48. Telling a story

Called in to a flat we’re looking after today and took up the owner’s invitation to run the train around his desk. It was a Hornby TT120 freight with a LNER express loco u front, though the little Stepney talkie was a little more interesting. I think I turn it round three times before loosing interest  a rather interesting reaction I thought.

Talking it over later, I thought the “problem” was the lack of a story - nothing to wrap my imagination around. Stepney was the slightly more attractive proposition because I like small engines, nothing ore.

Back home with my current project, a 4mm scale Tunny wagon at the end of its life - a model of an actual wagon, marked up, painted and weathered to match a photo, I feel so much more connected and interested - something of my own, not just my purchase, but my work, inspired by my research and finished using my skills.

We’re rained out of the garden today - rather unexpectedly - but out there, there is a whole universe of stories going on along the narrow gauge, nestled in amongst the flowers and trees- and sometimes there’s even live steam.

46. Wagon Works (1)Tunny

 W18 BR SR Tunny open

A Chivers Finelines kit, built as supplied with Gibson 12m 3-hole wheels.

I’m finishing this kit per a photo from Paul Bartlett’s excellent collection, DS61956 ZCV diagram 1771 in 1984.

It’s built straight out of the box, the only changes I’ve made are due to by ability to loose and break components, so two things have been replaced by close matches.

Working on getting the complex paint layers over the weathered wood before tacking the lettering.

45. Getting on with it

 A few more steps along the way.

On Johnson’s Wharf, having  identified, designed and started a trans-shipment shed based on one I'm familiar with from Bank Hall in Liverpool, I got the baseboard out of its box to do a fit check with my old Hornby Dublo Class 20. I think it's a tad too high, which is easy enough to sort.

The Type 2 is about as old as I am, and is too much of a treasure to update, so she’s getting a clean and service for occasional use.

There’s been a fair amount of wagon building going on too, I don’t need many wagons, but I do enjoy making wagons, so I’ve a brace of Chivers kits underway, all opens. Chivers kits are so easy to make up, they just fit together well and look terrific.

44. Everybody needs minerals

 When I Saw these Felix Pole minerals being launched by Chivers Finelines, I thought I could justify at least one. The kits build up easily as illustrated below. If I can do it, almost anybody can.

I managed to snap a white metal buffer trying to straighten it, but otherwise no issues at all. Primer next.

There's an old Airfix engine shed en route for the left hand side foreground on Johnson’s Wharf, a snip at just over a fiver.

The purple paper shows the intended site. Some surgery may be required.

43. The Way Ahead

 No posts here for a while, but that doesn’t reflect the progress that's been going on: Johnson’s Wharf has been out on its first public outing, albeit to a mate’s house for a trial run. This was educational for me and proved that the cake box idea works in practice.

Numerous details, building, figures, and wagons are being worked on, and I'm pleased to say that I think that I have solved the problem of the left-hand edge of the scene. I was much inspired by James Hilton’s Inside Out diorama, and thought about aping it in 4mm, but then I thought I could incorporate something similar into the left-hand end of Johnson’s, using the lovely little Vincent model I have waiting, to replicate another, similar shot from another Gifford/Gamble book:

Here’s a very rough mockup of what it might look like.

The view for my version of Inside Out.

Not sure what will happen in the foreground yet

More progress in the next blog.

42. Autumn stillness on the Ness Garden Railway

 Not much is happening, even though there is much to be done.

Sometimes, just to see the track disappear into the distance, with the ever-present possibility of a train, is enough.

41. 19 September 2025 update

 Lots to report here despite the lack of posts.

An as-yet unnamed 009 loco is now being painted in the new house livery of anthracite grey with yellow stripe.

This is a Fourdees “Peveril” loco and I’m very pleased with the quality of the print, and how it’s progressing.

The 009 stock that is slowly accumulating will possibly run on a variation of the Shell Island layout, tentatively named “Old Quay”. I want to do a muddy estuary layout and this is the smallest way I can see it happening. 

Johnstone’s Wharf is becoming a reality. I’ve continued my 2mm scale idea of using plasticard facing with embossed brickwork and stones instead of brick papers to give the textures. So the Wharf will be a ScaleScenes box file canal scene, mirrored and extended with just 3 sidings, 1 turnout (ordered) and probably a fiddle stick. This will give me somewhere to play with the Peckett and anything else that happens along in OO.

Coales Mill Yard is also progressing. The corrugated iron problem has been resolved thanks to the good folk out there in the cloud, so the cladding is being worked on for two of the buildings today.