Adrian Stevenson

They are superb!

Hi George, lol, I am still awaiting the 517 class 0-4-2 tank engine kit being reproduced from MM1. Hi Phil, it was great to meet up! Hi Guys, had a whole day in the cabin today. I have started doing the pathways at the side of the track leading down from the station platform to the cattle dock. The second path will be on the opposite side of the track leading down to the engine shed. I reckon these may have been made from ash. So this morning I took some ash from the fire and tried this. It is very fine. I might given it another coat once dry. Weathered up the log built station coal store and added the coal. Just need to add the door catch and hinges now. Did a very thin wash of black to the ballast done last week as a trial, but it will need much more. Also done about 5 foot of ballasting. Got the wartime austerity livery B set out and coupled this to the Pannier tank and had a running session with this. So a good day in all. Cheers, Ade.

Had a good day out at Kettering today and had the pleasure of meeting O Gauge Phil and Shez from the forum for the first time. Had a good chat with Mike B too. I was really good and actually bought nothing ( I could have spent thousands! LOL) But I have enough work to proceed with. Hopefully more ballasting will get done tomorrow. Cheers, Ade.

Thanks for the link Phil. There are some nice picture there. Cheers, Ade.

Hi Mike, I noticed that LOL! Yes, I will be at the show, but full of cold. Cheers, Ade.

I have got my ticket booked.

Hi Guys, we had a stunning Royal Flying Corps group come into work a few weeks ago. This week I did an interview about the group on Forces network: https://www.forces.net/news/stunning-collection-wwi-raf-pilots-belongings-go-auction Today the story got better as a photo of him taken pre war has come to light. They were a wealthy family, his Dad had a car in 1915. It goes under the hammer in two weeks time. They also covered a first day of the Somme Diary which I discovered . Which can be seen here: https://www.forces.net/news/wwi-soldiers-battle-somme-diary-go-auction Cheers, Ade.

Hi Chris, thanks. I like to work as neatly as possible. I was really keen to ensure that the plastic web between each sleeper was fully covered. I applied it a tea spoonful at a time and used a paintbrush to brush it into place. The acid test of approval will come from my Brother in Law, he works on the railways laying track and ballast for a living. Cheers, Ade.

Hi George, thanks! I will have to see about Leigh show as at present I am down on the rotor to work on Saturday April 25th. I will see if I can do a swop? Cheers, Ade.

Hi Julian, yes it is. It is a great resource. Hi Barnaby, thanks! I look forwards to seeing your progress. Cheers, Ade.

Thanks Alan, unlike many, I actually enjoy doing ballasting. I have some ariel photos of the main line and looks pretty filthy where the locomotives stood. I have been taking photos at a few preserved lines last year for inspiration. Cheers, Ade.

Hi Guys, thanks for the kind comments as ever. Hi Julian, the pannier driver is a "mini me" from Modelu. More progress this afternoon. I have laid the ballast on the first 6 foot of track. (The photos are not great being done with the floodlamp.) Cheers, Ade.

A few more pics from yesterday. The Dapol Pannier has had the BR smokebox number plate and shed plate removed. It had bugged me since I bought it being wrong for a GWR loco, but ok for early BR. I may now re-number it and add the numbers to the bufferbeams. It will then need weathering afterwards of course. Bought my ticket ready for Kettering next weekend, so looking forwards to that. Cheers, Ade.

Yesterday I got all the track sprayed up with Railmatch Sleeper Grime. Cleaned off the tops of the rails and then ran a few goods trains. Cheers, Ade.

Hi Mike, I have installed my first one, but not wired it up yet. Cheers, Ade.

That looks very effective.

Today I got the rest of wiring done. Pleased to report everything is now working fine. Had a good running session! I can now start to think about point motors. Cheers, Ade.

Hi Richard, thanks for the thoughts about these. I have a lot of careful planning to do for the last baseboard and the cassettes. This weekend I am in work on Saturday, so only Sunday free to carry on with the layout. Cheers, Ade.

Hi Julian, coming along OK, last weekend started the wiring, but made a school boy error and added a dropper to the wrong line making a short circuit. When are you going to start with the ballast? You look pretty close to doing that part. Cheers, Ade.

They have done a nice job on them for you.

My first layout was a roundy roundy in the spare little bedroom. Dad built the baseboards around the room and cut the bedroom door in half so you entered in like a stable door and you emerged into the middle of the baseboards. OO Gauge and a mixture of Tri-ang Hornby and the odd bit of Wrenn. GWR themed with card buildings. Sadly no pictures survive. Cheers, Ade.

Hi Andy, I am liking the new sidings. I have a spare bit of track you can have to finish off your new improved sidings. I am in work on Saturday. But free Sunday if you want to pop around and pick it up? Cheers, Ade.

Hi Steve, great to have you back. Re your personal situation, been there done that (did not even get the T Shirt, she had that too LOL) Cheers, Ade.

Hi Barnaby, thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Hi Guys, had advice by PM too, again thanks. So after a truly lousy day at work, I came home and went down to the shed tonight after tea. Pulled up the point, no offending wires, but managed to break the frog wire... So rigged the point up to a bit of track, added power and it worked ok. Checked down the bus wires and found I had put a black dropper wire on the red line.... Cut it off and now works fine. Sackcloth and ashes time..... Cheers, Ade.

Very nice indeed.