Ravenglass Visitors

Just a few pictures of 'Shifting Sands' from the Hull club's Summer Show in their HQ building. We were lined up with the two other narrow gauge layouts, 'Moorton Bottom Yard' and 'Mill Lane', giving the public a taste of O9, 009 and O-16.5.

We entertained a couple of visiting locomotives from Peter Leadley of the Clee Valley Railway. Here the N-Drive 'Katie' gives a demonstration of Estate railway motive power past and future with my own 'St Edwin':

The eagle eyed will see that 'Katie' is posed with something suitably Ratty....one of Roger Chivers' Theakston wagons:

 

'Bonnie Dundee' had a good run around the layout too, but due to coupling compatibility issues couldn't actually pull anything.

The opportunity was taken to recreate an image that I took of the real 'Bonnie Dundee' and 'Flower of the Forest' at Cleethorpes last year:

The club sales stand wielded a couple of 50p bargains that may find their way onto future projects and I picked up a scenic detail for the "other scale" from the trader present, Caistor Loco.

My thanks to the Hull club for the invite, I understand it is the first time they have invited a layout from outside the club to the Summer Show, we're honoured!

Colin

Exmoor on Tour

Unfortunately I have not had a chance to give my Exmoor 0-6-2T 'St Edwin' a real run since it was completed in the summer, largely as 'Shifting Sands' has remained in storage.

Happily the locomotive had the chance to have a run on Peter Leadley's 'Clee Valley Railway' at the Hull exhibition this weekend and our photographers were on hand to record the event...

With the recently rebuilt tool wagon behind acting as coupling converter, 'St Edwin' awaits departure from Castle station.

On the turntable, I have rendered this shot by my Dad into sepia tones as it hides some of the work to overcome the lighting of the original shot.

Finally, a short video of the locomotive in action.

Colin

Watching 'The Headshunt' / A1 Models Hunslet Update

I don't plan to add much more to the diorama 'The Headshunt', but a couple of additions that I've made this week can be found in this update. The figure is a Phoenix example from S&D, I've had him from very early in my 7mm modelling days and was one of a couple on which I used the black undercoat painting technique. He isn't permanently attached so in theory there could be an array of alternative figures to stand here! The other addition is rubbish... a black bag full, up against the wall, this was sculpted (badly) from left over Milliput from a filling job.

But just what is that chap looking at? This maybe....

As a taster of how the diorama can be used for photography, my almost complete, second version, A1 Models 'Hunslet' poses for the camera. I was in the process of getting her prepared for a trip to Peter Leadley's Clee Valley Railway at the Cleethorpes exhibition, although there are still a few details to add and weathering to tone down the livery.  

The boffins in the Shifting Sands workshop had rigged up a suitable coupling for use on the CVR allowing the loco to run solo, its performance impressing the CVR operators.

Colin

Infamy and Inactivity

Examination of the latest (December 2014) issue of the 'Railway Modeller' has me, and 'Shifting Sands' implicated as an influence on Peter Leadley's O9 'Clee Valley Railway'....

Do have a read about Peter's exploits in a version of O9 that is very much in my own, miniature railway, way of thinking rather than industrial.  It is no secret that his Paul Windle-built locos were a driving factor behind the creation of my own 'King George VI' locomotive.

This isn't the first time I've been implicated in the 'Modeller this year, I seen to recall getting a mention in the articles on 'Roundtree Sidings' earlier in the year, and a picture of one of my 4mm scale wagons recently appeared in 'Traction', sans credit <<grrr>>

You may have noticed that it is three months since the last update of this blog - I've been rather tied up with domestic activities of late, however the workbench is now clear of other-roomly content, a few bits of storage moved about and is ready for take off, although with precisely what remains to be seen - watch this space.

I can't let a title such as Infamy and Inactivity go without this....

Colin

Scooting over to Hull

It was good to catch up with Peter Leadley and the Clee Valley Railway today at the Hull exhibition.  Peter has described his O9 project on the NGRM Online forum and this was it's debut show.  Peter has put together an interesting collection of O9 locos, some being one-off scratchbuild's by fellow Hull club member Paul Windle.  Sadly some issues with the Windle 'Bonnie Dundee' hadn't been resolved, even the SMR's chief p-way engineer's input was sought.... Luckily though the issues with his Guest-style tender loco may have been identified, hopefully Peter can have it running on the Sunday!

Peter's has the first completed MG Models steam loco I have seen on a layout - painted in Northern Rail purple!

An overview of the layout, coaches are built from Avalon Line kits I made the masters for some time ago (just don't ask about the bogies...):

I promised Peter a visit from the SMR 'Scooter', here it proves that it, and a wagon, could fit on the turntable together:

Colin