The summer of '74

The summer of '74 which was not a good summer weather wise I recall, however on one of the better days in late August, D1010 Western Campaigner was captured between duties with a rake of Presflos on the overgrown sidings of Cement Quay in Gloucestershire.

This this era of the long haired bank clerk, itchy shirts and bell bottomed trousers, and Britain's railways were very much trying to standardize and remove any trace of the former steam era that had only finished less than a decade before. Curiously many of the locomotives that were hastily bought in to replace steam were now in turn being replaced due to many of the designs being flawed in the rush to push out the old guard.

The reality; a renumbered and weathered Heljan Western, sits on the front of an ancient set of Presflos made up from Airfix kits. These were probably built when the real Western Campaigner was still running in revenue earning service, they really are starting to look dated when viewed this close.

The hairy bits are a right old mixture of Silfor Winter Pasture, hanging basket liner and Noch Static grass applied with a Grasmaster. The structures are a mix of hacked about Pikestuff, mutilated Walthers Cornerstone kits and scratch built.

This is Cement Quay, my 'modern image' cement shunting plank. Click on the image to enlarge!