It may be freezing, it may be raining cats & dogs, however on my model railway, it's Summertime and market day. I managed to get a couple new figures painted up and added to the scene. John the green grocer is offering fresh lettuce, while Constable Jeffries questions a suspicious chap holding a piglet. Mike the baker is handing off fresh baked bread to nurse Georgina on her way home after her shift. All for now.
Art imitating art imitating life ! Not that my little railway in any way could be considered art, but I couldn't resist assembling that phrase. The painter Michael Barnes, a longtime family friend who paints some lovely landscapes, has been added to the railway using the superb Phoenix / S&D Models metal casting #OF 122. Painted with Tamiya acrylics. I'm no expert at painting figures, but I do enjoy the challenge.
The easel has a resized re-printed image of the same scene and colorized with very light colour pencil application. The image doesn't come across as clear in the photos as it does in real life. All for now, have a nice week everyone.
Another busy month of work and gardening has left little time for progress on the railway. I have managed to start the base scenic layer of ground ballast at the Boxer Bay Docks. Again drawing inspiration from many photographs of the S&DJR docks at Highbridge. It's slowly coming together. All for now.
Summertime always brings more gardening, fun time at the beach, and a busier work schedule. So not much activity on the railway. In the last month plus I've managed to make a little more progress on my coach from Connoisseur Models. Still enjoying the challenge and rewards of building my first etched brass model in decades. Looking forward to painting (& hiding) my messy solder joints !
After a long absence, for scheduled service, BBR Terrier #3 "Josie" returns to work. Service included wheel cleaning, pickup adjustment, lubrication, and an overall cleaning. She's seen here at Windrush Junction, shunting the goods yard. An L&Y cattle wagon is a long way from home ! How it ended up in Somerset, is up to ones imagination :)
I took advantage of a day off from work to make progress on the dock wall of Boxer Bay, which is heavily inspired by the S&DJR dock at Highbridge - see 1930's archive photograph. I really like the combination of a stone & timber wall, makes a nice contrast. The wood was stained & lightly weathered. I'm no artist, so just attempt to make it "look good" at a distance. I'm happy. A ton more to do, not to mention the boats & water.
Another job was improving a scene I wasn't entirely happy with. The stationmasters house at Windrush Junction, I did not like the shrubbery ;), and thought a traditional hedge would be more fitting. Made from simple cheap cleaning sponges & typical foliage. I think it improves the scene overall. Monty Python approved !
