Friday Update: Eleven Seven Twenty-five…

Well, put a fork in me, I'm done! It's boiling hot across the UK and sweltering in the valley - but luckily that has really only built at the tail end of the week so plenty of exciting things to share with you this morning. Grab yourself a cool drink and find some shade, lets take a look...

Let's kick things off in a big way - this rather lovely 'Edward Thomas' (ish) 16mm battery locomotive is FINISHED and doesn't she look rather wonderful out in the garden! The Boot Lane kit has scrubbed up well, and the extra detail was worth the patience. Finished this week with etched plates from Light Railway Stores, Endon Valley decals and Modelu lamps - she'll be heading to Canada next week! If you'd like me to do something similar for you I can give you a fixed price proposal - whilst not cheap, it's a lot more affordable than a live steam equivalent!

Equally big - I am now an official Rapido UK retailer. I offer all Rapido UK pre-orders and can detail, weather, renumber, rename, add crew etc etc - all detailed on the Rapido page (click on the logo). Please do consider supporting me in the future if a Rapido model tickles your fancy...

Back to the bench, the order from Light Railway Stores that delivered Edward Thomas plates also delivered Dolgoch in 009 and some finishing touches for the GWR 2-10-2t. Everything you see here has been finished this week - literally clearing the shelves for some new, exciting projects...

The tease last week showed some new CAD underway on my laptop for a D16 Claud Hamilton 'as built' - the artwork above shows the 3D printed parts I have ordered - and I'll now make a start on the etches parts to add rivet detail and fidelity where required... fingers crossed I got the measurements right and this is a drop on to the Hornby chassis - it's very tight as the as built boiler pitch was lower - but the proof will be in the pudding I guess! You'll note I've pre-formed the handrail knob holes - this will make adding straight handrails much easier - I will be adding the boiler bands once the print has been smoothed and sealed - hence their omission.

Meanwhile, Lametton halt is greening up - a solid few days of work have seen Woodland Scenics 'earth blend' added as a base, and then static grasses of various shades and lengths added - instantly bringing the scene to life. There is a long way to go still, but gosh, I love how this is looking now - especially the way the path will cross the canal and line in the foreground - leading you into the scene and onto the platform... superb stuff - almost like it was planned... (it was - you can work with me on your own layout design, my services cost from £180 - get in touch for a no obligation proposal).

 

Turning to personal project, Gerald Road has been a long term on/off saga and I finally admitted to myself that I was really dreading working on it - it is TOO personal, perhaps part of the reason for the original failure. I was chatting to Chris this week when I exclaimed (and surprised myself too) that I'd rather burn it then work on it - recognising it felt like a ball and chain... 

... but fear not - it won't be burnt! I have instead emotionally detached myself from it and pushed things forward with the intent on photographing it and then selling it. If you fancy owning a unique James Hilton cameo (they don't always get sold - and certainly not ones with this much work in them) then I'm asking £500 upon completion - the 03 and match wagon and 7 suitable wagons, all fitted with DG couplings are also available upon completion. No fiddle stick included - but I can throw in a length of British Finescale bullhead if you need it to create your own... I'll advertise it again nearer the time, but if anyone wants to put 'dibs' on it this is the first chance!

Modelu 23113

Modelu 23404

I've been enjoying the 'mini me' Modelu figures that arrived at the tail end of last week and have been painted up and posed extensively for my entertainment! I appeared in the S13 video yesterday, but am also watching trains at Coalbridge Street. These American figures have been released by Modelu for any of you who model North American trains and want to feature me on your layout!

 

In N gauge I'm checking something in my bag on Lochdubh (this chap is part of the hikers pack) and waiting to go on an adventure at Denton Road (right). Remember these are N, but they can be printed in any scale - I don't make any money from sales of these figures (apart from the gifts of the samples shown here) but if you do want to include Modelu figures in a commission I have a trade account and can source these as part of the work. Let me know!

Meanwhile, at Paxton Road... the trio of rather lovely Revolution IHAs have finally been weathered - I'm not sure if this is how they'll stay, or if I will re-work them, but the intention was to try to recreate the brown hue the covers take on in service. This is a blend of Humbrol 72 (sadly long discontinued, I've a few tins left) and 98. The under frames and ends were the usual 33/98 mix - the JIA has also been weathered, but feels bit dead, so I have a plan to add a bit of gloss lacquer and then knock it straight back with satin whilst its drying - just to lift things a touch... here Paxton Road has shades of Boston with D2112 doing the honours - with 03382 departing with Gerald Road in the near future I've ordered a replacement - another Kernow limited edition (as D2112 started out as) to finish as our very own 03162 but in BR blue - I will need to turn up a short conical exhaust but that will be a fun little project - and I've recognised, that sometimes a little project like this can be just the thing for a agitated mind...

Equally, an adventure can help! Yesterday I caught the 8:57 from Ruabon to Llandudno Junction on board 158827. I changed just in time to catch 197046 to Blaenau Ffestiniog. A few extra request stops made us late, so it was literally jump off at Blaenau, grab a photo (as did these chaps) and jump back on! 

I have never done the Conwy Valley line - it was one of many contrasts... exceptionally busy between Llandudno Junction and Betwsycoed, and dead beyond. Jointed rail, semaphore signals and electro-mechanical tokens - yet all aboard the latest of Transport For Wales's fleet... the wide open estuary closes in to the picturesque views of Trefiw as you approach Llanwrst. Leaving Betws things get steeper, rockier and more trees - until you climb to a valley similar in feel to the one the Welsh Highland traverses before plunging through a very long tunnel to emerge in Blaenau and greeted by the old slate wharf still with office and LSWR yard crane!

I turned off all notifications and didn't check my phone for 6 hours - just used it as a camera to take a handful of photos but mainly enjoyed the journey, the views and mulled ideas over in my notebook. Bliss... and perhaps a glimpse of what else I'd like to do more of this year... Devon and Cornwall in September perhaps?

We'll wrap things up there - as I say a bumper week here - and potentially more today which I'll talk about more over the weekend. If I can help you with a model, bringing a dream to life or turning a flat box into a reality, perhaps working on a layout design or just weathering some models to bring them to life in a different way - then do get in touch. I'm happily very busy but still have capacity and would love to hear from you. Until next time, more soon...

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