mullie

Do you need ointment for that?

No doubt the cows will be on the track in no time, they can always find a way through! Martyn

Looking forward to it.

Preparations are afoot for SWAG at the weekend, the W & U coach has been weathered so should be in service, the warranty well and truly blown. I did remember to take some photos at each stage so if there is interest I will post on how "I done it." As a taste of SWAG here is the J72 on a short goods showing much of the layout.

I think oral history is very underrated. I carried out a Heritage lottery project to record the memories of those who used the Portland branch in Dorset. Some talked about holidays , some about wartime, some about growing up and using the railway to travel and as a playground. Some fascinating stories were collected. Sorry if I've posted this before. The film is the last special in 1965, I interviewed a fireman on one of the 2mt tanks, you will hear him speak. I edited the sound bites and put it all together. There is also a display connected with the project in our local museum ,more information in the link below. Next project is to interview my mother about growing up on an Essex farm during war time and submitting to the Essex records office. Martyn

For those of us who build small layouts the J72, with its slow running was also important. I owned one fairly soon after they came out which then got butchered to look vaguely like a J65, quite a challenge to a then young modeller. When I returned to modelling around 1995 another one was purchased, I have no idea what happened to the first one, simply can't remember. That too was converted to a J65, the second version looked better. Around 2017 I built a set of Comet frames to go under it for smoother running then promptly took them apart and rebuilt them in EM. The J65 was discarded and a J72 body purchased. Renumbered as one of those shedded at Ipswich in 1950 it has been a reliable performer for some years, here it is at Upbech st Mary on my Great Eastern themed layout. I think I my J72s are akin to 'Trigger's broom!'

The six wheelers are now in service, the Claud was in charge today. These will be one of the things I will have with me at SWAG next week.

How to invalidate a warranty in an easy lesson. The Rapido W & U carriage was put in the servicing cradle, bogies removed so the couplings could be disposed of. The wheels were removed, the closest I could find were some 10.5mm Lowmac wheels in the EM Gauge society stores, they slotted in easily and so we have a successful conversion. The wheels don't have the rivets of the supplied wheels but so long as I don't tell anyone I'm sure it will be fine. The original wheels can be compared to the Kean Maygib replacements at the bottom of the photo. Here is the carriage posed on St Mary's, it desperately needs a visit to the weathering shop before SWAG. The model now has S&W couplings too. This was an impulse purchase, something I usually resist, I had turned down the chance to buy Eveleigh W&U kits and intended to keep this end of the line goods only. It is a lovely model though delicate. The Trams are in line for an upgrade too, etched lamp irons, detail the roof and sort out those side windows, they are good reliable performers. I don't think they can ever compare to the Rapido model but having looked under one of those I don't fancy an EM conversion.

J15 on Upbech Quay, I think the crew have gone to the pub behind.

I think the crew must be in the pub!

Last two photos of the type 2 for a while that has made its way to Upbech St Mary's. The layout will be reconfigured today, the quayside board will come out and a fiddle yard added to the St Mary's board in readiness for its SWAG adventure.

Having looked at a few photos, I wonder if it could be March? Martyn

Not been on here for a while, not had much to show though a few projects have been progressing very slowly. Also been away to somewhere warm, very nice it was too. This has been a frustrating winter as it has been difficult to get anything finished due to the low temperatures in the garage, with things slightly less artic progress is being made to finish things. The class 24 is the first project to be completed, Silver Tay headcode discs, Brassmasters handrails, @railtec-models custom transfers and an A1 models etched fan. The roof still isn't right, and I've been unable to find definitive photos of the roof at the non fan end to change things, though that could change.. The loco was gloss finished, decals applied, then treated with Klear to represent D5045 in a slightly work stained way. I have a photo of it working on a P way train south of Yarmouth when it wasn't looking too scruffy. The loco is around 25 years old and a favourite of mine. This is one of the things I will have with me at the SWAG event where I will be happy to talk about the way I splosh paint about and will have Upbech St Mary with me. Please say hello if you are passing.

Other bridges are available please don't let Clive try this on anyone's layout!

The J17 and an E4 are both on my shopping list. I'm wondering if there might be a J17 to view at Expo EM on the Brassmasters stand in May. Martyn