Cowans Sheldon Crane

 

Spotted at the Battlefield Line - the prototype Cowans Sheldon Crane as modelled by Tri-ang and later, Hornby. 

I always thought they did a pretty good job of this. The most obvious change being substituting chains, which hang properly, for the ropes, which in miniature, don't. 

Someone did produce a detailing kits for the model, and I'm having another go at getting my hands on one. 

Best of all, guess what I found on a society stand in the good shed? 

I know I have one in the stash already, but this is in excellent condition, boxed (complete with inner cardboard), and at £7, was cheap! It also seemed like fate was telling me to spend some cash. And who am I to refuse fate?

Ramsey bus station kit

 

I've long wanted to build a model of Ramsey bus station. It's a modest size, but has all the features you'd expect. The frontage is detailed, but with nothing that layers of Plastikard can't handle - no fancy carvings for example. 

Back in 2019, I spent time taking photos from all angles with a long-term view of building a model. I believe that the station is under threat, and has been for many years. It's not ideally situated, being inside the TT track. Having said that, it's still there!

I'm sure I paced out some measurements too, but now there is an alternaive - it turns out that Kingsway Models, make a kit!

OK, it's a bit basic, but as a guide for a more detailed model, it's fine. The version I picked up is second-hand and has several sheets already stuck to Daler board as required. 

Dimensionally, the building will be 215mm wide and 250mm deep. I've always thought it would be the perfect regional bus depot, but then digging around the Kingsway website, there are quite a lot of similar sized options out there. 

Anyway, this lucky find will be stashed into the Isle of Man folder for the time being. If I get there again this year, I might just take a few more photos to be on the safe side though.

(Nearly) finished coach

 

OK, for the moment, I'm going to call the Roundhouse coach kit finished. 

It needs people inside, but I'll pick those up at a show. It's nice to go with a shopping list as this reduces the amount of random "stuff" will buy. Because you simply must buy something at a show. 

Screwing the roof down has worked, and from normal viewing angles, isn't as horrible as you might think. Once I glue the top down, I'll give it a coat of tissue - being able to see the wood grain is far worse than four small screws. 

The "quick" project took a little longer than expected, but it was fun, and if I can pick up another couple of kits for the same price, I'll happily make a three-coach train. My little improvements made a difference to the outside, and I'll certainly do those again to add a little life to the sides. 

Right, now what next?

Battlefield line "Winter Warmer" event

Every so often, I get the urge for a day out. Something to do with working from home I suppose, combined with a month that includes no work trips (this changes big time next month). Waking up on Saturday and being unable to see the bottom of the garden for fog, didn't help.

Some photos on social media of the 16mm trains at the Battlefield Line "Winter Warmers" gala looked good, and a quick check on Google maps showed it to be only 50 minutes drive away. How have I never been there? 

Sunday dawned bright and clear, I hopped in the car, hoping for some steamy goodness. I wasn't alone, as by the Market Bosworth car park was full. Heading back out to find an alternative, a helpful steward moved a barrier to make an extra space for me. 

Outside there was a GWR 1320 class hissing away, and an Austerity further down the line. 

The show part took place in the good shed, so I wandered in to the warm and imediatly found plenty of friends to chat to. And the warm smell of sausage batches. 

The 16mm layout "Llantaliog" was providing more steam entertainment, and proving how much fun you can have in 10' by 8' in 32mm gauge. 

Outside, there were more bigger chuffers running. 

The sausage batch and chips was excellent, but there was a marked lack of cake. Still, a jolly few hours was had, and I'll certainly be back again in the future. Not least because there is a cafe at Shakerstone station appearently.And the fish'n'chip trains later in the year sound fun too.

Saturday Film Club: Tram 28

With a bit of luck, I'll be heading off for a Lison city break in a couple of months time. The draw, for me, is the vintage tram network. Tiny four-wheelers dodging in and out of narrow streets. For tourists, Tram 28 seems to cover all the sights in an hour. This means it's busy in peak tourist season apparently, so we'll see. Worth a look though.