nevard_101022_combwich_4f_IMG_8152_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.
Baloney caption: Under a stunning clear blue summer sky, a nicely buffed up 44417 poses next to the photographer's Morris Traveller at Combwich Station in July 1962.
I woke up at 04:00 this morning in a restless state realising that Wycrail is only 2 weeks away; "so what", you say "you finished this layout years ago so there's nothing to worry about". All quite true, but the problem is that Combwich hasn't been run since 2004 at the Farnham Model Railway Exhibition. Model railways, like old cars don't like to be forgotten and ignored because they break down or at least refuse to work properly. What's more, Combwich is 30 this year, so whilst not a classic is at least an old heap with all the associated problems apart from rust.
With permission from the domestic authorities I've taken over the extension and set the layout up in there. The cats are rather amused by the goings on especially seeing it's where they normally hang out at bed time.
One of the first jobs was to set up the layout on Cement Quay's trestles, these are a little higher than Combwich's old ones which are now firewood. That bit worked out OK, but does mean I'll need to sort out a longer drape to mask the trestles (I'll pinch Cement Quay's and add another section). Next job was to power it all up, this bit took me by surprise in that everything works - amazing really since it has spent 5 of the last 6 years in a slightly damp garage. The last 9 months however has been in a warm house.
The backscene and fascia was a little scuffed, so a slap of paint has sorted out that, matching the blue sky was a little tricky but feathering the new paint hopefully has worked to blend it in. Then the lighting rig was erected and the big nameboard displaying 'Combwich' in finest Gill Sans fixed with the aid of a hot glue gun.
That's pretty well it, so the above snap was taken at tea time under a single 60 watt bulb in the ceiling which gives a good representation of midday sun with it being to overhead. In case anyone thinks we have nice blue walls then of course that it not the case, that bit is just a bit of cgi....
For me, this is one of the most inspirational layouts I’ve seen. I remember stumbling across it one evening on your fotopic site. The next day I found myself queueing in a B&Q store clutching some 9mm plywood...
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