Friday Update: Sixteen Ten Twenty-six…

Welcome to Friday and another update on things here in North Wales in my little workshop that despite the autumnal weather remains comfortable at present. Get yourself comfortable, and let me give you a guided tour...

It's rather lovely to be testing the 16mm rails in the garden! This build has been something of a slow burn, but very much on the home straight now with most of the paintwork and assembly fitted. The final stage is to add some weathering to breathe a little life into this cute little vehicle. It is fitted with a gearhead N20 motor and delrin chain drive, Micron RC radio control with directional white/red headlights. The model is a mix of traditional and modern scratchbuild with CAD used for laser cut and etched parts. The finished result though already has a great deal of character - I can't wait to finish it off!

On the bench have been the etched brass pair of Judith Edge kits - with the chassis now finished and wired up with pickups to check running before DCC fitment. The brake shoes on the Barclay are incredibly tight up against the wheels but it runs without shorting. The Brush has seen its bodywork take shape this week - and is actually looks more complete than the Barclay now. The final steps are all superglued on how, so I think I've finished the soldering...

What of my own EM gauge Barclay Class 01? Don't ask...

Meanwhile - the trio of Y6 trams are out of the paint shop and now heading towards the weathering bench. These have been good fun, a prototype I'm unfamiliar with but working with my customer to understand some of the differences he's trying to incorporate and we're making good use of the Rapido donor model to ensure smooth running and built in DCC sound fitment!

I've shown progress on CAD design for new kits in recent weeks... well good news, the 00-12 waggons are heading into production. The Manning Wardle won't be far behind - I'm now fully on with the Beyer Peacock in 009. This re-work of the original Llanfyllin and Llangynog scheme is much burlier than the original - and I've managed to stretch the bodywork a touch to allow space to fit a functional pony truck under the cab. Whether this remains open, like shown, or whether I add an etched plate over the frame cut outs (giving wider swing) remains to be seen - but I like the higher pitch boiler and the beefier cylinders - along with the Welshpool feel to the front end - whilst retaining some of the Glyn Valley character.

You may have seen progress on Defiance earlier this week - well I've also been moving the Prairie day dream along too - and a second elevator has arrived and been assembled. This is a straight out of the box build of the Walthers 'Valley Growers' kit - and looks the part. Whilst the earlier wooded one will be Saskatchewan Pool this one is likely to be UGG - we shall see...

As many of you are reading this I'll be on the road heading for Uckfield this weekend. Coalbridge Street will be on display in the foyer with me trying to get the public to have a go from 10am to 5pm both days... if you're local enough to come along I'd love to see you. I'll have a few copies of Small Layout Design Construction and Model Railway Companion 2 on sale and can sign and dedicate these - as well as book marks for blog regulars... otherwise, I'll be doing my best to post updates and keep the blog live over the weekend and trust you,  if you can't make it, have a good weekend. Until next time, more soon...

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