Friday Update: Three Seven Twenty-six…

It has been an exciting week. Despite a few days off, including today, there is still plenty to talk about today so grab a drink, get comfortable and find your wallet…

First of all, massive exciting news! 

A GWR ‘what-if’ Kerr Stuart - I’ve been sat on this for months…

When Rapido Trains UK announced their 009 range Steve and I began discussions about creating a unique model, not just a livery but tooling variation for my Llanfyllin and Llangynog Light Railway scheme. It has been incredibly tempting to share progress as we watched others jockey for the news and coverage and ask for pre-orders. We’ve not done this, we announced the model this week, available to buy with shipment within a couple of weeks. This is how Steve and I do business. When we believe in a project or product, we put our own money behind it to make it a reality, hoping that our ideas, values, customer service and reputation ensure some modicum of success. 

Buy yours now from Light Railway Stores for £119 including delivery. We also have the coaches (Peco) and rolling stock (Rapido) now in stock so you can build the whole train…

The only commission work making visible progress this week are the green O2s, now lined and with most of the decals applied. These need a few adjustments, and then will be sealed in lacquer next week before light weathering. 28 sneaking in to the foreground was built for my customer by another builder and is here for some repairs and a few extra details I’ve added to those I’ve assembled and then blend in with weathering so they all match. A few more made by another builder to do the same to in the coming weeks, and then a few months off O2s until I do another couple next year.

If you have a flat kit collecting dust and would like me to bring it to life, do get in touch. Equally re-working, adjustments, repairs, refinishing - get in touch for a personal no obligation fixed price proposal.

1989 has arrived this week! This N scale Intermountain F7 has brought back many happy memories of my childhood HO Bachmann example - it’s a lovely model that literally purrs straight out of the box. Its arrival has nudged the Prairie project along one step, and I’ve have some more ideas on an interim solution which I hope to share tomorrow. 9163 is one number on, one step further, one extra day dream beyond the Bachmann 9162 - and I was so bowled over a second has been ordered… they usually ran in pairs… I can hear you all groaning as another rabbit hole abducts my credit card!

It’s not all new things - Cwmbach has been progressing and with these days off I’ve made a solid push on with ballasting and now casework. Assuming I don’t get distracted today, it should all be wired up too, later and the lid is being glued together as well - we might have a lighted cameo box by the end of the weekend! Progress at last!

A new Farish 08 has arrived…

I had a Lima 09 when I was a child. It was BR green when ‘new’. You can guess what happened to it…

The first (of an insane number of repaints) was into this Intercity livery as 09012. Eventually the paint was so thick you couldn’t see the hinge detail anymore as I just kept layering the paint on rather than stripping it off each time! It taught me a lot about modelling and making something my own… so this new model might look to some like just a simple Farish model I’ve lightly reworked, but inside I’ve got that fuel, those memories of being 12 out in the train room with the door closed, painting my Lima shunter, feeling safe, feeling myself…

I have swapped out the chassis with another model, removed the swallows, the numbers and have resprayed the upper body in executive grey to blend in the roof (Farish donor had a black roof and a cantrail stripe). I’ve ordered some Dick Hardy nameplates. Double arrows and new numbers plus a few flashes required before detailing up with extra marker lights and high level pipework, DGs and a light weathering. Under the hood it will be DCC sound with stay alive (just because).

Next (not this) weekend sees Coalbridge Street and myself visit Larkrail. I felt the restricted fiddle yard area would cause me problems at a show - and the layout is also visiting Uckfield this winter - so a simple ‘tray’ has been knocked up, edged to stop stock rolling off. A track will run down the raised piece and simple plug on to the end of the layout. When displayed an IKEA 190cm Lack will act as a beam, and attractive base to the whole thing, and a dark grey sheet will hide the decorators trestles. It almost sounds like I know what I’m doing! 

The weekend is nearly upon us - and the railway is holding its ‘Classic transport weekend’ which means that the bar is once again open in the village! A nice beer and watching trains sounds like a nice distraction and will help me avoid cutting the hedge and grass this weekend! If you’re visiting do let me know and I’ll try to be around to say hello! Otherwise, I’ll be enjoying working on a few more projects here and I hope that you have some time to find for your hobby. Until next time, more soon…

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