For the love of it all.

For the love of building something, anything, you there, I'll build you! Yes go on, what could go wrong? I'm building my muscles - thanks to Shaun T. I hate Shaun T. like I hate my mother when she told me off. One of those hates where you'll thank them for it in the long run but you just can't help but want to tell them to fuck off. But sorry I'm digressing. So yes, what could go wrong?

Well, surprising a lot in all honesty. Yet despite professing that I completely and utterly Frank Spencered the hell of of it, this Dave Alexander Q6 chassis has somehow forgiven me enough to work!(I wish girls worked like that...)

That's right, we're back to the Q6, new home, new job, new pets but same model as before ( Have mentioned it before haven't I? *goes and checks* No... bollocks. Okay a bit of a history lesson, somewhere between by breakdown train and now I bought a secondhand kit Q6 off of a gentleman on RMWeb! The body was partially built but the chassis was untouched and included pretty much everything I needed which was great. I had to buy in a new motor and gear box but that wasn't too bad.

But judging by my ability to literally balls up every effort I aim for - I was slightly reluctant to ham fist my way through this without taking my time.

Anyway time past, I met my girlfriends family, and extended family, bump into several people and eventually moved house and did other stuff and blah blah blah!  So eventually i realised i was going to die one day (hopefully not too soon) and I would look up from the depths of hell and wished I had built the bugger from I perished so this is literally me trying to hurry it along before time takes it's toll. not that i'm knowingly dying that the moment (christ, I hope not)

But yes, I finally got there, the chassis is complete and it works!

Here's the result.

I've even added a flywheels to which is suppose to improve running... though the jury is still out on that, but it looks fairly important so I'll just tell people that it's important.

Here's the Q6 looking complete (but the discerning viewer will notice it isn't). By the time of my next blog, i should have built my twelfth. Looking at what the gentleman wanted to do originally it would be a shame now to use the fine scale items he's supplied so hopefully you'll get to see it with all the mod cons like a Q6 GTI or something car people get aroused over. I'm not a car person so not even a semi for me. Now love rot professional corner where I attempt to make love someone else model. Well, I was given this little darling to repaint... more to come on her. Needless to say, she won't be Great Western for long. 

Yes that's right, she'll be London Transport L.150, except she won't! She'll be carrying "Metropolitan 1". I'm quite looking forward to this project actually despite the full repaint that I will have to carry out, I was also told it doesn't have to be exact which is helpful (Frank Spencer anyone).

Going back to my stuff, next in line (possibly concurrent with my Q6 project) is this Bachmann (and the bits) WD. Personally speaking, I'm no rivet counter but also I'm not a big fan of haphazard finishes without good reason so this better have been bloody good one. By the looks of this it'll be a need a full repaint after a fair rub down to get rid  of the "LNER" that still prevalent. Love what they did with the number too. Matching shades of cream! No that I should point and mock, we all start somewhere, plus I don't know who did it - so I can't point. 

I'm just going to randomly point and wave madly. You know this is how Hitler started, you know!

Crosti, Cats and Cottaging

Hello, welcome, good to see you all again. Yes, it has been too long, if not for you, then certainly for me. I type this from the comfort of my bed, in our new cottage. YES…. I did say cottage, how awesome is that.

But firstly, I need house the toilet. Actually, sod it, I’m gonna’ write a bit of this on the bog. Also, I may leave for a bit as I need to walk the dog and gawp at the solar eclipse but i shall be back to talk about trains! 

So, down to business Crosti toilet- I mean boiler - yes, I am writing this on the toilet too… I care not what shame to put on me. This is my blog and I can write it wherever I bloody well want. 

…In fact I’ve now writing this a week later whilst rehearsing lines at university…

…oh how time flies…. a few days have now passed even then, and now we have a kitten! Bernard. He's a real, bastard too.

He and Bert, our dog, seem to be getting on like a house on fire, or wildfire or something relatively destructive. But they are getting along, which is nice. 

…now, I’m re-watching Game of Thrones as the little buggers mess around in the living. Sorry, I’m being terribly ill disciplined. 

So modelling, well as you can tell from my hectic lifestyle of bed that not much has been progressed. However I was given a commission to fulfil in the shape of a Crosti 9F. 

The person in question has built it around a Hornby Railroad 9F using the Dave Alexander Crosti conversion kit. 

A lot of the weathering was pretty much my normal mix of layer upon layer starting with the blocking in a mix of Humbrol 62 & 33 followed by strategically painting on rust patches using Humbrol 62 and Humbrol 113 and another wash of 62 & 33 until everything is toned down. 

The limescale streak were a real pain in the hoop, I haven’t really done a lot of these before as from my research the Teesside Region locos tended not to have limescale to the point that Midland Region did.

A lot of it was just scribbled on it brought downward lines followed by dry brushing Humbrol 64. The initial process didn’t work for me but after trying it a few time, going away, coming back, shouting at it, swearing a few times, going on mass genocide and finally returning to it, I think I got something I like. 

One further thing I did, was to light dry brush Humbrol 27004 over the side of the loco and tender to give it a much more lifelike sheen. 

I’m quite happy with the finished model and was more than pleased to release it back to my friend. 

Here it is with my own detailed Railroad 9F.

so, what’s next for me.

Well, I decided to completely fuck with history… more on this little beauty in the next few weeks.

Oh by the way, by the time I finished this blog, we re-named the Nigel (You know after Sir Nigel Gresley). I reckon next week we’ll have re-named him Ivatt (fingers crossed)

Here's the delightful little bastard, with our dog, Bert. 

A Few Thoughts On Addiciton

Wow... it's been a while. A fair few months in fact. Too long it would seem. Others might think it too short... but blah! bugger them.

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

A Title About Something from Motherhood...

I give up.

I'm an ignorant, awful person who cares as much about other people as he does about everyone else. So no wonder I totally forgot it was Mothering Sunday today, I should have had an inkling when she was going on about calling some midwife. I kept telling myself, she's too old to bare children...

But I managed to trudge to HMV today and buy series three of Call the Midwife which one of her favourite programmes at the moment. This is, somewhat, a bit of a relief as my ears have been pounded by the constant bellow of the Merlin theme tune every day she's off.

Also today, I've managed to also buy myself a new camera, after the other one I had decided to take a business trip to Beijing via Kuala Lumpur and has yet to be seen since.

I've also found myself absolutely fascinated Canadian musician Grimes, an individual who was brought to my attention by a friend of mine last year and didn't really explore properly until the last few days. There is also the Seoul based BBC correspondent Lucy Williamson, of whom, I've been hoping tensions between North and South Korean grow so I can see more of her on television. I think I'm in love, I doubt it. It might be possible though.

Modelling wise, I've have been using alot of elbow grease on something which is technically old enough to be my own  mother. This is technically impossible as it is a Hornby Double crane, and not my mum.

It really wasn't bad for £15 quid, which I managed to bully the 10 year selling it to knock an extra £5 to strike a deal on £10. I'm the bestest :D

Normally these thing will cost around £45 - £50 at exhibitions and it didn't take a genius to see why it was so cheap. There was evident scenes of mishandling from some twisted edges on the turret to a large break in the jib.

The first task was to take off whatever was necessary on the model. Things like the winding handles, old ropes and the caste metal parts which would interfere with the flashes gearing system I plan to put in the model. 

The diecast parts were easily cut into with a circular saw bit but the steam handed simply sheared them down to nothing. So out came the razor saws and stone cutters which happily made short work of them. Some elbow grease was needed to file away any left over bits.

despite all efforts, I managed to turn my trousers either a distant Nebula or someone's pants from Dance with the Stars.

Not really alot to talk about really... god this was quite a boring blog in all honesty. Sorry for wasting your time. But look, there's more stuff to do... things such as the gears....

And the support stuff, like the trucks....

 And here are some photos I took with my great new camera, like my knackered Laptop... I broke the keyboard by dropping Contact Lense Solution on it... currently using a USB keyboard which looks like the designers are been eating illegal mushrooms. It's got a pretty picture of Parika dressed like Monkey :D

Here's one of my toilet with the lid open...

 ...and now with the lid closed.

and here's one of me, with my new Sunglasses :D

I'm off to listen to more Grimes and watch the Young Ones whilst regretting my current career choice.

Here's one of my favourite Grimes songs, and also whilst I'm at it, here's Lucy Williamson talking about South East Asia or something...

Night kids

Anti-disestablismentartisainjsnvjdsnvdann.... whatever...

Right, I’m going to take a piss and make a cup of tea, then I’ll come back…

…back. Hello cruel internet, my only friend. I lie, not even you are my friend. Bastard.

Hello, anyway.

Yes, I have returned from a random and almost uninteresting assortment of months where I really lived very much like a boring human being. That’s all changed, I’ve re-joined my old sketch group (I think they still hate me and now we’re back to our old selves of not doing anything until the actual day (keep the energy up on the night).

It was a bit of a bittersweet weekend in all honesty.

I finally felt that "Fuck Yeah Friday" feeling, which had promptly turned into "Oh Shit Sunday".

I’ve also managed to successfully act like a 14 year old by getting irrationally drunk and acting in a behaviour which can only be described as adolescent.

Also, I got told off by a Car Park. Yes, I real car park. I don’t even have a car. Maybe that’s why I was on the receiving end of a verbal reprimand.

It was that moment I have decided to become anti-establishment again after many years. Not because of any left-wing social connotation, no! It’s just a bit of a laugh really, you only live once and all that, why do I want to waste my life by supporting some rubber faced associate to a political entity I care little about? Or towing the line for some outdated social sensibilities when in fact I’m not hurting anyone. You know, we are ignorant, I get told off by a car park and yet not one person was arrested after I caught them trying to break into my shed!

I mean, there was that but also, the fact that Russia have just proved what everyone was thinking and suddenly come out the closet as a big bunch of baldy, muscular, homoerotic homophobes…what’s going on there.  Get a grip Putin, you big scary phallus.

So yeah, massive social change and acting like a 14 year old in public spaces, I guess the world isn’t as boring a place as I expected.

I fear we are getting a little off topic as I have been busy modelling. Modelling I say! Modelling all sorts, well a building. Hey! It was a new adventure for me.

I had never really painted brick before, I mean, I tried to restore the old station on the old layout but I eventually came to nothing. The old layout was stored away, never to be seen again. Until it came back, and now it just hangs there, watching us like some senile old grandparent ready to innocently shout out a racist remark in front of the foreign nurse and send the room into a tirade of red faces and apologetic remarks.

Actually going back to the night I was bollocked by a car park, I was offer wine by a friend. Actually no, that was afterwards. She kept topping my glass up. Incredibly tenacious that woman.

So yeah, train stuff.  

What we got here was the engine shed, based loosely (very loosely) on Malton shed for our club layout , "Hartburn Junction".

The mission, if I chose to accept it, was to paint and weather the bugger. I accepted it, and then promptly regretted having to take it home to paint it up. But after a few weeks of hiding under my bed, gathering dust and feeling forgotten, I decided to drag it out and get it a whack with the old paint brush.

The initial undercoat was Humbrol 187 although, this happened back in November, so I can’t really remember. It could also be Humbrol 72. Either or, would be a viable option. Sorry I can’t remember it but… sod off, I’m not the memory man!

Afterwards, a few days maybe, I went over the brick work with Railmatch Dark Brick. Not quite dry brushing but not soggy enough to annoy me by filling in the mortar.

It was then dry brushed with Railmatch light brick.

The roof and supports were painted using Humbrol paints. The ratio being 6 parts Humbrol 33, 4 parts Humbrol 98 and 2 parts Humbrol 147. That combination doesn’t have to be an exact match and I’ll inevitably change it on other projects.

The guttering along with other fittings were painted a 50:50 mix of Humbrol 98 & 33 and the window frames were given a coat of Revell  65.

The weathering was generally a mixture of Humbrol 33, Humbro 98 and Humbrol 174. This time with an emphasis on the Humbrol 98.

E.g. 6 parts Humbrol 98, 4 parts Humbrol 33 and 2 parts 174. But, as with before, the ratios are not concrete, be free young brethren, paint the living shit out of your models. If you ruin it though, not my fault!

Finally the roof received a random assortment of the base colour, adding darker and lighter highlights streaking down. Plus touching in some green (Humbrol 226) to give the impression of moss. The corrugated roofs, smoke vents and other bits of metal work were dry brushed Humbrol 62 and Humbrol 113 to show weather beaten rust. Finally the blackboard were given some writing with a white gel pen and the windows were given a light wash of the weathering mix from inside before being wiped off.

So, there you have it. An engine shed.

In other news, I have seen the six lovely ladies again at Shildon. When I say ladies, I mean the A4 Locos, and I’m hoping to see then again on Saturday. Because, I’m a greedy bastard okay, and proud of it! But hopefully I bought some bits to keep me quiet for the next year.

Also in the post I received a part order for some Brandbright 16mm Coaches. More on those later.

So, theres ya lot.

FUCK THE SYSTEM!

For more information on Hartburn Junction, please visit our club website Stockton & District Model Railway Club

Blindness and exasperation...

EHwoh!

I'm back... I bet you'd never thought you hear that again! I am though, one year older and slightly more jaded that when you last met me, and let's be frank, I was quite jaded before hand.

I reached 27 and for a week I was okay, totally fine. Then it hit me, literally a week afterward, waiting at the bus station. I was older, physically, if not mentally. I hate that feeling. Especially considering I'm more atheist than agnostic. The pit in your stomach when you realise that you have about 70 more years on this planet, I'm 27 years in already and life's getting faster, God damn it!

This is one cruel game!

However, it's not all bad. Doctor Who was fifty the other week and I fankwanked myself silly with it all. Especially the Day of the Doctor and An Adventure in Space and Time.

An Adventure in Space and Time was beautiful and I'm not weak enough to hide the fact that I literally cried laughing and cried crying in the last five minutes of the show. It was a most beautiful moment which I was happily moved by the acknowledgement for the longest continuous running sci-fi in history.

This lead me to a site call Goodread where I've been reviewing books and adding short stories and talking to some cool people. Please visit and join in, it's pretty good. Goodreads

I've also taking to jabbing the living fuck out of my eyes with some contact lenses. What fun I'm having also causing myself to go blind by trying to make it easier for me to see.

Also what happened was a jolly little visit to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway... which was both, enjoyable and bloody weird. Oxenhope, what is there, what the actual fuck is there? I found half a park and nothing else!!!! But it was nice to see the WD in action. Lovely engine, if a little loud.

Although there was a creepy moment between a train spotter and his Thai Bride, which made me question everything I hold dear.

On top of that, my local town has found out it has the world's shittest Christmas Tree, well England's shittest Christmas Tree. In fact it's not even a Christmas Tree at all... so it's a bit of misnomer really...

Bad tree

Anyway I'm digressing, we're hear to see me build trains and shit aren't we?

So, trying to combat lethargy, I have been pushing myself to work on the painting and decal side of this.

I managed to get so far with the brake van, I think all this I need now is to weather it, which a relief as it looked the hardest thing to make.

It isn't completely finished and is still prone to fall apart but it's good enough at the moment. The same goes for the Sulphate wagons below. The "Sulphate" decals were a little awkward but just some careful handling made short work of them.

As you can see with the wooden doors, I have added variations to the planking which will hopefully tone down with weathering.

Anyway, I must be off to repair my coat and sleep before *shudders* work tomorrow.

Awh and Doctor Who has finished on the DVD player whilst I've been typing this up... sod you all!