Class 153 summer saturday service

Caught on a summers saturday in June 1993, a class 153 runs into Georegham Halt, heading toward Ilfracombe. How things have changed since the days of 10 coach ACE workings direct from Waterloo.

The 153 is the popular Hornby model. It represents one of my first attempts at weathering and needs revisiting in the not too distant future.

Engineering works on Georgeham

Today I managed to put the finishing touches to a Heljan dogfish wagon. This model had its original dutch paint removed in superstrip and was repainted/weathered using weathered black and rust, with the frame dirt around the solebars. Transfers were added from Modelmaster, before a unifying satin varnish finish. It is seen here on a summer Sunday within a short engineering train passing through Georgeham, behind a very grubby class 25. The class 25 has been demoted to the running secondary freight and permanant way department workings across the southwest and needs a good clean!

Short engineering working passes through Georgeham

Finished dogfish wagon

The shark wagon is also pretty grubby

As is the class 25

Georgeham detailing

Today I have spent a bit of time pottering around the railway room, trying to make some space for the new layout. Pottington Quay is now up on the trestles ready for detailing and Georgeham was moved to the living room to make some space. With Georgeham in the living room I added a sign for station and added a few rocks in the station car park - something which is quite common down in Devon.

Birds eye view of the micro-layout

New sign pointing the way to the station

This layout is now finished (something I have probably said before on this blog). Now what to do with the layout.......it has to go - we have no room to store it with a new project on the go. But what to do with it - it seems such a shame to throw it landfill or break it up......what does everyone else do with their old layouts I wonder???....thoughts or suggestions welcome.....

Some rocks at the edge of the car park

My favourite view of the microlayout, viewing towards Ilfracombe

A little bit of frustration, a small diorama and a sturgeon

For a change life has been hectic, and a weeks holiday and a nasty summer virus have taken there toll on modelling activities. However, during the last week my son got a bit of a modelling bug and produced a little diorama on which to display some of the wagons he is building. It is an excellent effort, which he achieved over a couple of days.

My sons diorama

I was also pretty excited by the arrival of the cambrian sturgeion recently, and I have started putting it together. Admittedly, I have not got very far with the build of this wagon, but it looks like another excellent kit from carmbrian.

Sturgeon under construction

Which leads to another thing; last week an e-mail from modelmaster and a notice on their website shows that the freight wagon minipacks, which contain the decals for the lamprey, crab, whale, ling, tunny and sturgeon wagons are being withdrawn or maybe not produced at all.....I have been waiting over a year for these!!....if anyone knows where I can get the transfers for these wagons in 4mm scale I would be delighted to hear from you - it is desperately frustrating not being able to finish some of these wagons due to lack of decals......Anyhow, just a quick update, more later this week on ongoing projects.