Aberbrothock

J37 beginning to look "the biz", with buffers, coal, numbering, etc. Probably some way to go yet, including some judicious weathering. It's bound to look a bit more at home once it is on the layout, particularly with a few wagons going along for the ride...........

J37 progressing......... First shots in black - buffers and red buffer beams to come, of course, plus numbering, etc., etc.

Nearing completion is this DMR kit for a J37, destined to become 64602 from a nice photo of it travelling from Dundee to Montrose in June 1966. Some tidying to do, plus painting and adding buffers and probably crew......... Might be a companion to the J36 when it comes out?

"The engine that came in from the cold". The snowy weather has the benefit that being effectively housebound you can get on with construction work....... The J37 tender is looking more complete and still needs detail castings to finish its basic construction, but looks not bad so far. (The loco was temporarily placed on its chassis for the pic - won't be like that when completed!).

My layout is securely screwed in to the walls and floor of the loft, and has lots of wiring running in long runs along the front, sides and underneath the baseboards, and many of the points and signals are controlled by wires in tubes, with some runs up to about 12' in old money - so it ain't moving! The layout at Perth will be the Dundee MRC layout of the current scene at Arbroath which replicates some of the buildings on my layout, but is quite different overall - and is portable! It also catches the Arbroath atmosphere very well.

J37 progressing............(no captions, as they're self-explanatory). Think I'll buy a can of matt black spray paint to do the final coats, once the tender is done, that is!

You're correct about the yellow tinge - I replaced a fluorescent tube a couple of months ago and bought a warm white instead of a "cool" white, hence the yellowing. Great to see the more natural colour and the much better sky background - I really must add the International Backscenes sky paper I've had "in stock" for ages - you're giving me more work!

Or to put it another way............. Feels a bit less askew.

Progressing with the J37 - chassis pretty well complete apart from painting - footplate test fitted to check clearances and seems all right. I'm following Tony Wright's hint to do the superstructure above the footplate before adding the valances below - we'll see how that goes....... The braking system looks OK as well, I think.

Back on the tracks with the latest project - a DMR kit for a J37, a very reliable and long-lived NB loco, much in evidence on the lines between Dundee and Montrose, Brechin and Inverbervie. The original champing at the bit ready for its next duty. Frames cut out and wheel bearings fitted. attachment=960651:DSCF5610.jpg] Frames soldered up and wheels test fitted. Brake hanger rods fitted and chassis internally painted. Look at the date on DMR's delivery letter - Nov.2004............... Lots of work still to do!

In the same vein - two pics at Arbroath, under the canopies..........

Dug out a photo taken in 1973 of my own Morris 1000 in Colvill Place looking along to St Thomas's RC church with a couple from the layout with the Langley kit car in about the same position - the lack of depth in the (very) low-relief houses does show up a bit, but the inevitable seagull swooping by looks quite at home.......... There are actually two prints, and I haven't camouflaged the join, but you can see the idea! Now I have to decide whether to make up a kit of cut out parts for 3 (!) signal boxes for various places on the layout or tackle a DMR J37 which I've been putting off for zz years - watch this space for developments..........

Keptie Street in Arbroath with a re-enactment of the Borrowers film in which all of the traffic seemed to be Morris 1000's. The GPO vans and the lighter Traveller are Oxford Diecast, and the other Traveller and the brown saloon are from Langley kits just completed over the festive period. Very sunny weather in St Andrews today, hence the bright light in the left background. You can almost feel the cars bumping over the cobbled street surface............. As the adverts used to say "Another Morris!"

Planted some grass and added stones to the wall above the gullet - no passing trains though - shouldn't have chosen a Bank Holiday...............

Thought it was time to add the railing beside Swan Office Supplies to allow safer access to the rear of the premises, and also have added a gable end on the near side of the cutting which has a nice lean-to greenhouse on its south wall - I should add a couple on the bench seat enjoying the view........... Some ornamental trees have also appeared on the garden next door, although the separating wall has yet to be built - one thing always leads to another! (I've also added railings on the near side at the Station Bar "garden" - they are more difficult to photograph - but I know they are there!)

Many thanks Les And all the best to all of you and yours! Happy modelling. Ken

Sorry, wrong caption, actually a Forfar Arbroath local service passing the loco coaling stage.

Arbroath townscape. Getting there...........

Another little tour round the layout............. Two shots of the coaling stage with a train arriving from the Forfar line. J39 on the turntable and Guthrie Port above, with the Angus Bar on the right and the other buildings showing Arbroath's former industrial scene. General view of the station buildings and the townscape beyond.

While we're on an industrial theme, here's Wellgate, Arbroath in the 'sixties between trains.

Thanks Keefer Unless you really think about it, you don't realise just how much you need to include to get the "full" picture of the railway and its surroundings. Thankfully the main "to do" list is getting much shorter - famous last words! Ken / Aberbrothock

Some nice light coming into the loft today and so I took some sneaky peeks across the island platform to platform 2 to view the waiting passengers. There are probably photographic dodges that can be done to get all in focus, but I like the idea of a fuzzy frame to these shots - hope you do too.......... The camera always accentuates nasties like the space at ground level, must do a "fill-in" at some point.

Out and about in Arbroath yesterday with the black and white camera, leading to a "streetview" of the roads crossing the railway at various points. 1 Victoria Street. Colvill Place. Keptie Street. Wellgate. Guthrie Port. Those were the days...........

Hi Les Just a bit sad because I tend to focus my time on the magnum opus , but I do have a life away from Arbroath in miniature.......... Kind regards Ken

Princes Street, Arbroath in the 1960's - the railway is there - down below in the cutting!