Last Sunday, I found myself with a few hours to spare, so I jumped in the car and headed to Wales. I’ve been planning a more organised recce around a series of locations in Powys and the Welsh Marches, to knock off a number of the places I’ve identified as possible prototypical examples for 'The Art of Compromise'. However, Sunday’s trip was just to take a few photos, get a feel for the potential setting and judge whether I’m on the right track (no pun intended, but I’m keeping it). I took a few photos of things that caught my attention - here are some of them. They aren't particularly good photos, but that isn't the point.

Close-knit tangled vegetation at the edge of the forest.

The wooded hillsides and the buildings here both offer good reference, I think.

A very poor shot through the car windscreen, but I love the shapes of these pine trees. Nature is often far more extravagant that we seem comfortable representing in model form.

I took a few reference shots at Llynclys South (the Cambrian Heritage Railways' line in Shropshire). 

Close detail on a hedgerow that should be fun to model.

A shot of the soil I saw around this area, to help me make sure that I get the paint base coat colour right on any new bits of scenery I create.

Books and stuff

I also had a flick through the books that arrived (see previous post ‘A lineage’) and thought I'd share a few pages that caught my eye.

Chris Ford's ‘Modelling the Great Western Branch Lines’ (above left) and ‘Great Western Branch Line Termini Volume 1’ by Paul Karau (above right) which profiles Fairford in detail, the prototypical basis of Roy Link's 'The Art of Compromise' design.

Michael Welch's ‘Great Western Branch Lines Volume 2: Rural Wales’ (above left) and ‘Industrial Locomotives & Railways of Wales’ by Gordon Edgar (above right). Rather than Fairford's Gloucestershire, the setting of Chris Ford's TAOC build is Wales, which I will be carrying through as I remodel the layout.

All four of these books are packed with good stuff, I've just shared a taste of what's there.

The latest issue of BRM also arrived, with plenty more motivating pics and articles. I’ve been particularly inspired by Kathy Millatt’s ‘Port Dinorwic’ layout, having followed its creation over a series of live streams on Kathy’s YouTube channel, so it was good to see it captured so beautifully by World of Railways’ Phil Parker. I have a lot to learn from Kathy and from this layout in particular, much of which I feel could be applied to ‘The Art of Compromise’.

Finally, going through my haul of leaflets and cards from the Doncaster show, I found the ‘Introduction to Industrial Modelling’ leaflet I picked up from the Planet Industrials stand. 

On top of the useful tips included, there are some lovely photos by Alan Sewell. James Hilton from PI has been sharing a few of Alan’s photos on his blog, Paxton Road, which is appreciated - Alan seems to have done an incredible job capturing a pivotal era in industrial railways and I haven’t had much luck finding his photography (and detailed notes) elsewhere. Perhaps a book of Alan’s work might be on the horizon?

What’s missing from that photo though? A Planet Industrials mug, I reckon. Here’s hoping we see those added to Light Railway Stores soon (pretty please @cornelius and @James Hilton). 

Thanks as always for reading and bye for now.