Friday Update: Twelve Twelve Twenty-five…

The last Friday Update of 2025, as I have one day left in the workshop this year. You can look forward to some retrospectives and personal work over the holidays - but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, what has been happening here this week?

Five - yes five Talyllyn models have graced the bench over the past few weeks and these will be completed today. Two Talyllyn, one with minor mods to the factory finish and the other one a Fourdees conversion from Skarloey. A pair of Fourdees Dolgoch - two different era - and an old GEM (?) model I’ve restored and fitted to a Fourdees dummy chassis. I’ve enjoyed these, despite the fiddly lining and the Talyllyn script has come out well - that’s a custom decal, but I had a small stock made and these will go on sale next week. I have fixed prices for all this work, and have done plenty of different examples in various colours in the past so if you’d like your own, I’m more than happy to help and give you a proposal.

The layout build has seen a massive push forwards in the week - as it is being collected tomorrow and I’ve still got the fiddle sticks to finish off! The layout proper is now complete including the Kenny Hill halt - I’ll take some photos and get a short video before she goes and get something up about it next week or over the holidays.

It has proven that really, I don’t have space for such large layout builds in the home workshop. If I want to do more of this sort of thing then I’ll need premises, but if I need premises I need more work to pay for them… so whilst I can fit things in up to a scenic 6ft, I prefer commissions that are a little smaller. Mind, so does your wallet…

Whilst there is nothing really to show, but promise for the new year, another Hudson GoGo is on the bench. This will be a simple on/off single speed example, only thing missing here is a DPDT switch I need to source - rather than a pair of SPDT…

Beyond this, the Ruston 30DL is still waiting on etched parts for more progress. I really need to follow up on my source for drive components too - perhaps a job for next week.

On my own bench the Revolution Class 66 has received a DG coupling! This fitted easily, and I carved a slight recess in the top of the replacement full apron to slot over it. With this small but mentally big job complete I can look forward to weathering her over the holidays.

It’s always useful to remember balance - I think - when we plan our layouts. Paxton Road was fashioned with a Class 08 and 26 in mind and works well with these smaller ‘units of length’. The 66, whilst it fits, visually is too big for the scene. Note too, the Humbrol tinlet to show scale. N really is tiny.

Speaking of N, and reflecting on my Wednesday muse it was funny to spot that the Farish 150/2 is due next week. Whether it arrives with Rails in time for a Christmas delivery here is questionable but I’m excited to receive this memory maker in the very imminent future.

Beyond the bench you might be excited to hear a few publishing updates… Ribbons has sold well. I’ve had some lovely emails, and positive reviews - but the generally lack-lustre response has me pondering if it’s worth it. Cajoling and encouraging authors to submit material takes time and care. Should I continue? Do you have a copy? If you enjoyed it, please let me know or write a comment here or somewhere public. Generate a buzz, help me make it feel like something I have to continue…

In the meantime, paradoxically, I have started Compendium 4! This will be another collection of favourites from the blog, in print. Unplugged thoughts, ideas, models I’m proud of and images to enjoy across pages in a friendly and familiar ‘magazine’. Expecting this to be £15 again, as the print run is a lot smaller than Ribbons, and I’m tempted to use Blurb again for consistency with the previous three - but I’ll investigate UK printing options too, they might help reduce the price and certainly the CO2 emissions. No need to reserve copies yet, so don’t email, but look out for more in the first quarter of the new year.

The other news is the third Model Railway Companion will be heading for proof reading next week - and in print towards the end of January. This time I’ve added a third continent to the mix so you’ll find standard and narrow gauge, steam and diesel (and some electric), UK, France, Eastern Europe, US, Canada and Australia amongst its pages. In modelling terms it spans 2 to 16mm/ft! I can’t wait to see what you all think - and again, as a third, should it continue beyond the trilogy? Only you can decide…

And that just about wraps up another week here in North Wales. Wish me luck for finishing Kenny Hill today, and I’m looking forward to a well deserved rest from next week. I’ll still be here every day, mind, sharing my models, my ideas, thoughts and emotions. Until next time, more soon…

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