Monday, 10 August 2026

Signal box move...

 I didn't get a chance to run a train yesterday; but in the evening after watering the garden in the cooler evening air I moved the signal box....

The old position of the signal box, now has a foot pad for safe access to the grass area in the centre of the layout. Last time I tried to get across here with my large stride I knocked over the signal box and cut my ankle, so the new scheme is much safer.

The new location for the signal box, right next to the station, it fits in quite nicely....

Monday, 3 August 2026

LocoWorks - GVT Loco (5) - last bits and ...

At the rear of the cab, frames for the window

A little trim to fill the gap between the cab front and roof; frames for the windows...
a small coal bunker in the back of the cab....
Filled the gaps with some Millput, added some thin cosmetic plates to hide the mess where the couplings were orginally

A start on the cab backplate....
final cab backplate, just approx right shape with some bits on it. This will be hidden in the cab once the roof is on so very basic look will do...

and thats the last bits done and today it got a coat of primer....

final coat in black livery, couplings, nameplates, some crew and it'll be ready for service....😀

Sunday, 2 August 2026

Sunny Sunday (12) - short works train...

 Moving a ballast wagon.... Playmobil RC diesel on duty..




Sunday, 26 July 2026

Sunny Sunday (11) - Tanker wagons...

Two newly acquired HLW small tanker wagons get their first run out on the garden layout...

 Diesel No1 Kingfisher, pulls the train....


Sunday, 19 July 2026

Sunny Sunday (10) - GVT loco trial run....

 Looking good in the sun-shine, the GVT loco...

running round.....

nice to get to the point where I have the loco running 😀

LocoWorks - GVT Loco (4) - mostly complete ?

 The fiddling, fettling and faffing continues....

Strengtheners added to the interior of the front....


the top of the front was not level, so a little bit of plasticard added.....

strengtheners for the cab sides....( I knew those mini g-clamps I bought 5 years ago would come in useful)
Initial tidy up of window size and shape....

strengthener for the front of the cab...
beading round the cab door area ...
The back of the cab strengthened..
Improving the cab door definition and adding a door knob..
making the frame for the roof... (which lifts out, so I can put the roof on and take it off)

Roof top added and a view of the whole loco...
mostly complete, but quite a few things left to do..
  • trim on underside of roof
  • internal cab detail (backplate, coal bunker etc)
  • front and back cab window frames
  • fill in the holes and sand off
  • a simple way to secure the chassis to the loco body
  • some loco crew
  • aftre that its off to the paint shop ....

Sunday, 12 July 2026

Sunny Sunday (9) - Single Fairlie ....

 I've got round to cleaning the track on the garden layout.  Over the last week I've had a short session each evening with the track rubber.

Today I got out the track powered Single Fairlie loco for a run ... (some 'sticky' track needed cleaning, after that all running well...)