Friday Update: Twenty-seven Three Twenty-six…

I’m not quite sure how I can be writing one of these again today, but here we are never the less. It has been a week of cold weather where I had to get out my foot warmer once again but also a lack of visible progress in many ways - that said there is still plenty to share, so let’s make ourselves comfortable…

So before we talk about the exciting photograph above let me cover a few un-pictured projects. Two things have gone to print this week: Ribbons with Lavenham, still on track for an April release. If you want to secure your order, to be delivered from the printer and before anyone else receives theirs, then pre-orders until Sunday will be delivered early. After that the remaining copies will come to Steve at Light Railway Stores and be dispatched later. The second is ‘Creating Cameo Layouts’ that has gone off to Amadeus, with a target of May delivery. That is not all though on the print front, but more on that shortly.

The model above is the first prototype 00-12 chassis in the flesh and it works, first time and is rather exciting. This forms the chassis of my ‘Fayle’s waggon’ and has a brass body due shortly, and is pleasantly larger than 009 typically. It has a mass somewhere between small OO prototypes and 009, and I think it’s going to be quite popular. We will have the prototypes on display, including the first locomotive, the Manning Wardle, at Narrow Gauge South. 

I shared this tongue in cheek mock-up last weekend on Instagram/Facebook and it went sort of viral. The interest, comments and engagement were surprising, so much so that having spoken with Simon it will become a reality. I’ve drafted a shortlist of locations and have a reasonable idea of content, current thoughts are it will mimic the old Wild Swan style so be presented in a similar vein to Ribbons, and probably retail for around £10. However, the good news gets better, this then spurred me on to make a start on ‘The Art of Weathering’ and I’ve begun writing for this expected book, which with a prevailing wind might land before Christmas! 

In the workshop it has been all change, but not a great deal to show yet - a pair of Welsh Highland coaches in 009 are one current project - the same coach at different periods, one will be yellow and brown and the other green. I’ve also got a 1/24 scale Railbus project starting and the CAD for the bodywork is nearly complete - but I need to draw up the chassis before the parts get sent off for cutting. Another new project is a pair of Isle of Wight O2 in etched brass, collecting the required drive components before cutting metal - and a new layout design commission should be starting imminently too - variety, as the say, the spice of life.

One of my longer term dreams has been to create a Powell Duffryn PXA in N. It appears I might have just done it! A 3D printed (solid) core has a paper tarpaulin added. The underframe pipework and brake detail is all scratchbuilt, the bogies from the N gauge society and buffers from West Coast. I have also designed an etched brass end platform with steps and handrails which will finish things off. I think it’s running a little high, so have ordered some 5.6mm disc wheels from Greenwich to cheat a little and drop the ride height. I’m excited to see, finally, this distinctive model in miniature. I nearly managed to beat Cavalex’s OO example! A special mention to regular reader Alex, who helped source the drawing for this - a massive help and without which it probably wouldn’t have happened.

Meanwhile on Coalbridge Street extensive testing of the now weathered Hilton and Mears Alco S1 has been deeply enjoyable - I’m so pleased I got this layout back out. However, I have picked up another Farish 08 and replacement body as I feel another BP&G model is surely needed, reminding me of the bare board that is waiting for progress where Coalbridge sat until recently…

I’ll finish with another semi-viral social media photo - I fitted a sound decoder to my Revolution 66 this week, so the box was out to store the paperwork. A customer weathering commission arrived on the same day, I was blown away by the size contrast in boxes! 

The holidays have begun here in Wales, I’ll do my best to keep the daily posting coming, even if there are a few retrospectives thrown in - have a good weekend wherever you are, and until next time, more soon…

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