A week of very mixed fortunes - and it has certainly cost me a fortune! Am afraid there is little actual modeling to report but lots of inspiration. An exploding gearbox on the M40 put an early and very expensive end to our attempt to get to the narrow gauge show at Swanley last Saturday. Very disappointed my self but even more so for my unfortunate companion and Trevor whom I was meant to be helping with his layout. Anyway, half term trips to the Lake District was then disrupted by my other car going wrong even before it got to the motorway - luckily just a split hose this time but very unwelcome. So, one hire car later we arrive in the Lakes a day late to horizontal rain and lots of it. As the planed walking was right out of the question and the pencil museum was absurdly packed (what is more unlikely? A pencil museum or it actually being busy!), there was no alternative but a visit to the Threkeld Mining Museum. What a gem! OK, slick multi media presentation it is not but delightfully friendly and suitably ramshackle it certainly is. First thing we did was a ride behind their definitely not ramshackle Bagnall but it wasn't long before little Iz and I were in the cab and having a little ride on it!

There is a wealth of detail here just asking to be modeled, both in the buildings and the 70 or so excavators around the site in various states of repair. I particularly liked these little details of the buffer beam hook carving a curved groove and what the inside of a working cab roof actually looks like;

And when no one was looking we had a little play with the points!

I fully intend to get back there one day and hopefully in better weather.

Next day was, of course, perfect weather but we had a date in Blackpool to help my Father in Law relive his second (or third!), childhood. Sorry, but unlike the Lakes I really don't think we will be heading back there anytime soon and certainly not to Tower Models who I found to be completely unhelpful and on the edge of rudeness - and I really don't like being told flatly that a certain motor doesn't exist when I have one here right now!

Anyway, how about this for a bit more model inspiration!