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A shock today, went to the boomerang dept at B and Q and actually found three bits of 12x34mm batten from the same pack that were straight! These will be the supports for Kensington High Street, Holland Rd, Warwick Rd and the bridges, after I check the clearance. The roadways are 5mm ply these were to B and Q’s usual standard, but when screwed to the battens will be OK. I’ve made a start on 25083. This will be my fifth class 25 for moving the Motorail trains and some cross London freights. 25083 was one of only 5 boiler fitted class 25/3’s which means I won’t have to alter the underframe details from the Farish Model. I’ll post some pictures later.

Excellent stuff.

These are very nice, what did you use for chassis....extended Peco one? These are my scratchbuilt ones, Fleischmann chassis scatchbuilt body and using etched vents from Etched pixels / Ultima.

I have seen these before. They look very good but with all the extras required expensive as none of the bits are available in the UK, which is a shame. There aren’t any 2 axle ferry vehicles in OO except the former Triang BR Ferry van. We might be waiting a long time for anything in 1/148.

Modelbahn Union have issued a second ferry van....this time losing a bit in translation a “ferry boat cooling wagon”.....a refrigerated van but just post WW2 as its epoch III. https://www.en.dm-toys.de/produktdetails/items/MU_N-G56003.html They have previously issued a more modern DB ventilated ferry van which sold out very quickly...so much so I didn’t manage to get one....hopefully there will be a second issue. https://www.en.dm-toys.de/produktdetails/items/MU_N-G66001.html Although to 1/160 this might be a bit of a trend starting.

I knew you’d spot that.....what took you so long!

After a day off from doing any modelling yesterday I managing to get the Canal tunnel at Kings Cross marked off at the second attempt enroute to another 'Control' reunion at The Garland in Redhill and a few pints of Harveys best supped with friends................................... The balcony rails are now installed .

Got the top floor balconies added today and the last interior floors added....so other than some roof details the building is finished. Next project will be to complete the Interfrigo van and make a start on the roads and bridge at the south end of Olympia. Photo to follow......

They don’t do anything suitable either.

Some further progress with n scale buildings for Kensington Olympia. This is the Royal Kensington Hotel and Bristol Cars showroom alongside its next door neighbour the Trans World Airlines terminal building. This block sits between Russell Rd and Holland Rd on Kensington High St and are real buildings although they have been shrunk to fit and simplified a bit. The layout is based in 1980. the combined buildings are approx 12 x 16 inches in size.

All the windows and interior sets are now installed.............the TWA building will start to get some interiors next. The only thing to add to the Hotel now are the top floor balcony rails and some roof bits. Looks like I need to re-stick some of the brick paper too. Blow ups are so cruel.

I got some very fine generic etched grills at the York exhibition I’ll let you know how I get on with it.

Some ground floor details being added which need to go in before the glazing and next floor are attached. The left hand one is the foyer lounge for the Hotel and yet to be started reception for the car showroom. The right hand one is the car showroom! The car is a card kit from the Papermau website of yer actual Bristol Car......not sure which model. I've reduced it to be about 16ft long and printed it out on photo paper and assembled it. The figures are to hide the obvious issues with making it in card so small. The flooring for both is a marble tile from the internet just repeated as a pattern.....it is there the photo has washed it out. The backgrounds ditto and just printed on to photo paper. Tables and chairs I think are some spare Faller ones, people are Merten and Faller. Signage is produced on word and printed on to photo paper.

Just one picture of the latest building today....well at the moment.... Bay windows all added, glazed and curtained and populated...........I've since added the top floor windows and ground floor floors and walls, plus the signage. I'll hopefully get some pictures posted later. Below are the few trinkets I acquired at the York show yesterday.

Another weekend another Model Railway show. York was very good once again, plenty of N Gauge and good layouts at that, especially Heworth Sidings and St Ruth, based on Penzance and 2mm FS. Bought some bits and bobs including some fine etched grills that might work for my class 25 conversion. Pictures tomorrow.

All the rest of the windows in the bays were cut out today and glazed. I’ll add the window frames and curtains tomorrow prior to gluing everything in place. This will leave me with the signage, windows and doors etc for the ground floor. Signs have already been printed off. Pictures to follow.............

Motorail trains were in general VERY long, with trailing loads varying with the peak seasons. The shortest train that I know of was the Brockenhurst / Dover to Stirling two near identical portions attached at Kensington Olympia and of course split there southbound. https://flic.kr/p/eqaZfs This photo from John Dedman on the Flickr site shows BSO FK SLS SLS then 6 Carflats. The train would be double that length from Olympia. I have working timetables for many years on the West London Line and I think the maximum load for this train was 23 vehicles. Passengers had there own compartment for each car so a FK would be worth 7 cars, roughly one and a half carflat loads. For my Olympia layout I’m going to try and keep the trains to 4 passenger cars and 6 Carflats. I currently have 25 Mk1 Carflats, about 6 GUVs and 4 Newton Chambers car carriers.

I’ve been a few times over the years it’s a very good show if a little cramped in places.

Day trains the accommodation was usually Mk1 FKs with a brake vehicle for the guard, often a BSO. Later some Mk2 FK sets were made up often with a Mk2 BFK. I have quite a lot of Motorail images on my website http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/f56164866 When Motorail trains conveyed a catering vehicle most photos show an RB or RMB. the Nightcap bar has also been used. Overnight trains were usually Second class sleepers and first class seated coaches. Mk1 Carflats had a 90mph limit, same as the GUVs. Later GUVs fitted with Commonwealth or B5 bogies has a 100mph limit. There is also a useful Flickr site for Motorail https://www.flickr.com/groups/2259775@N23/pool/

After having been to a Langthornes Buffalo produce today and had the meatyist beef pie known to mankind and chips for lunch I can barely move....but I have just managed to get the first of the bays constructed and glazed too. As usual there will be curtains to add before its permanently fitted. York Model Railway Show at the weekend and I do have a pass out to go....probably Saturday.

Mine arrived today too...looks like another good read, thank you Grahame.......and I will find the couple of articles I have for the journal and email you them shortly.

Poundworld have 60ml UHU all purpose adhesive for amazingly a pound!......well at least the Harrogate branch did.

Sister in law had arranged a charity Gin tasting evening. She is one of the managers there.. 6 gins almost no tonic.

Prior to a evening session Gin Tasting at Bettys in Harrogate tonight I thought I'd get a bit more done to the Bristol Cars showroom / Hotel.........well better than doing work after the Gin tasting! A couple of pictures showing progress. All the sides to the bays have been added and the roof has been made but not attached as it will be easier to glaze the top floor with the roof off. The roof of each block of bays is wider as it acts as a balcony for the top floor. This has glass sides. i will need to make some of the windows on the top floor into doors otherwise no one will be able to get out. A face on view of 380 and 368 Kensington High Street. Looking on the Bristol Cars website today I see that they have rebranded the showroom using signage that looks like its off a K type bus........but bigger!

The PC went and downloaded windows 10 when it was left running overnight some months back.....to do a full virus scan, couldn’t get rid of it afterwards.