Friday Update: Twenty Three Twenty-six…

Another week on, and a good variety of work this week plus some exciting news - but we can get to that shortly. For now, grab a drink, find a comfortable seat and let us begin...

25296 on Leatown, Kevin Wood photo.

Doesn't she look right at home?! It is always wonderful to receive photos of my models in their new homes, and as I hinted on Monday, 25296 was heading to a previous customer - and here you can see who, Kevin who commissioned the design and build of Leatown, one of my most popular layout builds in recent times. I love how she looks so at home on the layout, with a rake of suitably rusty 16t minerals (also previously featured), that tired bullhead track in the yard and distant dock-yard back ground.

If you'd like to work with me on your own dream project, then do get in touch. We can start with a layout design process, or just weathering a single wagon - the story starts wherever feels comfortable but can last over many years and I enjoy working with you all on your own ideas, experiences and working these into physical, lasting memories.

This week has seen solid progress on another etched kit. This time in nickel silver, which is wonderful to work with, it solders so much more cleanly than brass... an RT Models Hudson V-tipper, I'm building this for another long and valued customer - and as intended by Robert at RT. However, if you have a kit or model that needs modification to represent a specific prototype I love working in this way too, get in touch to discuss your project.

Looking at a few personal projects, I have begun a structure for a layout that is more ethereal than tangible - a future 009 project, GWR light railway, with a flavour of the Welshpool and Llanfair but all a little more compact. This is the veritable Wills tin chapel, repurposed with new windows and a change in arrangement of the various components along with a Ratio brick weigh bridge / yard office tacked on the end... kit bashing familiar models in this way gives a warm and familiar background to those hoping to get started in the wonderful world of model railways. Finding different ways to combine and present kits is good fun - I'm sure this isn't a unique repurpose, let me know if you've seen anything similar - oh, and that layout, more on that another time!

Kernow have been selling the Farish 47 for just £99 plus postage this last week or so - I decided this was cheap enough to add one to my collection - and have since it arrived, stripped off the paint. It will wait for attention until my 37/0 is complete, the plan, I think of now, is 47095 in the earlier Railfreight Distribution triple grey - saw service on Speedlink (just) and usable on any project... it will get the socket holes on the front filled and smoothed, and then replace the front handrails too... so should be a good distraction. I should say, a truly magnificent running model, equal, I'd say, to the Revolution 66 out of the box - just not as detailed - by a long stretch.

I mentioned exciting news too, all publishing related:

• The second Ribbons is going to print next week - and then should be just a couple of weeks away...
• Model Railway Companion 3 is due in the next two weeks too...
• Creating Cameo Layouts is going for proof reading...

So I'm afraid, despite world events, it could be an expensive month or two ahead if you like picking up my published material!

That said, I really, really should make a start on 'The Art of Weathering'!

The weekend beckons, as does some settled weather. I hope to make the most of this, and that you manage to do the same. Until next time, more soon...

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