Round the houses and some new engines too

Since my last post on here I've actually done quite a bit of modelling so I'll start in no particular order with a loco kit I swapped for a 'Dolgochification' kit. I had intended to make an open cab - not Dolcogh using the kit and the alarming yellow Bachmann loco but like many things I hadn't got around to starting it. A nice chap on Facebook asked if anyone wanted to swap a Fourdees Dolgoch body for the NP kit and thus my project began. The kit was for a more modern version that I wanted so I had to remove some plumbing; in the process I managed to make a hole in the running board and loose the splasher. I wondered how to disguise this and then realised that I could use the Bachmann body to replace the part, this has worked out just fine. The other modification needed was to replace the stub ends of safety valve which have a gap in them to allow for the cab roof. A couple of lengths of styrene strip have done the job. That is all that needs to be done really, I may saw the buffers off as this isin't supposed to be a TR loco.

I keep an eye on the 009 Society second hand sales on the society website and while idly surfing I found this little gem. It is a Paul Windle Hunslet 0-4-2, very nice bit of work as you would expect. I've been told that it might well come from the collection of Garry Whiting and this would explain the brand newness. I've given it a couple of runs and it certainly looks at home on the island.

Finally the Minitrix Mallet arrived from Spain. Not only did it take ages to arrive but I had to cough up 35 quid in import duties. However, it is a delightful little thing and runs very sweetly. It is almost a shame to destroy it to 009 it but that is what its fate is. I'll take my time over this.

It has been an expensive few weeks and I didn't think I wanted a Kato/Peco Welsh Pony but it does look very good and was a lovely little mover straight out of the box.

Meanwhile, back in the garage I've made some progress on Port Lucy. The woodwork is now joined on and I think I've laid out the track plan to include all the sidings and facilities I'd planned. The boards aren't attached to the frame as I want to be able to access the underside for the fitting of point motors etc. Before anything else I must take it all apart and fit backscenes while it is still possible.

Over the weekend of the Model Railway Workshop the Vicar's garden railway got virtually finished, here are still things to do and I didn't get the 6.5mm working totally satisfactorily. Generally though I think I've achieved what I set out to.

There is a pond, a resin casting

There is a vicar who cost an alarming amount of money but looks the part.

One of the surprises are the level crossings which I made using embossed brick paper. This is a technique that will be replicated at Port Lucy.

For an unknown reason I bought a 3D printed Dalek which is rather neat so I thought that it would make a nice attraction in the garden. Before it got attached to the layout it took a tour of the other layouts in the show; one of which was Arnold Lane Wharf which is now in the hands of a young modeller. It was nice to see it in action again. The show was very enjoyable and we had many more people through the doors than last year.