August Digest

The end of August is here and it marks my first anniversary of "Blogging"  I have enjoyed the last 12 months of posting my jottings, ramblings and most of all making contact with people of like minds and interests.
It's been a year of ups and downs the ups out weighing the downs by a fair margin.
I have made over 5000 hits to this blog which I am happy with.
My only disappointment is maybe the lack of comments but, I suppose no comments means people have little to add to my waffle.

Also in August I was asked to take Pen Y Bont to Midland Railex at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley. (Swanwick Junction actually) one of the nicest exhibitions I have had the pleasure to attend.

The show went well with only minor problems with some of the stock, a few screw link couplings decided to break on us, Luckily we always take more stock than we need for a show so there was no real disruption.

We only encountered one visitor who falls into the "No Soap!" brigade, luckily for us he must not have been a fan of Steam or western region so he and the odour didn't hang about for long! We also had the usual Pedants and armchair modellers making the odd comment. One such pedant told me that this wagon load was totally wrong  as the wagon floor would not stand the weight of such a load! Fun-illy enough he went quiet once I explained that the model was based on two photographs in reference books on my bookshelf!

The other good thing about this exhibition is that it is held at a preserved railway with all the usual attractions that only such a venue can provide. As well as layouts, demonstrators and traders there are "Real" locomotives to look at as well. I'm not a diesel fan but liked a few of the heritage diesel locos on display.

It's been a long time since I have seen a class 40 up this close and I was impressed by the work of the preservationists in charge of this impressive machine. D212 Aureol, 

So, with Summer(?) out of the way and autumn / winter approaching I'm starting to gear up for some more serious modelling over the next 6 or 7 months, Don't expect too many updates here though because the pace of progress on some of these projects can be painfully slow at times. I have also been handed my first commission job, which is to build and paint a white metal 00 gauge loco kit and modify some RTR locomotives for the same client. I will also post progress on these projects as they progress.

Thanks for reading this months monthly waffle more updates as and when.

Cheers

Frank 

                                                   

Love me tender!

Sorry that I have not updated the blog for a couple of weeks or so, I have been busy getting Pen Y Bont ready for Midland Railex (more about that in a future entry)

OK so, what have I been up to? Well quite a bit actually but nothing of real substance to post here until now.

I have acquired  yet another ex GWR locomotive (not saying from where or what it is yet!) all I will say is that it is a RTR job from Bachmann.

Anyway I digress (as usual!)

I have made a start on adding extra detail and weathering to the tender.
The plastic coal just HAD to go! I just hate moulded plastic coal in my tenders or bunkers it just shouts "TRAIN SET" to me!
Here the "coal" has been removed and replaced with a rough plasticard replica of what really lies beneath the coal on the prototype.

Note also that I have replaced the brake and water scoop standards with some home made brass ones that featured in my last blog entry.
Some home made fire irons can be seen in the rack on the fireman's side.

At the back end I have made and fitted some lamp irons, fitted the Bachmann supplied vacuum pipe and a home made steam heat pipe and shut off cock. Screw couplings have also been fitted.

the model comes with sprung buffers so these were left as they were. They are reasonable items anyway. I was tempted to change the plastic handrails and knobs for Markits knobs and brass wire, but, as they look reasonable I have left them as supplied by Bachmann.

Finally, here's a side on view of the tender after some weathering but still awaiting paint to the two standards.
Once this has been done it needs some real coal in the bunker
To quote Guy Williams " Coal in the bunker can hide a lot of mistakes" (and he's right!






Now my attention can be turned to the engine
More about that in a future entry


Cheers!
Frank