Scottish testing

 At the point where things get a full test  - with croc clips naturally. A couple of rough edges to sort out, but the 66 runs through everything as does the more unforgiving Terrier. With the expected stock being RTR DMUs, Class 66/37 and some LWB and bogie stock there should be no problems, even with the forced multi-track lash up. A full check with stock on the whole thing and then I can get the sprack cans out and ruin it all.

Non comfort

This is turning out to be an interesting project. The working title is Caol which was thought of in a hurry just to tag it, though I have casually looked up the Gaelic for camel to replace it. To save you looking it is... camel. Natch. The brief is/was to incorporate three types of track - I have dodged around this a little, but it does fulfil in using Bullhead, steel sleeper and ordinaire yellow pack code 75.  All that aside it is taking a ridiculous amount of time to get this all down possibly not helped by Mrs F being unwell and off work which slows things down somewhat.  The Accurascale 66 above is an on-loan review item, and while stunning in every way is just huge. This is the test and clearance loco as it would be the biggest item to logically be used and in this instance almost fits the bang up to date period. 

Above is Steve Croucher's Mk1 plan from my 5 min sketch, though this has been stretched somewhat. As is always the case, things get slightly altered as the build progresses. The eagle eyed will have noted that once again this is a Ford Gammon End four point plan with the siding to the left simply a trap line ending only just out of shot. The operation is basic even for me and is routed in 2024 period DMUs and some engineering traffic. But the reality is that that is what is currently there.

I have 3.5 months.

 

A hurried 09 layout

 Busy, with all sorts of stuff and no time to get it on here. 

The trackwork for the latest RM epic is driving me mad and is taking way too long for such a simple plan, but at the edge of that is the above. Built to get Mrs F away for a weekend and forcing a target point, I invited myself to the Norfolk and Suffolk 009 mob's member's day with a micro 09 layout just 28" x 8" + FY. Moving quickly on from that, things took a turn that I hadn't seen coming in the form of the recently announced RM small baseboard competition. I was 'approached' by the Ed' with an impossible request, so as an alternative suggestion, this was mentioned. Being almost the same size as the comp' boards it was quickly finished and should appear in next month's RM to illustrate. A case of the worlds aligning for once. Winding back, it will still appear at Beccles on the 3rd of May as planned, though I had anticipated running up to the wire with getting it done as an occasional side project, not the frantic white knuckle ride of a magazine deadline! 

Now, back to the Bullhead...

Steyning

A day out with your mates, is how I generally describe the Steyning exhibition. Yes it is public, but for some reason there is a high proportion of what I call proper modellers. Not in some sort of elitist way, more that they make things in the traditional sense. The good Reverend pictured seated behind Drovers Brook is a good case in point with very little of his 1:32 scale layout bought in.  Beyond (in his eyeline) is Alan Monk with the HO scale Dounreay, again, much proper modelling in evidence.

Drovers Brook performed almost faultlessly, which considering that it's not designed for exhibiting and the amount of lash-up to get it there. Not to mention the return of the low trestles, not seen since the AotC went out.

Lots of interested punters and a great deal of chat. A day out with your mates.

 

Where is March going?

What feels like a return to full-time model-type things, the pressure to keep moving is on. The first on the list this month was to get Drovers Brook more or less done for the Steyning exhibition. This is not really an exhibition beast, so lots of jerry rigging of lights and curtains was needed. Above; the pre-show test. In the end all went well and I'll pop a couple of photos up later.

While not really a very recent task, the disused chapel for the Scottish is complete. In fact the last few days seem to have been to working through the Peco catalogue, or so it seems, with brake vans, signal boxes and the like. Almost done is the Arisaig station building kit; my forth laser-cut item this year. Not sure about these yet, the jury is still out. The fit for all these is just about perfect, but the detail and final finish is less than the equivalent plastic kit. I note that we used to have plastic kits in carboard boxes, now we have wood kits in plastic boxes. Just an observation.