Inspired by the Steyrtalbahn again...

Mum's birthday today so after a pleasant afternoon out at Penrhyn Castle, and it's Industrial Railway Museum I've been running trains in the garden...

Archive Steyrtalbahn footage...

I've just found some wonderful footage of the steam hauled (until the end - 1983) trips on the Steyrtalbahn in 1978 - excuse the music, but enjoy the video...

2095.06 in the garden...

Finally this evening the weather became fine and dry enough to get some stock out in the garden so here she is, 2095.06 hauling her first revenue earning trip on the EJ&KLR, along with some on shed shots with the lines Henschel tank and U-tank in the shed...

2095.06 enters service

2095 begins service...

Due to inclement weather I only managed two circuits of the outdoor line before I had to bring the new 2095 indoors, so until I can get some better photos here she is on a typical Ybbstalbahn formation...

The PW gang are out...

The PW gang had a big job to sort put this weekend. The line has been closed due to a landslip for a week or two, so with the bank holiday looming the chaps finally finished digging a new ditch and replacing the ballast shoulder.

Track maintenance...

The beauty and one huge appeal for me about modelling in the outdoors with real ballast is the opportunity to undertake real maintenance. I've spent a pleasant few hours cleaning out the point mechanisms and addressing a rabbit induced landslip, in addition to the usual tamping and topping up.

Windows finished...

It's hard to capture the windows in the dark and without a roof fitted but here you are, an attempt to show the progress made this evening...

Station window progress...

This evening I have been working on the station building again. The windows have been started, and since I didn't really show how I did these when I built the engine shed I thought I'd show in photos the process.

First a scale drawing is drawn up, then the window is tacked over this with masking tape loops to stop it shifting about. Pencils are used as spacers and a metal rule as a guide. I use a bow pen to draw in the frame. In this case I started with a grey/cream colour and then filled in the dark brown afterwards.

The result is only flat but at a distance does a good job or copying the original inspiration, as pictured on this photo of Blamau on the Ybbstalbahn.

Van conversion, first side finished...

As the title says I've finished the first side of the van conversion with 60thou plasticard for the replacement planks and new window frames. I've got an end door to fabricate and a second side to start this week.

2095 with 798 and Ybbstalbahn book...

We got back from an excellent family holiday in the Forest of Dean today, so this afternoon I took the chance to pair up my 2095 with my Frank S conversion, 798.201. I think it looks the part, and the scale is pretty close, certainly good enough for me. The 2095 now sports pride of place on the top of the book shelf for a few days before I pack it up ready to visit the EJ&KLR next weekend.

I also returned home to find a book I had ordered arrived - one of the Bahn im Bild series (think similar to the Middleton Press titles) on the Ybbstalbahn. Full of great photos and since the Ybbs was one of the first narrow gauge lines dieselised there are plenty of diesel shots - although not quite as much freight as I'd hoped.

2095.06 arrives...

Here are some better photos of my brand new 2006 LGB 2095.06 OBB narrow gauge diesel hydraulic locomotive.

Happy Birthday, to me...

I'll get some better photos tomorrow but we had a mammoth trip down to Dorset to see Grandma and Grandpa today and enroute stopped off to collect this LGB 2095 diesel. Brand new and un-used before I gave it a test run! A good find, I can't wait to use it on the EJ&KLR.

First new plank fitted to van...

Some 60 thou plasticard was cut and scribed with groove detail to fit this evening. A slow job but worth it. Next I'm going to do a window frame in the opening I've made.