It's interesting, the projects I do for the Hornby Collector's Club. Sometimes, I'm fully immersed in some big construction or project that fires my enthusiasm from the get-go, like the Industrial Tramway or the repainted Lionel Gauge 2 stock. Then other times, I find myself struggling for something achievable in the timeframe. I've two big builds underway for the HCC, but real life and work majorly impacted me in the summer, and I ended up somewhat scrabbling around for something I could send off to hit the deadline.
Inspiration struck on the summertime visit to the NRM outstation in Shildon, and the concept of the railway centre. A contained site, a demonstration line, and unusual (often large) locomotives. The above shot was from an earlier visit there, and the Furness Railway no.20 pottering about on the demo line.
Ah, the perennial Hornby favourite, the "Flying Scotsman". My own feelings on this loco are mixed. I don't like how much of a money pit it's been for the nation, and I really, really, hate that dull livery. But then I have very fond memories of cabbing the loco on the SVR in the 1990's, and one of my first 'proper' model locomotives was a Hornby rendition of this machine, in LNER green.
And there it is! Because of the timescale issues, I was having to rely on old projects to take the pics, so this was a very, very old diorama, built back in the days of the Holyhead article...
...and a rebuild of the Tramway mill board.
There was also a bit of studio-type shooting too, to fill out the piece a little.
And here it is, in print. Not my favourite article, but then it was tainted a little for me by the events going on in the background, with my work life and real life.
Still, all being well, the next project should be a little more impressive, back to the world of Tinplate clockwock trains.
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