Mojo Returns

Unsurprisingly, following Neil’s untimely passing, there was a period of reflection rather than doing following Elsbridge’s appearance at Burton. However, since our fortnight’s holiday, my modelling mojo has slowly returned. 

First on the workbench has been some 16mm scale wagons to run with the Skylark. Realised that if I didn’t build them soon, this summer will have passed by. There are a pair of Binnie GVT wagons and a pair of Bowaters Snailbeach wagons to run alongside the pair of Corris waggons we already have. They’re painted and await transfers before some varnish to take the sheen off them. Though they might get a run before the transfers arrive at this rate. 

Elsbridge is in the care of the Trent Valley Group of the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association, or Neil’s modelling mates as it could be more commonly referred to. After Burton, Elsbridge went in my garage but in the last week has moved up into my attic, a relatively large, spacious and insulated railway and storage room. The advantage of living in an old pub!

Elsbridge has been set up, spiders evicted, all the buildings and detailing parts added and most importantly, operated. Having two part built layouts of my own, having a fully scenic operational one to play with has been rather novel. I’m sure that myself and Neil’s friends will enjoy operating it from time to time and I’ve already snuck off up into the attic a couple of times to shunt a few wagons and Neil would be happy to see his layout used. 

Currently, I’ve given some of my stock destined for the Abermelyn a run for the first time in a couple of years. This is further ignoring the modelling mojo for me to carry on with my own layout projects. It’s also shown just how small Elsbridge’s resident locos and stock are because my two Ixion locos look rather large on the layout, and they’re small by O gauge standards. Soon they will return to the drawer and I will get Neil’s stock out to run. There was the risk that this would encourage procrastination. However, the ability to shuffle a few wagons around from time to time has so far been the opposite with the clay dries having been dusted off and work recommenced.