Next stop Mallingford

 With the skips finished, I've been working in parallel on one of the late Peter Farley's Rustons to run with them.

Initially, I was going to super-detail it, but I think now it will end up as a loco for the grandchildren. I will add some cab detail, though. Now, I just have to find where I put the rest of the kit.

As mentioned last week, Gerralt Rd now has a proper home, which will encourage progress. I've been working on a few things behind the scenes, but I'm not ready to make final decisions about the overall composition. It is really helping to have it mounted at the intended viewing angle, and I've already decided I need to increase the height of the limekilns. Perhaps not clear from the photos it is at eye-level when I'm on my office chair. My big dilemma is where to place a level crossing. I know I want one, so I can recreate some iconic photos of the Tanat Valley, but I'm struggling to work out whether it should be on the far left or to the centre-left and whether it is angled left to right or right to left. 

James Hilton's original plan included a length of redundant track .I might even be tempted to echo that by adding a disconnected siding to a typical TVR goods shed. Building the 4mm version for the original Apa Valley was an absolute joy. 

The photo makes the Mosslanda shelves appear wider than they are. i still haven't decided what I'm doing with them.The longer one is most likely to end up as a Titchfield Thunderbolt cameo, especially now this has arrived:

The shorter one might end up being more multipurpose, building two or three scenes to slot into it. My first thoughts were either a steam era TVR station, perhaps even a back-dated Gerralt Rd,or something based on the Widened Lines, to make my 24 and coaches more at home. 

Quick and Dirty

 A quick spray of red oxide, Plastikote rust and Humbrol matt black

Time for a skip

The last few years of my life seem to have involved a lot of skips and trips to the tip.

But this week three new 3D printed 7/8ths skips arrived from Rail Print UK.

I was after some cheap and cheerful wagons while I finish off the rest of the stock and build the new line. With one major caveat, I'm very pleased with them out of the box. The frames are great, but the printing of the skip bodies is like something from around eight years ago. So it is out with the filler, the sensing spray, and lots of sanding.

Meanwhile I'm still playing around with the track plan for the line itself, whilst Issy is busy in the garden. I'm slowly getting there. It is only ever going to be a shunting layout, after all 

A major development in the house has been getting brackets up on the wall. That means I can now showcase a few purchases awaiting layouts, give Gerralt Rd a home, and additionally put up a couple of Mosslanda shelves that will eventually house photo planks.

Caldon Canal

 I love living near a canal again. The dogs and I are often down by the Stockton Brook flight on the Caldon Canal. Candy has also gone for a few swims in it when Gigi has been a bit too playful.

Over the last two weekends, I've been enjoying it both on a canal trip with my old university friends and with Issy and Mum at the Etruria Canal Festival.

Plateway and track at Cheddleton flint Mill museum

Winding where the Caldon and Churnet part company with not an inch to spare

Limekilns at Consall, providing a useful reference fo Gerralt Rd

4F at Cheddleton

The Hollybush at Denford is  agret pub

The Aquaduct taking the Leek branch of the canal over the Uttoxeter branch

The end of the Leek branch

The Stoke Leek railway line runs alongside much of the route

Oh the power of opening a lift bridge with the BWB key

Kitty, our brand new 70ft boat for the weekend

The flint mill has two water wheels

Consall forge is a lovely spot, with another great pub, The Black Lion

But as I mentioned earlier, it is a tight squeeze to turn a 70 footer