You know how it is. A couple of quiet weeks with not much progress and then the mother in law arrives. Modelling output mysteriously increases. Actually not for the reasons you might think but because with a bit of child care, I've suddenly got a bit more time than of late - though building the Lego Toy Story train set the nipper got for his birthday was strangely therapeutic.

Anyway, progress of sorts on a number of fronts. The O2's been in the paint shop and is now hardening off before I do anything else. I'm waiting for the replacement motor to arrive so will have to concentrate on the lining when I get round to it. Whilst in the garage this morning, I stuck the trial turnout base plates for Clevedon on one of the boards. Plan is to start wiring up next. Those of you who get the Railway Modeller will have seen an article I did on modelling the Colonel Stephens Empire and I'm feeling slightly hypocritical in that regard. Need to put that right.

So with nothing else to do I turned to the next job in the modelling cupboard, namely a Craftsman Class 122 bubblecar conversion for the Lima 117. Yes I know you can buy them from Hornby now and they're probably better but that's not the point. This is a long term resident of the modelling cupboard so it's part nostalgia. Also a new year's resolution to clear some space.

The donor Lima vehicle I got when I worked at the Weston Model Railway as a lad and I reckon that was about 25 years ago. The Craftsman kit has a W&H price tag on it. I think that was acquired from one of the Bristol shows when they were down in the docks. Motor will be the redundant High Level Lo-Rider I made for the Class 22. So, cutting and carving of plastic has commenced. New windows added. Still got the oversize window to sort out but otherwise am quite happy. The unit will be sprayed green with whiskers eventually.