Update – The Model Railways of Oly Turner and Chris Matthews

It is that time of the month again, and Chris has let me take the reins.

We have just got back from Railex in Aylesbury. Great show, brilliant trade support. We saved near on £30 on postage by simply having so many quality suppliers in one place. The layouts were also of a good quality, a good showing for 2mm fans. Fence Houses is so big I still cannot quite comprehend it. The stand out layout was Leicester South GC, it’s one of those layouts that a magazine shoot just doesn’t do it justice. It’s LOVELY and it was nice to see a young ‘un operating it with some skill. Me and Chris commented that it was a great idea to attract all the families on Sunday through a discount, to give it a sort of Railway Folk/General Public two day thing going on. Unfortunately we went on Saturday and it was busy with the usual rude unwashed barging around and generally murmuring critical comments all with seemingly gigantic cameras and video equipment.

Anyway what have we been doing? Well it’s been a big month really, the wife has signed off permission for a railway den. So a new shed is going up next week so I get the original one (it’s quite nice and next to the house, with power etc) so over the next couple of weeks it’ll be emptied and turned into something more suitable. A plan already exists for the room (I’ve had my eyes on it for a while). Everyone has to model at least one BLT and I haven’t done so I’m going ScR one coach trains in the 60s. More of that in the coming months.

So Waldo is slowly evolving into something. I’m not going to lie, this layout has stalled more times than a Granny in a Metro. It’s been a trek, but finally, and much thanks to Chris, there is real light at the end of the tunnel and soon it’ll be out of his loft and back with the club. Life after Waldo is a thought we haven’t give much time too.

The track has been mostly painted and ballasted. That signal box is not staying, it’s just merely showing you where the real one will go when that is built. Our Wills arches will soon be going a nice shade of Yellow brick.

And here is what it’s all about, proper traction.

At my end I’ve finally gotten round to Chris’ EPB. It’s been hanging around like a bad smell for months so it was nice to get her done and packed off back to it’s home depot. It was pleasant to work on a model that really apart from a few people and a weather did not need anything else done. It’s a lovely thing.