Varnishing trick

Work has been very busy so it has been a while since I got anything done but having had a couple of days off I finished off a couple of things and started some others.

My SR PECO coaches are now both finished and I'm very pleased with them. They have detailed, painted and weathered roofs, smoking/no smoking signs and a few bits and bobs picked out with different colour paint.

I've also detailed and weathered my new Minitrains caboose. I decided that it would work best as  a mess carr/brake van for the works train so I've added plenty of weathering which I rather like.

I also spent a few happy hours fiddling with some locos which wouldn't run as well as I'd like with some success. Lord Stoner had become rather lumpy since his re-boilering but having given it a once over all now seems well and it crawled round the test track delightfully slowly. I made a return to the little green Jung and did some experimenting with weights and found I could get it to run slightly better but its still not what you'd call great, shame as I really like the look of it. The other success I had was to get my Brian Madge Britomart to run quite nicely. Due to my ham fistedness with the chassis construction I was never happy with the running of this but having had a fiddle and left it running round the test track for a bit it has eased up no end and now runs much better. I'll give it some more running in when I get a chance and I think it will get even better. Very pleased about this one as it is a special little loco.

Port Lucy has stalled a bit in recent months but I am gradually getting the building together which will make up the visible section of the town and I bought a new Skaledale shop from the Edinburgh Wool Mill the other day which is a rather characterful clapboarded building. I've changed the shop interior and sign and added some potted plants and a fence to the balcony and it's fit for the Island.

At the other end of the line is the station building at St Ruth which now has the lovely Narrow Planet L&B chimney pots fitted. These are 3D prints and I can't recommend them enough, available from NP and from the F&WHR shop.

Also available from our shop now are the newer versions of the Liliput 0-4-0 diesel. The new green one has a flashing hazard light on the roof. Under the chassis is a tiny switch which I assumed turned it off but it seems to only turn it off in reverse... Bit odd.

 

Nice little locos but far too modern for the IoSR - just as well as I can't afford one.