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I was quite taken with it and thought it might be a fun little project following my Midland one. I was happy to find that Dexter's Cove Models do a laser cut + 3D print kit of this very box so it went together quite quickly and nicely. I've also finally found a way of doing mortar that I'm pleased with involving a base coat of Halfard Camoflage Khaki before painting the brickwork: I'm quite please with this one, a few little bits to sort including some longer grass and foliage at the back. I changed the roof to be ratio slate tiles and it is partially fitted with the level frame kit. Marcus.

Well apparently now I just model signal boxes 😀 This one is nothing to do with the Kettering and Huntingdon I'm afraid, based entierly on a little survey of Lllandrindod Wells box when I was visiting a friend recently:

I'll try and get some better pictures later in the week, but for now here's a quick phone pic of the little diorama I've planted the box in. Marcus.

Yep I think that’s the trick, although figuring out the sequence of what to paint abs when made me throw my hands up and just build it. That’s an interesting paint job on yours - is it based on a prototype? I see you understood the wire bending jog instructions better than I too… Marcus.

A quick update to show where i've got to with painting this. It has been mega fiddly and I'm not entirely happy with it (especially some of the green). It is almost certainly the wrong colour, but there's a nice photo of a not disimilar one at Raunds in Steam Railways in Colour Around Northamptonshire and I decided rule one applied... Marcus.

Thanks so much Mark. The signal box has been very fiddly to paint so I'm working up the the enthusiasm of finishing it! Marcus.

Obviously I've been very quiet on this thread of late as I got distracted modelling Coombe Junction Halt and an homage to Nick Gurney's excellent The Sidings which now sits in my study bookcase. A quick snap of the vaguely-relevant-to-this-thread celebrity Class 66 "Cranford Shed April 2020" on Coombe Jct Halt below: This loco was bought with the proceeds from the Railway Modeller Cranford Shed article, and recently named with the addition of some ever-excellent Narrow Planet/Light Railway Stores custom plates. Anyway, the wet weekend/Twitter Model Railway Show/Alex's stunning Huntingdon East shed got me inspired to pull the Emergency Ratio Midland Signal Box Kit out of the model box. I bought this a while as I just fancied building a kit but hadn't quite got to it. I wanted to build it "as modelled" by Ratio, so was looking through my Kettering & Huntingdon books to see if I could find one which was actually built to full 4-window size. I couldn't, but did find two pictures of "Kettering Iron & Coal Co Sidings" in "Railway Images around Nothamptonshire", (1992), Richard Coleman and Joe Rajczonek, W.D Warton, Wellingborough. This also showed a novel arrangement of steps and privy, plus some alterations to the windows. I had intended to just build as per the kit instructions, but I couldn't help myself so kitbashed it to include the differences. I got as far as the above image before making that decision of course! A few shots in cruel white undercoat below: As the prototype is was on the Midland Mainline I think it will have probably been in standard maroon and cream, but I rather like the green and cream that the Kettering and Huntingdon ones were painted so I think I'm going to go with that. Marcus.

Have you got/seen a colour photo of the shed? I realise I was surprised to see you model it that colour, but actually that makes sense and I think I've only seen b&w photos....

Fantastic stuff Alex, I've long had a plan to extend Buckden and include Huntingdon East Shed but have got distracted by other layouts!

Thanks Chris I really appreciate that! Marcus.

Thanks Richard! He would have likely known my family then - Doug Jones was my great Uncle and he drove Cranford no. 2 (and lost several fingers to it). I still have cousins who live on Top Dysons. Marcus.

A *cough* rival publication I know, but Cranford Shed appears in this month's Railway Modeller: Available now at all good newsagents! Marcus.

The best place to start is the Middleton Press "Branch Lines around Huntingdon: Kettering to Cambridge" which is what started it for me (and is my mother's oddly enough).

And just to show an overview, I wanted to experiment with a proscenium arch to frame the layout, and a plain backdrop, I think it's worked out reasonable well, but I need to colour the arch (dark?) and I think block of the fiddlestick and sector plate. I also want to add a lighting strip to the arch, but haven't found anything suitable yet. Marcus.

I've been very quiet on here but modelling has been going on! Especially in the last few weeks when I've been working on Cranford Shed: Marcus