Friday Update: Twenty-five Nine Twenty-six…

Welcome to Friday, a soggy morning after a very pleasant autumnal week here in North Wales. Progress on a wide range of models and more positively, Ribbons and The Art as well. Make yourself comfortable, grab a drink, possibly a biscuit and I’ll wait here until you’re done…

We’ll kick things off this week with some etched brass, a medium missed here over the past few months and it is lovely to see models emerging from flat metal once more. A pair of Judith Edge kits are in the works - a Barclay 0-6-0 and Brush 0-4-0, very very different in character. These are as always, well designed and thought out kits, once you understand Michael’s approach they all tend to go together a similar way. Alongside these, but still flat is my own Barclay 0-4-0, the Class 01. Whether this moves forwards depends on if and when I can source a pair of EM axles for the Romford wheels… EM you say? Well not entirely my choice, but will mean that if Matt and I ever build the joint Holyhead project we’ll share a gauge!

Other work on the bench has been largely moving commissions through the paint shop. Pictured above is the bulk of this progress; you have the 16mm railbus in a pseudo LNER ivory and green and a trio of Y6 trams in GER grey and crimson plus the coach brown and black pair. Not pictured is the Rapido Manning Wardle I’m creating for Beamish - more on that, when she’s finished! 

I mentioned Ribbons and the new book; these are both progressing nicely. Ribbons 3 has moved from nowhere near to looking pretty full in a fortnight as contributors make good on promises and I hope the range and variety of material collected together within its covers will entertain and encourage some reflection. The Art of Weathering, I’m on to the locomotive case studies and in total there are now just four left to produce and write about - we are not going to hit my self imposed target of ‘on sale at Christmas’ but it is looking like a Spring 2027 will be achievable. This has moved from ‘I’ll never do a weathering book’ to ‘I really hope others see what I’m trying to encourage’. My hope is it is a good read in its own right, encourages and entertains - and feels like a warm hug to go give things a try. It’s not a step by step companion, but is detailed enough to instruct in its long form approach. Previews have been positively reviewed so I’m confident I have the recipe about right. We’ll see, you will never please everyone!

I’ve been lucky enough to be sent a few ‘customer models’ of my commissions in their new homes this week. It is always exciting to see these again, being enjoyed in the settings they were born. 

NGG16, Chris Odell photo.

Spanish mining, Alan Sewell photo.

16mm Ruston in the garden, Terry Pickthall photo.

Another humble thank you this week, to those who have kindly donated via PayPal or Buymeacoffee supporting my continued creative output shared daily, shared freely here…

The weekend I am considering the trek across to the Stafford exhibition. The weather looks good, and I’ve not visited previously, train is convenient and there is a free bus from the station… if you’re heading along perhaps I will see you there! Otherwise all this autumnal rain with the unseasonably warm weather means my grass needs cutting again and Defiance could do with wiring up! Wherever you are, I hope you can find some time for your hobby too - until next time, as always, more soon… 

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