Long time no see.

Blimey it's been ages since I've got round to doing any modelling, various domestic crises, being busy at work and doing some music instead of playing trains are the main excuses.

So time for a bit of a catch up.

The big Hudswell Clarke has taken a bit of a back seat as I tried to fit a different chassis and buggered it up a bit, not beyond redemption but it's always a bit down heartening redoing something you buggered up yourself.

Island before the chassis butchery

I finished the NS3 and it looks very business like, the chassis is a bit lumpy so I suspect that the pickups need fettling, this seems to be the usual problem with these Farish 04s and 08s. The other two finished locos are Lucy and Titania. I rather pleased with both of them and haven't had the nerve to have at them with the weathering powder yet.

Also finished and rather pleasing is the Rushby's Resins railcar. My one is finished as the IoSRs  the omnidenominational multi faith mobile contemplation room. Additional features I've added to the kit are stained glass windows illuminated from inside, IoSR name boards, a bell, buffer beams and a ladder to reach the boxes of texts on the roof. The windows have etched brass window bars and stained glass printed celluloid from Langley, the etched plates are from those lovely chaps at Narrow Planet and the other bits were lurking in the bottom of the tool box. The LED is switched on and off by pushing the green suitcase down.

Having decided not to make any more locos I've started two more. The first is a Narrow Planet Pamela, as ever I'm not taking the straight road and building as intended. I've added a cab back sheet and just at the stage of adding pipes and handrails etc. Going well so far. Should be ready for the exhibition at the end of August in Borth y Gest.

Here she is down at Underhill with Eigiau.

Next on the lap tray will be a rather nice little Bagnall wing tank which I stumbled accross on Shapeways web site when ordering a couple of Corris slab wagons and slate sawing tables.

Here they are soaking in white spirit, this dissolves the release agent used in the 3D printing process.

This them this evening drying out.

At the end of this week I'm on leave for a couple of weeks so hopefully I'll find some time to get on with all these and get the layout cleaned, tested and packed ready for my weekend of fun.