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Although I haven't yet seen a physical copy, I can confirm that there are eight pages of Central Alonzo as Railway of the Month in the September issue of Continental Modeller....

One compromise I've had to do is actually finish things, instead of waiting for the off chance that a decisive photo of a loco might appear instead of working from one blurry end shot or another with the original logos patched over. I've also learnt that if you've modelled something obscure you need display boards to explain to the punters exactly what they are looking at, and even then for the one person who recognises it or has been there they'll be ten telling you something different or distracting you by saying how your 2'10" gauge Patagonian third rail Interurban relates to how many Triang Brake vans they have...

After an hour of watching the C4 Formula E coverage which ended just as soon as they started racing proper, I thought the F1 was going to be eventful- especially when Lee Mackenzie said "we've got a lot to get through". But all I saw was 1.5 very fast Williams still finishing at the back and some kid arguing with everyone who came on his radio. I hope it doesn't affect his mindset during the summer break too much. Very fitting interview with Pierre Gasly and nice to see LH and Mercedes getting fastest lap.

I dithered over a Rapido Hunslet because although they were producing a Beatrice, daughter of the same name didn't like being a dirty colliery engine so when they announced the green livery in the second batch I ordered one. Yes I could have brought one and repainted it, but this for me is incidental modelling where I haven't got the time to waste and want quick results over an indeterminate timeframe. In theory the Locomotion ES1 Steeplecab should have been a guaranteed sale having previously brought the kit but sold it for the same reason as above, but the pantograph wasn't convincing for the price,so I'll have to wait until they are either priced as a bargain or sold by those having a clear out of display case models. Or perhaps I'll gain gratification from all the Tyneside quay layouts being built to be exhibited.

Project#3 is indeed a Bachmann 44 tonner, originally painted plain silver in 2014 but stalled because of a lack of information regarding the red stripes- I basically had an end view in b/w in a background shot. I've since seen a side view without lettering and a front quarter with it patched so still aren't exactly sure where the Hershey lettering and numbers went. I'm not sure which version it is and how it relates to Rapido's proposed range but I had to chop the twin headlights from a 70 tonner and still haven't refitted the doors. The stripes were masked using 2.4mm strips cut from Tamiya masking tape and sprayed using a mix of slightly faded Tamiya red so they aren't as faded as the NSE red I'd originally used- at times I wondered whether it would have been easier to produce these as a decal as despite using the trick of sealing them with clear varnish there was still quite a lot of bleeding underneath that needed cleaning up and painting over. It has a DCC Concepts Zen black decoder and Digitrax stay alive that fits in one of the hoods. Having lights isn't really important but I did manage to fit square SMD LEDs on stalks into the original bulb mounts making it fairly easy to swap bodies if needed. Despite my first proper US loco purchase being one of these I've previously only used them for their chassis so it makes a change to be able to complete one. I've already tried it on the mixed local...

#2 is another Bachmann 70 tonner numbered 15 (the other being 14), I originally painted and decaled it in 2014 and and use it for switching and the mixed local on the unelectrified branch to Jaruco, but the home printed Hershey lettering was starting to blur. In theory it should have been a quick job to strip and re-apply the lettering, but having redone the artwork but something didn't tie-in with the spacing. It took me a while to realise using recently acquired images that I had originally followed the Bachmann grills based on blurry images when painting the red stripes and these are too long, and so the letters are bunched up instead of one per bodyside door. It's fairly easy to correct but I'd need more black decals and a chopped up body to basically move the doors forward so there are two plain ones in the middle. The Bachmann 70 tonner body is definitely showing it's age and although they run well with a good decoder, they aren't as well detailed as the 44 tonner that Rapido have announced so if I do start again you can guarantee that a manufacturer will release a new one as soon as I've finished....

A tale of three switchers, the first being a plain yellow Bachmann 70 tonner that is now wearing the name of another nearby Central whilst on loan from General Electric. I don't think they will be keeping it because it has the standard chassis and factory decoder which is dire. I filled sheet up with decals for other Cuban and US projects and John at Precision Labels printed and posted it in super quick time. The Hershey brought two 44 tonners (16 and 17) and two 70 tonners (14 & 15) in the early 1950s, they survived as FCdeC stock but eventually succumbed to a lack of spares.

An atmospheric image from last weekend of a moonlight run in Yakima with 298 and a Brill Master Unit on Pine St.

At the risk of saying "no use for me", is there a case in the future for modelling them in 1:120 or 1:160 to match continental scales? With more class 86s currently being exported and the current operators saying their existing fleets have at least another ten years life left there is a danger that their second life in eastern Europe might be longer than their first in the UK. Nice to see the proper roof details being modelled on 101, I believe this is a first for any commercial model.

@TEAMYAKIMA Interesting editorial in the August edition of Continental Modeller, basically lamenting the loss of Globalrail and the European Railway Society shows, and highlighting the problem of trying to find a willing and skilled exhibition manager and assistants to volunteer their spare time to organise such an event. I'm not sure what the solution is in the current era, apart from to promote good modelling and exhibition standards and possibly try to commit to more than two or three shows a year.

I've added additional detail to the crane rails and given it a quick rattlecan primer paint job between rain showers. Once fitted it certainly looks like it belongs in place and passes the test that the area looks empty once removed. I'll finish painting it the next time I have the airbrush out.

If you can't bring the eyes up to the layout height, then bring the layout down to their eye level...: Obviously wheelchair users are also in need of a good view and it's fun to confuse people now that I can alter the height with a remote control, but this was probably one of my stupider ideas....

I've also had a nice surprise today thanks to Continental Modeller, but it wouldn't be appropriate to mention it for another month....

Messing around with some Plastruct and York Modelmaking N gauge trusses to make an open sided loco servicing shed as inspired by an article in RMC as sent to me by @doctor quinn about ten years ago (I knew it would come in handy one day). The horizontal beams are for a travelling crane, I probably still need to add some to the sides and am thinking about how much more cladding to add (or remove according). At least if it is too tall I can cut it down...

ATR72 G-CMMK at Birmingham last Saturday on the occasion of our 14 and 10yr olds first flight and they were both remarkably relaxed about it all. We were going to Belfast for the weekend because Mrs 298 wanted to visit Ikea. My verdict? It's like a gutless Q400... (The nose looks a bit funny because I edited some people out of the image in accordance with the Airline's photography rule). Voyager ZZ343 on stand at Birmingham on our return last Sunday from another AT76, we had to do a tour of Walsall before landing due to it...

Certainly for DC, DCC can be less constrained but the belt and braces method would be the same. In theory it only needs to be as long as the length between the vehicles with pickups (such as the combined length of a double header or top and tail formation, as you can mitigate against individual vehicles bridging the gap by using insulated rail joiners with a raised section so metal wheelsets can't bridge the gap.

I went round Laira on an official permit on a school trip in 1987- despite their reputation once official they were really accommodating with cab visits and offered to run TOPS searches. Probably having a persuasive Teacher from Yorkshire helped with other depots and once you showed them a permit for an official depot then unofficial tours rarely seemed to be a problem. I remember Barrow Hill asked for a donation to the Cat food fund and Allerton sold enamelled badges. Willesden was the only one deemed to be impossible and we were never in the area to go round March.

Whilst on the Interurbans theme, last week I was sent a video of Brill Master Unit 21 running on Pine St in Yakima WA, prior to the Electric Railroaders Association visit last weekend. This car has been out of service for a long time, certainly before I first went to Yakima in 2002.

Which year? A quick Google search found this: http://www.trainweb.org/rews/diagrams/locodiag.htm

Like Verstappen does? Did his retribution go unpunished? If drivers are allowed to do that then they might as well fit bull bars and ram any cars for whom they feel need to be reprimanded. A bit like Death Race 2000, but in more of a dystopian future where a yukky energy drink runs the earth. I quite like the idea of a drop in power or loss of DRS, and it'd be interesting to see how the boffins find a way around it...

He certainly didn't during SQ1 when he deliberately impeded Hamilton in a revenge move for something Toto has admitted was a failure in communication on the teams part to notify their driver. I'm surprised the Stewards took no notice of either incident...

I could have done with one of those vans as a new garden shed....

Is this also a paved section? My small fleet generally had quite raised keeper plates with plenty of clearance but visiting locos on my street running modules would ground on bumps in the four foot. Being foam meant it was difficult to sand and would expand slightly, and the only place to move was up.

I will be taking my Hershey Cuba inspired layout called Central Alonzo Mill to the Stafford Show for it's second exhibition appearance. Continental Modeller have the article and it will appear in the September issue as support.

Bit of a strange visitor to Alonzo Mill, in the sense that I haven't run my Rapido GMD-1 since deciding to focus on 1950s Hershey. If I build enough stock for the later era then this will run with the Budd railcar and a couple of Boxcar Coaches that the Steeplecabs also pulled.