Si2020

I realy do need to remember to take more photos as I'm building kits as I always seam to miss stages. Here is the Engine carrier after the black has been added and the transfers are being added. Hope I'm not boring you all with all this flicking between things.

After a bit of masking up, And once it had had a coat of Olive Green paint.

There were few of them so expect they got all over. I was enager to get the ZRA built and done that I didn't take any photos of it during construction. Will have to remedy that when I do the next one. So here it is in the spary booth after a coat of primer along with the L&YR van.

Made start on this recently First thing was to remove the NEM coupling box at each end.

IMG_9932.MOV We had a good time at Preston. Had one of my new rakes running. still a couple of bits to add but it looked good on the layout, if i dont say so my self.

After GETS we had a bit of time off as we exhibitied the other trainset till June and then we had a trip north to Paisley for the Scottish Festival of Railway modeling and w may have had a bit of fun.....

After a bit of time applying glue tothe tissue, I got it to this point and let it dry for a few days.

Has it really been that long since i posted up about the big trainset. Well, we survived GETs in 2024 and had a bit of intrest in the layout... We also gave a few new bits of stock a run out as well.

The van has progressed and now has the roof and has the start of the planksing on the opening section. For the canvas cover, I decided to use some of the tissue paper that came in another kit wrapped round the etches, which to mee looks about right and allows it to be moulded to the roof section.

Hello all, So we are taking the layout out to the Macclesfield exhibtion in April and with it only being 82 days before we load the van up, I thought I would pop a photo up from our last trip out to Railex last May before i startred the prep work on the layout for April. Have few things to sort out, from getting the tall depot lights to work and fettling a couple of the points that were begining to stick a little, along with some more stock. One new item that made it to Railex was the ZCV 'Crab' ballast wagon. Which spent most of the weekend at the show in that position.

Work on the coach has slowed a little as the next stage is to create the roof section of the birdcage and it needs the domstic authoristes to be out of the hosue so I can use the cooked to anneal the section to make it easier to bend. So whist that is waiting to happen, i made a start on a Dia &£ L&YR covered goods van. Its one of the David Geen kits nd is mostly white metal with the odd bit of plasticard throw in. As per Geen kits, the body fell together and a quickly got to this point Then added the W iorns and the cross shafts for the brake gear, along with the handles on the doors.

Yes, it looks like a lot of ealry coaching stock was very similar and for us modellers, with a bit of work, things can be altered to suit other railways, even if it not quite right.

Whilst I wait for some wheels to arrive, as when i went to look in the wheel tray, yes you guessed it, the only size I didn't have in the wheel stock was the maunsel ones that I needed. I decided to add the galzing to the 12T Crane Riding van that i have been working on. There is a bit of dead line for this one as it need to be done for a show at the begining of March, along with a few wagons, more on those later. P.s. Excuse the mess on the bench in the background, its a busy time at the moment. Think the galzing has turned out ok. Any small glue marks will be disguise with some weathering, as looking at the photos, the windows wern't that clean.

Thanks, I had to look up to see which Dia it is, Dia 10 for those intrested, and used one of the best books I have on coaching stock for the L&YR. It was found by a friend at the Bo'ness Railway and has lots of useful info from running numbers to how many where built, And also line diagrams of most coaches with extra information about the end layouts, which is normally a difficult area as most people only record the side details Well worth the few pints exchanged for it.

Happy New Year all, So had a few days away fro the bench but did complete the basic body before the soldering iron was switched off for the year. Still requires bit of cleaning up of some stray soldr lumps. Also got the underframe a bit further on. And after a quick wash before stopping. Then left to dry for a few days.

Hi all, So there is enough time to pop up one last post for 2025 from the bench. I've started to reorganise it today as with the additon of the 3d printer and a few other bits, its getting a bit crowded and not working as well as it should do. More on that next year. Bench wsie, I have been working on some of the L&YR kits that have been languishing in the made a start but not progreesed much further pile. I want to add a few more items to the stock roster for the layout and with the forthcoming Railex show in May, as even though its a while off, I do have plenty of other exhibitons to fit in with Charwelton into the 80s, Thorne Yard and the yet to apprear 2mm finescale train set (May have a suprise for you all on it). Time will as ever be in short supply so need to make the most of it. So first up is this 6 wheel Birdcage Brake 3rd, one of the old D&S kits, now sold via London Road models. Seen here after fitting the drop lights on the doors and fitting the etched parts to the ends. Hope you all have a good new year evening and see you in 2026.

A little bit more on the hut

Been struggling with motovation at the moment to do anything major, but have been doing the odd little thing here and there. Been building one of the wills platelayers hut. Seen here after a coat of paint

First stage of the painting has started, with the main body colur of olive green applied. Balck next, once the new tin arrivaes as the current tin had gone a bit gloopy.

A bit more progress on the ZDV.

Whilst I was at the 2025 Darlington show, I picked up one of these ZDV/ZDW Conflat kits and after a coupe of hours the basic chassie was assembled.

One thing ive been trying to do this year is to get round to finishing off some of those kits that have been part/mostly built and have been sat in boxes for a while ( Years in some cases ). One i have not got to the paint stage is this Slaters Midland Railway 10T fruit van. One of the layoust i own is Wainthrop Brdige which is Lanchaisre and Yorkshire Railway set in the 1920s and it has a few out of area items. The model its self has had a few extra bits added like wire handrails and some car wheel weights to take it to 60 ish grams. Next up is a coat of primer to check for any stray bits of glue or something that should be there and then on to the top coat.

Had the chance to spend a bit more time on the body of the CCT Then moved on to the underframe, with the beginings of the brake gear being fitted.

Been a while and a few thinsgs have been progressing along. Need to remember to keep you all updated. One such item is this L&YR CCT, one of 2 kits that I have to do. Made a start on the side frames and ends

Hi all, Its been a while again. Yes one of the team is a long serving veteran and always a good source or adventure stories in the pub on the saturday night.