westerner

Almost there. Signage to do, if I do it, and then wing mirrors and then some weathering, and I suspect a bit more touching up. The flush glazing was a pain as my hands don't work too well so unfortunately there is some glue on the glazing, and I dropped the chassis and broke the rear back axle on part of the wheel. Some brass tube was used to make the repair and some plasticrdtube to do the broken wheel hub. and then covered with paint and when I weather some Forest mud.

Some slow progress on the Morris Front now nearly finished, sidelights added grill painted. the two black things sticking out of the blue foam are the wing mirrors which will be the very last things fitted. some slight touching up to do on the side of the grill only revealed in the photo.

I hope the Bismarck is not around or they might be more than bent like a banana.

Good to see you showing the layout on here Geoff. Excellent as always.

Don't forget I'm modelling the early to mid sixties so I am thinking that winkers might by then be compulsory.

Van body now painted in Frank Drake's colours ie Tamiya Sky Blue. Th blue rod/tube which you can see in the second photo is to house the side lights and winkers and rear lights which will be pin heads. You may notice that the gear lever has been shortened. I do seem to remember that gear levers were far taller than they are now. The grill I'm not sure about, some were chrome but others were just painted black. So a choice Bare metal foil (chrome) Paint it silver (more aluminium type finish or just paint it black

Taking advantage of being indoors due to inclement weather I've started on the Morris van. Friday it was given a good scrub and yesterday it was primed. Today the painting started, chassis, inside of body, roof, wheels and bits for the cabin.

I really do seem to have got my mojo back as a new kit arrived through the post on Wednesday morning, (by the way excellent service from David Parkins, ordered at 11.am on Monday and arrived at 9.00am Wed.) David has taken over quite a bit of Adrian Swains kits including the old Bob Barlow Classic Commercial kits. I decided it was time for Frank drake to have a smaller vehicle ie a van to deliver smaller items that need a bit more protection than a flat bed. Hence I ordered the Morris Commercial PV 15cwt van. The kit looks good with excellent castings and resin body and chassis, Almost no flash in fact none to speak of. Some pics of the kit. and the instruction seem to be very good. Looking forward to building it. I'll keep you informed of progress.

Stunning

Ben's been visiting again.

As an aside from boredom my latest effort at a Parkside O gauge kit, a double bolster with s ome tree trunks of a tropial hardwood destined for Forest Furniture Bespoke cabinet makers. Logs in fact prunings from our Silver Birch

I seem to have been in the railway room a fair bit this week finishing off the double bolster wagon and giving it a load-------------------------------------------------------------- of tree trunks. Tropical hardwood heading for Forest Furniture/ In actul fact prunings form our Silver Birch. I also spent time at long last painting the fascia. For ages I was going to paint it the shade of brown I used on Louville Lane, but it was suggested to me on the GOG forum that brown was alright for an urban based layout but that gree might be more approbriate for a rural layout, and you can't get more rural than Blackney. However being a bit of a scrouge I was loathed to spent 20-30 pounds on a pot of paint of which I would barely use any. However a chance visit to Homebase , I found Heritage paints whose tester pots are actula 125ml tins of paint and in the velvet matt section as DH Grass Green the sort of colour I was after. As I thought I might need two coats I bought two tins for £8-00 and i still have half a tin left. Anyway the end result. I thinks as does the wife that it seems to bring the layout to life.

More work done chassis now completed with buffers and couplings added. Next will be painting and finishing off the bolsters, adding transfers and then weathering and adding the load. The thoughts I've had on the load are the pipes which come with the kit for work being done athe colliery or tree trunks for Forest Furniture (Trees not naturally occurring in the Forest.

More likely to the nearest landfill.

I see Misty is still not tied up. I know she's just about to depar

Forgot to mention yesterday that the kit was purchased at my local Norwich model shop, Great Eastern who carry all the the Parkside and Slaters O gauge wagon kits. Any way progress to date. Body done and other bits added and wheels painted.

Mojo seems to have returned, Yesterday I bought a Parkside/Peco wagon kit PS20 the double bolster kit. Anexcuse for using it is still ciculating through my head, any suggestions would be useful.

It seems a long time since I've posted anything. A lack of mojo I suppose. However two good friends visited today and we had a good old chat, even occassionally about model railways!. However in checking that the railway was running and checking out that Parliamentary Trains "Point Drop Stop" work, they do brilliantly ( Oh by the way excellent service, ordered by phone on Friday afternnon and arrived this morning, almost as far West to East you can get, St Davids to near Great Yarmouth) I discovered one of my Dapol minerals was de-railing, I thought at first it was the new Point Stoppers but upon checking back to backs it was the gauge on one of the pairs of wheels had reduced. A quick check with the back to back gauge to push them to the correct gauge and spot of superglue and now all is well. When I thought about I had has a similar problem with another Dapol mineral wagon. So if it happens to you, ie de-railing check the back to backs.

I think the scenic section was about 4ft 6ins. (taking the measurements of the full layout at a height of 54inches) and of course was built as a P4 layout.

Enjoy the day, Tom! Really enjoying the layout, and the stories.

A B&W photo (ala Ben Ashworth) of a new addition to Blackney, the wall and gates to the small Goods Yard.

Ben Ashworth has visited Blackney again.

At long last Frank Junior has lashed the crate to his lorry. so now perhaps deserves his cup of tea. Whilst I was there the railcar appeared so out with the camera again.

I think the walls are just about finished, Added some vegetation to the walls.

Photos as promised, still some work to do but the bulk of it is done.