I've been busy with other things during the last month, mainly work and stage managing an amateur pantomime (oh no you haven't....), so it's come as a surprise how much I've managed to get done.

This is a 51L kit for a Midland long low wagon. It's the first time I've built a complete kit from this source, and it was rather good (although the fiddly etched brake gear was, well a bit fiddly). Apart from using some thicker Evergreen planked styrene for the floor, it's been built exactly as per the kit. And it's not often I do that.

Next is a LNER D.120 'Pigeon van'. I bought this from D&S at the Doncaster show in 2003, which must have been quite soon before D&S stopped selling 4mm kits. It's been lurking in my 'to do' pile every since, but I enjoyed building the LCDR coach so much I decided to dig it out and build it.

It went together well, except for the roof. This was vacuum formed, and wasn't a close match for the actual shape. It now has a solid laminated core of plasticard to hold t to shape. And after much cursing ans swearing it is now the right shape. It is red, because it's had several coats of Halford's red primer to allow me to spot all of the dents and distortions, and then fill them.

Luckily a few D&S 4mm kits are available again, and I've got a LSWR Horsebox in my to do pile. Hopefully that won't have to wait 10 years to be built.

The next model to be tackled comes with the option of paying an extra £12 for a resin roof. It's a David Geen GWR Toplight brake composite - the last vehicle for my rake of 1930s GWR through coaches. The roof put the total cost up to £82, so these aren't cheap but first impressions are very good. Luckily I only need one, but a complete rake of these would be a bit expensive.

I should be able to post some progress soon - the plan is to finish it in time for Hornby announcing an RTR one in December.