The old car

My other interest is old cars; here's my rebuilt 1978 MGBGT posed near the railway bridge at Totter's Lane in Hampshire, whilst on one of my jaunts out to photograph the real thing.
I've had this car for 10 years now. In that time it's had a full mechanical rebuild and respray in Carmine Red, the car's orginal colour. This smart car has also had several other modifications to make it more suitable for today's faster roads.

Sunny South Special?

Sporting a rather jolly 'Cathedrals Express' headboard on what is in fact 'The Sunny South Special', No. 6233 The Duchess of Sutherland is captured powering past Coxes Mill near Addlestone on a not so sunny Wednesday 13 August 2008.

Let's Fiddle

Catcott Update

OK, about 2 hours work today got the whirlygig fiddleyard baseboards together. Here they are in all their glory in approximate position without 360 deg sector plates - seen here held together with masking tape and various bits from around the house whilst the glue sets. The sides will be finished off with 3mm ply as with the layout baseboard. I might surface the boards with something soft like felt. The layout is minus lighting pelmet and crossing keepers cottage here. The boards will take a 4-6-0 loco and 2 Mk1's length wise - quite long enough for a small layout like this (5 foot). They're basically A1 in length - the size of the foamboard!

Crossing Keeper's Cottage

Catcott Update
A shot of Catcott crossing keeper's cottage showing the revised sash windows and fence. The foreground will be home to an allotment (bamboo runner bean supports have been soldered up and are awaiting some paint and bean plants). And yes, that guttering does need some adjustment again........

Asparagus!

Catcott Update

As an alternative to plummer's hemp after a visit to my sister's allotment, I came across some asparagus plant tops. Reeds -bingo! OK, a bit of colour correction needed, no problem. They dried easily and are pretty flexible, though a splash of PVA in the yet to be airbrushed on colour adjustment won't do any harm. The rhyne bed will be repainted and recoated in PVA in due course though the paint splashes do look a little like stuff you seen in stagment canals etc.

Cherry Blossom Control Panel

Catcott Update

OK, this one might appeal to the cheapskates like me, who needs to go to Tandy or one of those electonicfile stores for some bespoke control panel box, when most of us no doubt have a cupboard with old dried up polish? Splash of paint (Halfords), few holes and some white lable (sealed under a layer of clear lacquer).....

The base can be screwed to the layout, the top removeable to allow maintenence etc - simple!

So few buttons? Only two points and switches to isolate the siding or mainline should I be feeling creative. There's almost zero chance that there'll be more than one thing in steam anyway. The 360 deg sector plate fiddle yards on either end will have their own isolating switches in the form of a bathroom latch type of thing for each siding.....