brylonscamel

The first of these appear to be of North British design from Dumbartonshire and are built in 4mm ..

The absence of any updates or photography since the summer has reflected mostly on the number of projects that I've been trying to finish. Not least amongst those have been some brick signal boxes that found their way onto the workbench. There's been much playing about with laser-cutting as both designs seemed good test pieces for using more machine-cut components alongside my usual materials.

... marvellous progress Nigel but isn't it lacking a station building?

It was sad that images were lost as captions have become rather lifeless without them. I have plenty of the originals here but I don't have the time to reconstruct the posts. I'm glad you grabbed copies for your own reference and hope they provide a bit of inspiration.

I did have a landscape photo that I used for inspiration but I can't find it amongst my files.

Going, Going, Gone ... The sun sets on "Caledonian Basin" as I'm delighted to say it has a new home. It will be great to hand the diorama on as its new owner has plans to breathe life into the model, giving it the opportunity to function as part of a railway. I loved building it and hope it continues to evolve.

A Taste of Fife (with a bit of Aberdeenshire thrown in!) Various scratch-built buildings - featuring my 'signature' clay scribing are plonked here behind the little coastal diorama to create a sense of the Fife coast.

A view down the length of my 'Aboyne-esque' station building for Dad's 'Braeside' layout. The turret roofs need their slates - a job that keeps taunting me. Knowing how much of a fiddle it was, when I made the turret roof for the distillery office. This time, I will make a casting of it - providing a ready-to-plonk version for the future.

I know exactly how you feel. There was a local bicycle shop that had a similar "Era 3" feel to it. I used to love going there and peering around the workshop at the lathes, pillar drills and tools festooning the walls. The chap who ran it was already semi-retired and kept unpredictable hours. Most times you needed to ring the doorbell to the flat and he would come out and fix your bike. I once showed interest in the B&W photos of riders on one wall (they looked like ancient images to my eyes). Turns out he had been a demon at the local club races! Needless to say my bike was always handed back in top fettle.

Open for business .. 'Michies Garage' found it's way to Dad's Braeside layout and has found a home where the overbridge crosses the railway. They mostly serve the local area but occasional visitors arrive from south-of-the-border, asking for "Mr Mitchy". The owner Gordon Michie arches a weary eyebrow as he goes to recover their car.

This long view, takes in the running lines, both gantries and the distillery, currently the most scenically complete section of the layout.

This gantry controls the down line past the distillery ..

If in doubt, ask an expert My weak spot is the operational side of the railway. When I chased trains around the country as a youth, I was preoccupied with motive power and had my head in timetables and shed allocation books. The more raucous or rare the loco, the happier I was. I didn't have my head in signalling manuals! I need help with things like signalling and reached out to someone who works signalling the real railway. Armed with a signalling diagram, I should be able to site signals to a plan. The diagram suggested signal bridges would help in a couple of places. I was dead keen on the idea as as they lend proper railway elegance to the scene.

Delivery Boy! A big part of leaving 'Metcalfeshire' was honouring my pledge to replace all the buildings and update the scenery to reflect something of Aberdeenshire and the Scottish east coast. I'm really happy that I was able to make good on my promise last weekend with the last of the buildings delivered The complete list of new scratch-built architecture: A 'highland' distillery - inspired by 'The Ardmore' at Kennethmont Distillery office - based on one at Aberlour Station buildings - based on Aboyne Engine shed - a cut down version of a Caledonian shed Signal Boxes - inspired by example at Stonehaven and Dyce Harbourside buildings - based on a style typical of the East Neuk of Fife Small domestic buildings - based on 'but & ben' style cottages from the north-east Large domestic buildings - granite tenements (likely to be replaced with smaller buildings from Aboyne or Inverurie) A commercial car garage - inspiration from 'Allan & Blacks' at Aboyne Stone and girder road bridge - freelanced from an example in southern Scotland

It won't be long before we can welcome rail passengers to Braeside again!

Anyone fancy a trip to the Fife coast? Yeah, me too but I'll have to make do with taking a waterside paddle in my miniature version. These are the buildings I have just finished that populate the harbourside corner of Dad's layout ..

Not forgetting the little task of finishing my take on the Aberdeen granite railway palace that is Aboyne. The difference in textures that I tried to achieve whilst carving the clay is nicely picked out with a brush.

I'll bear that in mind if I ever need to construct a bizarre model-maker's man cave!

Lots of angles on the garage scene. l raided the spares bin for lots of the details, ordering some specifically for the garage interior ..

When you said "The BSA .. is one of mine" I assumed the image would be of something about 8mm high - not a beautiful 1:1 scale motorcycle! PS The 'Beach Garage' has similar proportions to 'Michie's Motors' - it seems to be a typical UK garage style.

To my shame, I had to look up the name - but I was aware of the ground-breaking model 'Madder Valley'

I even had an excuse, having pinched 'Aboyne' as subject for my station buildings. There, tantalisingly in the background of period photos was "Allan & Blacks Station Garage'. Dad is keen on cars, so it gives a perfect excuse for a rotating cast of vehicles out front! I suspect this is the case for lots of modellers - does that include you?

Gosh! It didn't take long before the garage acquired the patina of use. I also used my new budget laser-printer to knock up some paper signs, both the garage name and some vintage automotive ones. I'm thrilled at the result, with lots more custom-designed signage possible.

Quicker than a Kwik Fit fitter? I just knocked up a vehicle garage, based loosely on one that used to sit by the station at Aboyne. It'll give somewhere for Dad to set some period vehicles and create a working garage, with all the usual paraphernalia; fuel pumps, tyres, signage, oil drums, things under tarpaulins and other tat!

Cheers Lez .. I'm on the home run with the station buildings - the canopies are another matter! Here are the two buildings alongside each other, as they will be when fitted to the platforms ..