Word Count Wednesday

You might have seen Wheal Ponder in the model press over recent months, as one modelling friend suggested…. “He finally builds a layout and doesn’t shut up about it!” However, I enjoy writing and over the years, I’ve written up my modelling projects for Narrow Lines, the magazine of the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association. In fact, I’ve won awards at the annual AGM competitions for my articles and never bettered Runner Up with the models. So, it appears I’m better at writing than I am the modelling… ho hum!

As a matter of course, Wheal Ponder was written up for Narrow Lines. 

Growing up, I got hooked on model railways in part by reading Dad’s copies of Railway Modeller magazine, and they were gracious enough to publish an article on the layout. An equally proud moment was having an article accepted for The Review, a magazine I’ve read from its inception and thankfully with its future secure. Editor John was willing to run with my idea for something a little different with the article too.

The icing on the cake was being asked for an article on weathering my Quarry Hunslets for Bachmann Times, for their Collectors Club members after they saw my examples.

Second up on the workbench recently has been a third Bachmann Quarry Hunslet. Whilst I hadn’t intended buying a third, when I submitted the articles on the layout, I hadn’t really thought about the fact that some of these magazines would actually pay me! 

Some of these proceeds were reinvested in an Alice loco that has been weathered in a similar manner to the previous too. I have attempted to tone down the ‘tomato soup’ shade with some dry brushing of darker reds.

Whilst Rough Pup was always my favourite, my daughter is rather fond of Alice having ridden behind the full size one so Alice it is, even if she is less clean on the weathering as the Alice that she has seen is always sparkling!

We’ve had a running session, first with the livestock in tow….

….but having been told that Alice was a quarry engine, we soon changed to the granite wagons.