Choices, Choices...

I'm quite fortunate in that I get a shutdown week from work over the festive period, and every year I always try to find a quick project to be completed in that time. Normally it's one of the projects in Mr Ford's books, but having put so many items on the 'possibly for Christmas' list this year, I decided it was probably a good idea to look at the stash and see what options I had there.

Seems I'm unintentionally going for a collection of 'Corris Themed' Christmas projects this year. Recently a replacement motor/chassis unit came my way from the 009 Society sales for a Five79 Kerr Stuart Tattoo that's sat rather unloved in its box for few years now after it's last one literally fell to bits. Fingers crossed it should be a one day job, as the old chassis is quite a helpful guide as to where to cut/file in order to get it to fit.

Alongside this is the Dundas (Ex Rodney Stenning) Corris brake van. I was planning to make this us as a box van version, but on a recent five into the internet to look at handrails positions I stumbled upon an image of the prototype in a GWR grey livery. The temptation is very strong...

And finally, the classic Wills Ground Level Signal Box kit. This is one I've had on the list/in the stash for a while, wanting to have a 2nd attempt at a Corris style kit-bash as described in Chris Ford's "Modelling Narrow Gauge Railways in Small Spaces". My first attempt was good, but there is certainly room for improvement, particularly when it comes to the roof sections.

All three also rather handily tie in with a new micro layout project that's been brewing over the last weekend...

In short: Merry Christmas, watch this space, and see you all in the new year!

The Music Box

Something totally different this week. Yesterday was my dad's 60th birthday and for a long time I'd been thinking about something model railway related as a gift. A search at the Statfold 009 show earlier this year had proved fruitless (Probably due to too many choices rather than too few!) but by chance picking up a copy of the November issue of Railway Modeller magazine I stumbled upon a review of Tom Marshall's 3D printed figures of Laurel & Hardy as they appeared in 'The Music Box', complete with piano. Being a big Laurel & Hardy fan as well as a railway modeller, it was the prefect gift.

If I could offer one criticism, and this really is me being picky now, I wish there was a pose of Laurel in his overalls leaning on the crate to go with the one of Hardy in that pose, or in the classic 'leaning with head in one of his hands' pose. But I really shouldn't complain with how well printed these figures are, the features on Hardy's face in particular are clearly identifiable even at this tiny scale!

In fact, once painted, I had far too much fun posing them! I might have to get myself a set for a future layout...

Figures (+ piano and packing case!) are available from Tom Marshall's 'Buggleskelly Station' site HERE.

Footboards

I know I said railway modelling was limited as of late, but attaching two parts of styrene to the frames of a brakevan and calling it a day really does show how limited the time is...

For footboards I've just simply used Pastruct 3.3mm angled pieces. In all honesty slightly thinner pieces might have looked better, but at the same time this size helps to hide the majority of the N gauge chassis under frame details. I probably should have added some faux rivet detail with a pin in a pin chuck beofre attaching, but a few uprights of 20x40thou plastic strip will have to suffice instead to stop the plain look.

The Talyllyn brake handle was found amongst the spares box at last, and after trimming and fitting into a pieces of 2mm brass tubing, was fixed to the toad's deck with the aid of a piece of 1mm microrod stickout out of the base and a matching hole drilled into the chassis.

Now it really is a case of finishing off the tiny details. This mainly consists of some more styrene strip pieces to represent lamp irons, and then it'll finally be time for the undercoating, hopefully with its little friend in tow...