NXEA!

The one model I’m desperate for is an LNER E4 - they already have the tender and boiler for it, and I suspect the J15 chassis is adaptable. And there’s one in the National collection! Something else which would go nicely with the GER models in the Hornby stable are some GE 50ft coaches. I think we’ll see a retooled 8F, Princess Coronation and D49 before too long.

Wow! This is going to be an absolute corker from Oxford by the looks of it.

A J6 is a no-brainer, they were widespread. Very attractive loco to boot!

Yep, the same amateurs that have given us highly accurate models of the Sentinel, USA Tank and forthcoming J70. The b*stards...

I was umming and ahh’ing, but decided to order the lovely blue PLA one before they all sell out. £76.50 from Colletts, can’t complain. Now to build a layout set in East London based on some dockside exchange sidings, with the Peckett and a couple of grubby J15’s and Class 15’s shunting wagons...

Getting very excited for this one... I realise that some were not happy with the Dean Goods or Mark 3’s, but even if this has similar issues this will still be of a standard far beyond my capability. When Hornby are charging £205 for a Duchess, and I’ll be paying £170 for this with DCC Sound, you really cannot complain.

There has been progress - just not as quick I had intended. The fiddle yards have been b*stardised and are fully functional - I've fitted hinged legs to allow the fiddle yards to be folded away and put under the bed when not in use. It keeps SWMBO happy! Connection is via luggage catches, and electrical conduct is via opened out rail joiners - simple. Pictures are below - eventually, I'll get round to building cassette boards out of 2mm ply, but for now this'll do. I stuck offcuts of wood (part of a bed slat!) at the end to ensure I don't have any nasty or expensive accidents. This also means that for the first time I've had a fully functional layout which is a massive milestone for me, and so I've indulged in lots of thorough 'testing' (playing). There's also been a bit of progress in other areas. I've cut back the siding in the foreground, as I've decided there will be small open country road crossing and a cottage to the left to act as a view blocker. I've bought a lovely Bachmann Scenecraft cottage which I'm very pleased with. I'm planning to model a front garden with vegetable patches between the cottage and the road which will allow me to get some of that lovely fen-like black earth in. The station that can be seen is a Wills halt from the spares box so I can visualise, as I'm still toying with the idea of a small halt. Some photos: A Claud passes the cottage with a train for Heacham. Another Claud brings in a short 1 coach local. Some shots of a J15 bringing the afternoon freight for the branch past the cottage and through the junction. Two wagons after being dropped off in the siding, including an arty-farty B/W shot. And finally, a some shots of the overall scene from a viewing perspective. Needs a lot more work! I'm pondering a location change - I would love to move the layout to the fens, but I think space precludes me building in a fen drain and windmill. I need to have a think about the view blocker on the r/h side of the layout, and there isn't much space to work with. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear! Finally, i've also been dabbling with some ballasting as you can see in the above photos - I used the Chris Nevard method with some DAS modelling clay to do the siding. I'm very pleased with it and love the effect, I just need to get hold of some matt emulsion tester pots to finish it off. I've also bought some of the legacy/DCC Concepts 2mm brown blend ballast, and tested it by putting it loose onto a bit of track and brushing into place. Again, I like the lightweight look of it, and I think it'll look even better once its been toned down and the sleepers and chairs picked out. Hopefully I'll get some ballast down tonight and tomorrow. Lets see!

I really like the look of this. Looking forward to seeing more!

Not much to report recently unfortunately. I've been very busy with work during March, doing courses and in London a lot of the time, and money has been tight. However it has given me lots of time to think about the layout and get some inspiration. I'm desperate to get something running properly so I can crack on with scenics and developing the layout, so I've plumped for a simple and cheap solution for now. I've ordered some Ikea Lack shelves which will act as fiddle yards. These will be fixed with clasp locks for alignment and supported by Wickes trestles which I already have. The downside of this is that I will only be able to have a few engines in steam at any one time - like most of us do, I have more stock than a layout this size requires! Over the summer I will build proper fiddle yards and cassettes with ply so I can use more stock during an operating session and have variety. I'm also pondering putting in a station after all - the premise was that it was a junction in the middle of nowhere, but a small timber halt about a coach long really appeals - the lefthand platform ramp could allow passenger access to a road with a level crossing towards the left hand side of the scene with some kind of building in the foreground to act as a view blocker for trains exiting. The siding at the front of the layout would be cut back by about 15cm if I do this, but it's something I'm seriously considering. Hopefully there will be progress next weekend - watch this space.

I bought a copy this morning from WHSmith at Norwich station. Orford is so atmospheric, and those GE 6-wheelers in Stratford Brown are exquisite. I liked the article on improving RTR wagons too. More editions like that please!

That’s a shame. Hopefully we’ll hear something from them soon!

Indeed, £87 in the current market is a steal. I have the sound version on order from Rails for £170. That’s not much more than some manufacturers charge for standard releases.

Was there any news about this at Ally Pally? Having seen an EP not long ago we should be seeing some decorated versions soon shouldn’t we? Not a nag, just genuinely excited to get mine!