James

Western Thunderer
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No modelling over the last couple of days. My wife, Kerry, and I have spent a couple of days in Manchester - she's been going to an annual Man United supporters dinner for the twenty years, though after their fixture with Crystal Palace, there were a few less than happy attendees!

We called in at Bury Bolton Street on the way back and, appropriately, 37109 in metals livery was in service today

37109 looks stunning!
 

James

Western Thunderer
Not a lot of progress but the first board has all its sleepers in place and plain line is starting to be laid.

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The next board now has its track bases ready to be fixed in place.

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To make life easier when it comes to cutting point timbers I made a mini bench hook, approximately 70mm x 120mm. Ten minutes work, if that, and a few pence worth of timber.
 

James

Western Thunderer
Night shifts into half term so not much modelling this last week or so.

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A nice trip on the NYMR yesterday; there's a second hand model shop by Grosmont station. One of those shops that can turn up interesting items from time to time.

My nine year old daughter found this for £5, a non runner so we bought. Completely dead when tested. Bearings were all bone dry though the brushes showed little use.

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A clean, fresh oil and the loco runs beautifully! Potentially sixty years old and the XO4 is as smooth as Leslie Phillips.

My dad has an ancient Wills J39 running on the same variant of Tri-ang Jinty chassis and that still runs beautifully.

Quite the bargain!
 

James

Western Thunderer
We finished off the half term break with a day on the Mountsorrel Railway, a branch off the Great Central Railway.

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The museum and heritage centre is quite the celebration of industrial railways.

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Highly recommended

With the children back at school, there has been progress!

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The connection from the main line into the exchange sidings has been laid.

The three sleepers either side of the baseboard joints have had Vero pins in pre drilled holes after I saw @martin_wynne recommend them.
 

James

Western Thunderer
The last few days have seen us move my daughter's playhouse from one end of the garden to the other, moving a tonne of wood chippings for a new path and a few tonnes of soil filling where we took up a redundancy driveway which is becoming grass.

So little time for modelling!

Today we had an hour or so off when the heavens!

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I spent a bit of time experimenting with artwork for the British Steel locomotives.

Quickly printed off to check sizes.

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Then the skies cleared and we were back in the garden.
 
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