In my absence from this page there has been a few changes. Firstly, I left my job! Woohooo or more likely, it's left me! still woohoo!
Secondly, Peter Capaldi! Woohooo! he's amazing isn't he, with his total change on that nicey nice Doctor in Doctor Who which was beginning to irritate the bollocks off of me. I really think it's in safe hands. Even the episodes which seem weaker than most it's still really good and watchable. He suits Moffat's writing more, IMO.
Thirdly, I'm starting university! WOOHOOO! though I am crapping myself. PLRM, that's what they call my course, What it means, who knows! I joke, it's Performance for Live and Recorded Media which fits in nicely with my performance experience. It's something I wish to go into further and make a career out of.
Fourth, and finally, I've started smoking! WOO...oh...not good. It's an addictive process which can possibly lead to me talking through a voice box and carrying an respirator by this time next year. God, I hope not. It's a good coping mechanism though as there have been a few trials and tribulations in the past year.
But this is not why we are here is it? No, so onto another form of addiction; train talk.
This blog is just a catch up of my recent updates from my previous post.
I you may have witnessed in my previous installments of the saga known as my modelling you may have noticed that I was building a B1 and restoring (of sorts) a Hornby-Dublo breakdown crane. Well, they're done, completed, finito...
The gears were just some parts I found in the local model shops designed for Servos and the likes for radio control boats and planes. They're handy for breakdown cranes too ;)
This is the completed article, the full breakdown train. In addition to the crane and support wagons themselves, I have added a repainted and modify rake of wagons and coaches from about 4 generations of Hornby stock.
The stock includes a Palethorpes sausage van; a heavily modify Gresley teak with side doors haphazardly added (as per prototype), one of the old Clerestory coaches, and a 12t van. They have been modify in various different areas including underframes, roofs, brake and steam heat pipes and a full repaint into the appropriate black for the 50'-early 60's.
Also completed was my beloved B1 "Nyala". Now weathered and with a crew.
She's a canny puller too. So far no problems at exhibitions (unlike the ruddy sulphate train and tanker trains).
Finally, to top it off, a Mucky Duck. My second one, and it's 43050 which is another local Ivatt 4MT.
Away from my previous efforts, I have refrained from the normally heavier weathering which these beasts were accustom to.
All of the weathering here is my usual mix was block painting the uncleaned areas (chassis frame, smokebox, roof, tender top and interior etc) with a humbrol 62 - 33 mix. I then washed the whole thing over in humbrol 33, 29, 113 and 27004 before wiping most of it away from the "cleaned" area with a cotton bud lightly soaked in white spirit. The rust and ash stains around the smoke box where done with WHSmith artist pencils that were applied then lightly dabbed at with a cotton bud dipped in water. Sofar... good effort. I now have six complete trains (although some need some refining work to get them to run.)
I'm now going to sit back and enjoy Nightbreed radio for a bit and fill my lung with cancer causing chemicals before life calls upon me once more. See you lot in another six months!
For anyone who likes Goth and Alternative music, please do follow this link Nightbreed Radio
