The kit was reintroduced a couple of years ago by Branchlines and South Eastern Finecast, which gave me a good excuse to turn it into a magazine project. Single-car trains are always popular with modellers and in theory, a whitemetal kit with a RTR power unit should be perfect for the newbie.
Spotting a prototype piece on canals in the plan, I said, "I'm building a canal, why don't I do the modelling content?" Well, it never hurts to volunteer for jobs you are going to do already, does it?
And finally, on the BRMTV, I weather an N gauge diesel using simple methods.
More details of the December 2020 issue over on RMweb.
Seeing that "canal", complete with "vegetation", I could imagine some BRM readers wondering if any cheap paint brushes or bits of string came to serious harm ... .
ReplyDeleteAt this rate, the only things that appear to be missing are several supermarket trolleys and an old sofa.
Well, this is supposed to be an urban stretch of canal, isn't it?
Seriously though, it makes good sense to use existing projects in the magazine. A lot of the stuff involved is relevant to what a number of readers will be looking to add to their layouts.
Also, it's far better to be able to show this stuff on a "live" project than on something that's had to be "invented" to include it.
After posting my earlier comment, I became aware of an article on the Yorkshire Evening Post website.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that barges are now being used to transport / deliver aggregates, via canals, in the Leeds area. The operator started with one barge the other month - and have now put a second barge into service.
I could imagine some people imagining a potential steady stream of working barges adversely impacting on some boating holiday they might (or might not) be allowed to do at some point in the future. I don't see it this way.
We're not talking millions of working barges here. Any we get will be manned by people who want to get from A to B without loads of hassle - these guys don't want to make other people's lives unpleasant - and they don't want other people to make things difficult for them, either.
Also, the canals were originally built as channels for the transportation of commercial freight - and the more of that there is, the more truck journeys can be removed from the roads.
This might also improve the chances of the canals themselves receiving some maintenance - which sounds fine by me.
(Now if it were only possible to make a compelling commercial case for completely reopening the Monmouthshire & Brecon ... .)