so, where do we start this blog... railway junctions... i have recently applied for a job on the railways ... and i was thinking about not just having lived by a railway, but the junctions I have lived next to....Ouston Junction... the Leamside/Washington junction and Stafford South Junction. How did I manage to have lived next to three once great junctions? I just wish I'd taken more photographs of Ouston Junction which had been on my doorstep for a few years at its virtual ending and vividly recall sitting on the embankment the day the track lifting equipment went past.. some years a bit further down where the line would have met the then Leamside, former East Coast Mainline at Fatfield, a little down the tracks from where Washington station would have once stood, then again back down the line towards Chester-le-Street just beyond the line which left Ouston Junction to head towards Washington, the then long gone track bed was in my back garden. Fast forward 18 years and finding one's self living next to a live and kicking railway junction, one which would seem hard to ever being closed down, but never say never... if HS2 takes over as a modern West Coast Mainline section in 50 or 100 years time the same way that the Leamside line was once the East Coast main line before the Durham to Gateshead section was completed.

Moving back to models, the layout project has supposedly been delayed - although im not sure when work on this was last undertaken, some months prior to this I believe sadly, and the new delay relates to my recenly confirmed redundancy. I am hoping to find new employment as soon as possible and once things have settled down, my layout build will continue. As for my loco fleet, I am expecting to see the arrival of my rebranded DB Cargo Class 60 which I cant wait to see. Pictures TBC...

90019, finally, had been sold on ebay, but the seller requested a return, and all for something silly...  what is the world coming to? anyway, i'm glad to see her back for the time being, 

The Bachmann 90 gets ever closer... i cant wait to see it in the flesh... my first one is going to be reliveried into DB ex ERS 90034... one of my favourite DB 90s