

The weekend is nearly upon us - there is steam here in the valley but I’m out Tractor hunting tomorrow, hoping to find the Pathfinder tour featuring a couple of West Coast 37s from Eastleigh to Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales line! I hope whatever you have planned allows some time in your hobby, until then, as always, more soon…

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