2023 - Review of the year

354 posts this year. A couple of breaks, one enforced by a trip to hospital, so not too bad I suppose. It certainly proves I can waffle a lot!

Visitor numbers remain constand at 250+ per day. Down from the highs of a few years ago, but I'm still very flattered that so many people drop in so often. More video would probably raise this, but I really don't have time to do more of that!

None of the projects I mention every year, and can't be bothered to cut'n'paste into this post, have made any progress, but then you will have guessed that. 

My Beetle still sits in the garage, as the person I talked to last year about a restoration didn't bother to get back to me. Frustratingly, a visitor to the recent  Rowington steam event was Fuzz Townsend of Car SOS and Practical Classics fame. I kept trying to have a chat, and everyone in the room seemed to conspire to keep me away from him. Another missed opportunity!

Still, how about looking at the models I did manage to build? 

The first project completed was a 1/4 scale VW engine. 

It works too - I made a video to prove it. Now living in a display box above my desk, it still gets the occasional run.

Next, for the garden railway, a Boot Lane Works steam tram. 

A Gauge 1 van from a half-built Slater's kit. 

G scale Lanz Bulldog tractor.

I tried to build a Bond Bug kit, but it all went a lot wrong at the painting stage. 

A replacement kit has been aquired, no easy job as they had sold out everywhere. Mine was picked up at the IPMS show, but when I was at Hornby, they also had some on the shelf. I just need to find the time and enthusiasm to have another go. 

And, apart from a half-finished Sentinal shunter kit, that's pretty much it for 2023. Another very not impressive year of modelling output. No layouts, no boats, half a loco. 

My excuse is that on the odd occasions I have the time for personal modelling, I'm still struggling a lot of the time for motivation. When I do have some spare time, which is less often than it should be, I'm too tired to get stuck into things. It would help if I wasn't so good at aquiring new projects. When they arrive, I'm all fired up to get stuck in, but the flame goes out almost imediately. 

Sadly, this means less interesting building stuff, and more random waffle. Thanks to all those who stick with me for that. I take it as a compliment that I'm not that boring! 

As I said yesterday, I've no idea what 2024 will hold. Trying to set myself some targets for the year, in an effort to provide motivation, the best I can come up with is getting abroad for a holiday. Lisbon is currenlty favourite, I wonder if I'll manage it? 

There have been plenty of shows of course, and a few steamups locally too. Getting away from the computer helps a lot. Being able to enjoy the social side of garden railways is great, and I could really do to make even more of it, especially since my lakeside trips seem to have dried up as Thursday mornings involve horrible weather, or a looming deadline that keeps me at my desk.

Thanks to everyone who keeps reading this stuff, it is appreciated, as are the nice comments posted occasionally. If I'm helping - I'm happy!