Final detail on the van...

The 1980s era steel van is now ready for traffic. This evening I fitted the disc wheels and touched in the door locking bars in black paint.

Van transfer...

With the top coat of gloss grey dry I applied the custom EJ&KLR transfers using Micro-set and some patience! There is a little detail painting to do, then I can apply satin varnish to the grey parts, and fit some disc (rather than spoked) wheels.

Silver and grey...

I wasn't sure that the light grey body I wanted on my steel van was going to look ok with the silver roof, but I needn't have worried. It looks grand!

This was the Boissons Riviera blue van, the lettering was rubbed down with wet and dry paper (1200), used wet. The parts were then primed in Halfords plastic primer. The top coat (gloss light grey Humbrol tin) was airbrushed on in two coats. Next up, once it's hard, are the transfers, then a coat of satin varnish.

Trains in the sunshine...

An unexpected pleasant morning and Elly and I got her Stainz out, my Frank S tank and also my Dad's Shay as well, which is always a touch emotional and tinged with melancholy. Generally very relaxing running in the spring sunshine, though.

Time for playing...

And for maintenance. Whilst Elly played and watched Frank go round, I sorted some weeding, topping up the ballast, pruning some of the trees and also planting a trio of new plants on the outside edge against the lawn. Very therapeutic!

I'm pleased with how things are looking, I've got a few ideas for taking things further, some fencing, details around the station PLUS a Polish inspired yard office building!

Polish narrow gauge book...

I got my hands on a copy of Richard Ellis-Hobbs book about the last state owned steam hauled narrow gauge passenger service in Europe. It's only a short book, and some of the photos have been in Continental Modeller, but it's a real time capsure of hazy summer days, lazy short country trains, ramshackle track and rolling stock and real character in the buildings and stations along the line. It has a little introduction, and then follows a picture/caption format. Perhaps a touch pricey for a short book at £17 from Blurb, but a wonderful resource. Thanks for putting it together Richard, and I hope you follow up with a more general Polish book soon as I'd love to see some more of your photos and hear of your experiences!

Sroda : A Narrow Gauge Survivor by Richard Ellis-Hobbs | Make Your Own Book

Visiting stock...

My good friend Tim visited the EJ&KLR on Easter Sunday bringing with him a variety of cheaply made but exquisitely proportioned and modelled scratchbuilt G-scale rolling stock. From a Norwegian Beyer Peacock to a South African Garratt via a German toy railbus and Irish narrow gauge rolling stock...

1920s EJ&KLR in April

Garratt visiting EJ&KLR in April

Curiousities visit the EJ&KLR in April

A trip back in time...

As well as trying out the new 1980s era rolling stock I also ran my 599.xx 0-8-0WT freight locomotive with a short mixed goods train, typical of the late 1950s on the EJ&KLR.


It was lovely to see a complete train of rolling stock repainted and detailed by me, all in a coherant family style. The LGB Rugens based locomotive ran well on the new Helmsman controller, which was a winter purchase, and runs as well as my other steam engines now - the starter set controller just didn't have the uuumph or finesse to satisfactorily control such a long wheel based locomotive on my restrictive R2 curves (at the apex).

1950s EJ&KLR in April

The EJ&KLR in the 1980s...

Inspired by the long lived StLB in Austria, my very own EJ&KLR, a slice of Austria in my garden has recently gained some more modern rolling stock...

The first items rolled out off the workbench are the roll-wagen and the Schoema diesel. Here you can see a lightly loaded weekday freight train on the line around the Alisendorf area, it's only load an empty OBB standard gauge open wagon. The grey narrow gauge wagon is employed solely as a spacer, so as to maintain a safe load on the line's only bridge by seperating the locomotive, a product of the Schoema diesel company in Germany from the late 1970s and the standard gauge load on the roll-wagen.

Modern Image EJ&KLR

Roll-wagen outdoor testing...

Today was the scratch built roll-wagen's first run on the outdoor line and it has passed with flying colours. More photos later!

Faur L45H (Lxd2) joins the EJ&KLR...

Well only a week or so ago I was day dreaming of giving the EJ&K a more East European feel, and today, the deed was done and I have ordered one of the excellent kits from German manufacturer Blauturm - fantastic value at £600 delivered.

I suspect the renewed enthusiasm in no small part is due to my new book on the Bosnian narrow gauge. I know my Rugen 0-8-0WT is a completely different prototype, but whilst most see North East German narrow gauge, I see shades of the Krauss 0-8-2 Class 83s, and the Skoda 0-10-0s of the JZ.

So is the EJ&KLR shifting from an Austrian setting? No I don't think so, more a twist in it's history to allow me to run some Romanian/Polish inspired rolling stock amongst the usual LGB bash and repaints. In fact my roll-wagen, steel bodied brake (current project) and modern 1980s era repaints (the van and bogie coach) will be perfect to run behind the Faur.



This is what I find most enticing, overgrown, slightly run down looking and faded. Just crying out to be modelled... Although I expect my G-scale endeavours may be a little more pristine! The kit is styrene so will need to be kept indoors out of the sun when not in use, but looks robust enough for regular running. It's powered by a pair of USA trains motor blocks. I will look into fitting lighting and a sound unit to do the model justice, especially as it will be a truly unique model - perhaps the only one in this scale in the UK?

Further garden clearance...

After a few hard hours in the garden the bin area is getting there and I've cleared more of the old heathers. I need to do the budget for 2012 to determine if I can start the railway this year or if it needs to wait until 2013...

Big news on a new project later this weekend...

A quite incredible book...

I finally got my hands on one of my Christmas presents, a copy of Keith Chester's photo album that builds on his original book. This is no ordinary photo album though as it builds with articles and information that make it an entrancing read in it's own right. Add to that the beautiful scenery and tragic history of the end of the Bosnian narrow gauge, it comes highly recommended.

A day out on the Festiniog...

I took my daughter to visit the Festiniog Railway today, her second visit, but last time she was only two and slept most of the journey!

We had some lovely weather with snow topped mountains, crisp blue skies and rich lush greenery surrounding the line. We boarded at Tan-y-bywlch, the train from Porthmadog arrived first behind Earl of Merioneth, the double fairlie that I rode behind on my first visit as a child in the late 1980s. Our train arrived a few minutes later from Blanau behind Taliesin and Lyd - a great site, both meticulously turned out and a real treat.

One to remember - and a very enjoyable day.

Festiniog Railway - April 2012

Another van for repaint...

I'm working on another couple of household and other projects at present hence the lower output on my workbench but I disassembled, rubbed down and primed my new van.

This is going to finished in pale grey, silver roof, dark grey vent hatches and black modern EJ&KLR markings and numbers.

Slow progress on the garden...

I spent an hour filling the green recycling bin with the two root balls of the heather (front of the photo) and making a big start on the bush around the bins. A long way to go before there is track down!