Max Stafford's Kennel

I had intended to write this post about a week ago in the wake of the Aberdeen MRC exhibition where, I had been manning a demonstration stand with a couple of other accomplices from the Jolly Boy John Modellers Group (if you know, you know.) 😉

Unfortunately overnight at the weekend I started to come down with a sinus infection which whilst not entirely debilitating and still within my pretty reasonable pain threshold, was enough to blunt the mojo and has only really started to come under control today, so here we are, later than intended.

The Weekend at the show was actually rather enjoyable and however nice it is living in a small place on the Mearns coast, it’s nice to get a day or two away elsewhere from time to time.

There were a couple of rather nice layouts present including the well-known ‘Moor of Rannoch’ which looks as good as it did the first time I saw it 27 years ago – nearly half my life to date ago!

There were another few layouts present but to my embarrassment I can’t recall the names.

I shall just let my sub-standard photos do the talking for now.

A beautiful, simple layout but with a beautiful presentation and level of detail.

I believe this layout was presented by Perth MRC. Although it’s done with Peco Code 100, the entire layout was done with consistency and detail that belies it’s basic concept; a ‘watch the trains go by’ layout on a non-specified Anglo-Scottish main line. It’s very much in the style of the kind of layouts that I took so much pleasure in watching at shows around Glasgow in the late 1970s just as the bug was biting.

Personally it puts me in mind of Houndwood and Lamington; I enjoyed watching it when I got away from the table.

As far as the demonstration was concerned, it was just a case of building or working on what you brought and just talking with anyone who took enough interest to ask.

I had a few weathered models to display. Plenty of folks enjoyed these and had I been a bit more switched on I could have had some business cards done!

As it happened, I just started painting some figures I’d brought along and there was plenty of interest in these too. I actually find figure painting quite therapeutic these days if I’m honest.

Whilst at the show, I met up with another mate who provided me with some locos for weathering. In exchange for this service he’s provided me with a couple of BR blue diesels, one of which was this SLW Class 25/3.

The SLW 25 is a thing of unparalleled beauty in the world of 4mm type 2 diesels and had I more disposable income I’d have been ordering a couple more of these for sure.

Blue locos of both BR steam and diesel eras have figured prominently in my acquisitions this year.I

Have always had a real love for the Express Passenger blue of 1949.  I trace this back to 1976, when my pal’s dad had a display case in his house with some Hornby Dublo locos in it, one of which if I recall correctly was Duchess class, City of Glasgow in blue.

Two years later, my uncle bought me a Lima King in the same livery. Ever since I’ve liked it. Following on from that, I have since I came home gathered and example of all the blue loco classes that operated across the border.

Most recently, I was able to find at a good price, the Hornby A3 from the 2006 Master Cutlery set. Although it’s modelled as 60052, Prince Palatine this locomotive didn’t move to Scotland until sometime after it had lost this livery. Another factor to be considered was that she was still RHD at this point, so if I wanted a ScR loco, I was going to have to do a bit of detective work. Fortunately this wasn’t the arduous investigation it could have been – certainly nothing like the Black Five rabbit hole I fell down recently!

I quickly identified 60057 Ormonde as a suitable candidate, losing blue livery in late 1952 whilst being converted to LHD, so there was my subject matter. Just tonight I have been removing the cabside numbers in preparation for the new identity. I have a Brassmasters detailing etch kicking around too so I shall probably add elements of this whilst I’m at it, but on the whole, this will be a fairly straightforward renumbering and work-staining number.

Although St Clements is still a work in progress, not stalled exactly but awaiting another surge of inspiration and confidence, I’m feeling the urge to try a smaller project just to develop my layout building skills and so I acquired a few more lengths of bullhead. I was partly inspired by that lovely W. Highland station model shown above. I liked the ‘half a station concept and I’m looking to do a small project that can perhaps live along the wall in the spare room and get pulled outside for photographing models when the weather permits. I’m mulling my options over that but I think it’ll inevitably be a southern or eastern Scottish prototype, given my tastes.

Then, of course there’s my NE Region interest which steadfastly refuses to die…

But that’s something for another day; I think you’ve suffered enough of my stream of consciousness today!

Time to relax with some Miles, jazzcats!