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Don I'll have a look in Monk Bar's bargain bin next time I'm in town, see if there's a Notts fire engine in there for you. It's a new set of people Bachmann have released fairly recently I believe, schoolchildren and anorak-wearers engaged in the study of the Iron Horse. My Mrs found them highly amusing, however she did wonder if they might not be just as well off situated around the model aircraft collection collecting tail numbers instead!

The only work to report this week only indirectly affects the layout. After much wielding of a flamethrower by yours truly (a scary thought for anyone who knows me!) the flat roof above the layout is now hopefully watertight. After the recent heavy showers all's well, so fingers crossed we won't have a repeat of the flooding seen in Goatbridge a few months ago...

A couple of new bits of rolling stock arrived this week. One was repainted in mucky NER colours, the other was restores back to a mucky version of its original Prime Pork colours to be added to my mrs' rake of PP wagons

I had a little running session, just to check all was well. Here the 'shandy train' is shunted, while Norma still awaits the call from Jas to head west...

And I think Oliver Cromwell's driver has taken a liking to this sailor's girlfriend!

...which never crossed my mind at all Don, noo!
I've not much to report engineering-wise from Goatbridge, preparing our jet for an imminent run seems to be taking all my free time. I did find time to visit a car boot sale on Sunday though, and acquired some railway gear. More on that soon; first a day off on Monday meant room could be made for the new acquisitions. First new acquisitions, a pair of those cheap Mk1's everyone else seemes to have pounced on too.

Surprisingly good for the money!

I needed to clear all the coach stock from the sidings to get the crane out, as I was moving it to the front where the flooded out loco shed had been. The Mongrel Scot and Class 20 managed this between them, before the crane was dragged out

And onto its new home.

The Scot then shifted the new coaches

Before picking up a brake van and trundling off to pick up Sunday's acquisitions

She returned a short time later (ie after I'd got them all out of the carrier bag!)

The crane has gone to live in what has now become the engineering department's corner/yard, pending restoration

But after a repair to one coupling on the Lowmac these 2 are ready for service!

At some point I'll tart the Lowmac up a bit, but the circus wagon is the beginning of the circus train my mrs wants me to build up...
I also got another slightly tatty showman's traction engine

I figured rather than restore it I'd roll it back to being a working engine, seeing as I already have a spotless showman's engine. After some attention with a razor saw, some paint, and that bent axle straightening here it is

So, a crane, lowmac, circus wagon, bus, traction engine, and some other oddments. Not bad for less than £15...
Finally a couple of shots I took in natural light. Including one overview of the now slightly tidier layout...



I believe Bert may have snuck a long overdue reappearance after far too long too!

Haha looking good, I dare say that your new coaches need a bit of weathering up to match the locos a bit more The cranes look nice, I don't think i'll be selling sid's circus train while going N, even though they make a lot of money look forward to seeing it being made

I daresay the paints will be coming out soon for weathering up the coaches; they really do stand out as looking plasticky compared to the other coaching stock I have. But for the money I ain't grumbling, and they do run nicely!
Don that indeed be he!

Another loco arrived last week, in the form of a poorly pug.

I got it running, then set about making good the abuse the bodywork had suffered. Now I could do things the easy way and buy a new cab... But no. I chose instead to make one from plastic card

Assembled and painted

And weathered and added to the active roster at Goatbridge

Quite happy with that. Just need to get on with the layout proper again now.

Nice job on the cab, blends right in after being dirtied up

Alex

Soo... It looks like I've neglected my railway a tad recently. Life, a load of model building commissions, and lots of activity with the aircraft mean I've had zero time to devote to Goatbridge. I am easing myself back into it though, as the track hasn't been used for 3 months or so it's part way through being cleaned, and I have another restoration project on the bench, most of which came off ebay...

From a tenderless, non-runner with a smashed shell it's come on a bit over the Christmas holidays!

I have to admit I've been fairly neglecting my trains too as I don't have a layout anymore cause we are waiting to move out still. Oh and I sold practically all my track. Good to see that you're getting back into it, hope to see how this years first restoration job goes looks fairly smart already, what was it before it was broken?

Alex

Here you are Alex, Princess Victoria.



In other news, I've treated my Pug to a proper Hornby cab. My built one was just too tall, so it's off to the scrap yard.

Another work in progress...