Best of Brede?

If you read back through my Brede build thread, you'll know that while this might be my favourite lifeboat design, building a model of it has proved very tricky. A failed kit, failed scratchbuild in wood and only with a magazine deadline threatening, did I manage to finish a model. 

Well, nearly, it still needs some detail. 

It's only the magazine publication that saw the model finished in the first place instead of becoming more bin filler. At the time I knew the hull still wasn't the right shape - it should be more bulbous at the front - but I couldn't give up this time and just had to press on no matter what. (Welcome to the joys of modelling commercially). 

Because of this, the boat hasn't really seen much use. The last time I planned to take it out was back in 2015, and I'm pretty sure it never left the box on that lifeboat day. 

Now though, I've given it a good sail. For the best part of an hour, it's pootled around our lake in the company of other orange brothers. When the "best boat on the water" judging was taking place, the Brede was my choice for a sail. OK, I didn't build the Trent (the other option) so it would have been wrong to put it out there then, but I wanted to show off the Brede. 

Somehow, I've become accustomed to the faults. They don't shout at me as much as they used to. Time appears to have mellowed me. 

It helps that the boat performed perfectly all day, but I think on the water, from several feet away, I can just enjoy it. From most angles it looks pretty good. 

Real modellers would say it should be destroyed and another built in an attempt to attain perfection, but they can get stuffed. It's my boat, and I've decided (finally) that I like it. 

Has anyone else had something like this happen? Putting a model away and returning with fresh eyes, to decide that there aren't as many faults as you thought? Or does this make me a bad/lazy person?

KMBC Lifeboat Day 2022

Last Sunday dawned sunny, but with the threat of rain later. Never mind, I was determined to attend our boat clubs' annual RNLI day, and just as importantly, sail a boat or two. If nothing else, I really needed a day away from trains...

The good news is that both my Trent and Brede lifeboats performed impecably. All the more surprising when you remember that the Trent has never been on the water in my ownership, and the Brede hasn't got it's hull wet in over five years. 

At the peak, we had 13 boats on the water, and everyone, both members and visitors, seemed to have a good time. I picked up an interesting book on lifeboat development with plans of all the vessels up to the 1970s, very handy for identifying models in the future. The cake wasn't bad either.

I could ramble on, but you'd probably prefer some photos, and here they are over on Flickr.

Saturday Film Club: Caroline Railtour

Last week, I took a tour, courtesy of Revolution Trains, on "Caroline", the inspection saloon. While there, I thought I better earn my keep and put together a little film. Interviewing ex-BBC correspondent Ben Ando, was a little nerve-wraking, but it seems to have come out OK. 

The trouble with days like this, is that having enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I couldn't resist ordering the model from Rainbow Railways. If you could all start clicking on the adverts found on the right hand side of this blog, it would help dull the pain of the price a little! (It's not expensive for what you get, but as Ben says, this isn't a cheap model).

Wuiske Models bag

 

My Betties bag collection is growing into a more general model shop bag collection. The latest addition is this cloth bag from Wuiske Models in Queensland, Australia. 

I met John Sheldrake on a tour last week. We were riding on the observation coach "Caroline" and he'd brought some fascinating tickets and this bag with him. For a donation to the cancer charity, the bag became mine. 

John had travelled to the UK mainly for this once-in-a-lifetime tour, a perfect example of getting into model railways and seeing the world. I'm no great traveller, but I've managed both Australia and Canada because of my interest, not to mention many, many interesting places in the UK. 

I don't know Queensland, but thanks to Google Streetview, I've spent a few minutes touring Jandowae, even if I can't find the model shop! It certainly looks like the rural Australia I imagine which is facinating. 

Anyway, thanks John. Definitely a rare addition to the pile!

Recycling an old layout in BRM

What do you do with an old model railway? You rebuild it of course. 

Starting with "Casket Yard", the layout built to fit in a plastic box a couple of years ago, I've totally changed its look from a country yard, to an urban shunting puzzle. This month, I'm ripping things up and starting on the rebuild, next time, the job will be finished. 

My latest photo shoot is of Paul Moss's "Little Salkeld" - an N gauge layout set in a Cumbrian village. It's always interesting to see how these photos look on the page, and I'm very happy. More to the point, so is Paul. 

Digital readers have a photo gallery of the unused shots - I always take far too many so the editorial team can chose the ones that they like best. 

Over on BRM TV, you have a Phil double-bill. 

 and then I look at operating an Inglenook layout, with my new project!

All this in the June issue of BRM.