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After years of looking we managed to get a lucky EBay (Good Value) purchase of a long time ‘Wish List’ steam loco for Burton Crumpnold.
.. It is in celebration of the fact that my beautiful wife was born in Cheltenham.

So we have 4-4-0 Schools Class Loco ‘Cheltenham Schools‘ 30925, Lined and with the BR Early Crest.

Here it is running on my Rolling Road.

I actually prefer the Malachite Green finish – but with no SR Coaching stock in my collection this will work well with my BR Rhubarb and Custard ones.

I am actually quite a fan of the very underrated 4-4-0 and 4-4-2 locos – so the plan, when the layout is operations to get a Midland Compound (no 1000 preferably) to join the ‘Schools’..

Due to the success of last year we decided to get out Burton Phoenix and Stowey Green for display as part of an event for this years Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza. It was a very busy day and meet a whole bunch of enthusiasts and modellers.

.. With lessons learnt from last year – I made sure there was something entertaining and ‘Hands on’ for those with little hands.. In addition to the fun and games it was a big success ‘Saving’ the main layouts from unintended tinkering 🙂

It also reminded me about the difference between a ‘Portable’ layout – Such as the ‘N’ Gauge – Stowey Green – Easy to put away and transport.
And a ‘Mobile’ Layout such as Burton Phoenix – Many car loads, a lot of time and trouble to put up and down.

I had hoped to get the even more portable ‘Stowey Town’ layout if not finished, then at least presentable for this event – but sadly other commitments have slowed its progress.

Stowey Town is a sort of ‘Left over bits’ companion layout to the ‘N’ gauge layout Stowey Green.

It was particularly inspired by the fact I had curved platform pieces – so I decided to make the smallest layout possible that could use them in an interesting way. Stowey Town fits on a 60cm x 80cm board so should be Very portable.
The use of left over cork can be seen on the upper right.. I promise if will be tidy when the track of properly laid and scenery added

The tunnel mouths are one of my first experiments with the 3d Printer and an Airbrush obtain in the new year.
.. I promise to say more about the airbrush as the year goes on.

The plan is to have the new layout complete, or at least usable by May – so I can exhibit it with Stowey Green.
.. More details will follow

I have been given permission from the boss lady to have Burton Pheonix up in the dining room. As it basically fills the room up it is graciously indeed, especially with Christmas not so creaping up..

.. And even then I did not have the space to fit the fiddle board. Still it gives me a chance to run some of my OO stock and take a few photographs. Including my Bachmann Class 101 DMU in BR Green I purchased the Modal Railway Show in Liverpool earlier in the year.

The DMU also looks rather good ‘lined up’ with my Rail Buses..

Had a great day exhibiting both the Stowey Green N’ gauge layout AND Burton Phoenix my ‘OO’ end to end layout.

The event was a Craft, Tea and Cake event during the Llandudno Christmas Fayre Event.

I have to confess, the continual running nature of Stowey Green was much easier to keep busy than manually shuttling trains (normally Thomas for the kids) up and down the layout. I wish I had the chance to take more photos, but was just kept too busy.

All work on the layouts has stopped as everything needed to be packed away whilst the roof on our house was being renewed (rebuilt!).

The upside of this it it gives the chance to create a much bigger space to build a layout in… In the Order of 4.6 x 3m (15 x 10ft), Quite an upgrade on the 3×2.5m I was planning for… So Velux Windows have been installed -there of lots of jobs to get done before the proper planning cab get started.. Possibly well into 2024.

Still with a basic sketch of the space I could fit in a full HST set with 9 coaches down one side….

As Part of the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza – I had the chance to get Stowey Green, the ‘N’ gauge layout, out of the house for a public viewing.
.. It’s very early days on the exhibiting game, but the layout was very well received. Apologies for the poor picture – so busy ‘running the layout I forgot to take better photographs… Will do better next time.

After an extended gap I am back. I have rather a good excuse, as I have been recovering from a very serious bicycle accident in July that broke 5 ribs, and broke and dislocated my shoulder/collarbone. Fortunately, as I was wearing my cycle helmet and am alive to tell the tale, and 3 months later – able to keep on modelling.

That gives no real excuse to why there were no updated from January.. but there you are

As it is the end of the AirBnB season in my house I have been allowed by my Wife to set up the ‘OO’ gauge Burton Phoenix layout in the dining room.. Which has been a great opportunity to put out a number of new and untested rolling stock on display. It has been a long time since I have been able to run the ‘OO’ – some of which is new and, other than on a rolling road, untested.

First is my much awaited Hornby model of the Rocket.

And a rather unusual buy from a tiny model railway show in Borth-y-Gest, near Porthmadog – one end of the Ffestiniog railway.. a LMS Caledonian Single

The model is in amazing condition for its age, as far as I can tell it was released in 1983, and was very attractively boxed.
…And as can be seen on the price sticker, I thought it was quite a bargain

It has been great to return to the larger OO scale instead of tinkering in ‘N’.
.. Now I’m properly on the mend there is lots more to say, so maybe the next update will not take so long.