FAREWELL - I'S BEEN A FUN JOUNRNEY

Has been a fun time since I began these blogs, alas ill health means I take a break for a while

Keep well everyone

LOVE YOU MUM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THINKING OF YOU Xx 25th FEBRUARY

Always missing you promise not a day goes by now when I don't think of you. Love you loads, you brought us into this world and then had to leave us so early I have some comfort that you are reunited with Dad and hope that one day soon I will be with you both again. 

Wishing you a Happy Birthday Mum. Xxx

It saddens me that I don't have many more pictures of you to enjoy, but at least I have some lovely ones from your wedding day to Dad hung on the wall at home which helps me when I am feeling low. I know you didn't like having your photo taken anyway, much like myself, just wished I had a few more x. 

MUM AND DAD WEDDING 1961

Love you so much, always in my heart, so sad that you had to leave us so early, you would have been a great Grandma to Graham's boys and so proud of Sue now enjoying life in Australia with James and Hannah. I will be visiting the Hanworth Crematorium Rose Gardens on the weekend. Xxx

RISBOROUGH & DISTRICT MODEL RAILWAY CLUB - RISEX 2022 EXHIBITION

Risborough and District Model Railway Club Exhibition February 2022

Saturday 19th February 2022

LOCATION:
Community Centre, Wades Park, Stratton Road
Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire   HP27 9AX

OPENING TIMES:  10am - 5pm

About the Club
We welcome new members of all abilities from newcomers and novices to master modelmakers. Founded in 1971, we have a diverse membership with a common interest in all things railway. Members model across a range of scales and gauges, eras and countries. Bring along your own modelling projects or work on the club project layouts – currently, Okehampton (O gauge, SR/BR, 1948-55) and Aylesbury Town (P4 gauge, 1950s/60s). Or share knowledge and experience of the real thing.

The club meets on Friday evenings at 7pm till 10pm at the St Mary's Church Hall in Princes Risborough. This is located opposite St Mary's Church and near the main car park in Stratton Road.  The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, but sadly could not celebrate it in style. We hope to be able to do this when the risks reduce to an acceptable level.

The club have an established history of building entertaining layouts. These have included: Addison Park, Chiltern Road, Radmore, Chiltern Parkway and New Mills, however, we do not rely solely on past successes and we have a number of layout projects under construction in 'O' and P4. We are custodians of the iconic Aylesbury LNWR (High Street) layout which faithfully reproduces the original station as it was circa1910. When exhibited it has generated a lot of interest, not just in the exquisite modelling but in the history of the railway, local industries (e.g. ducks, osier!) and the development of the town.

RISEX 2022 Exhibition
Confirmed Layouts

Rossiter Rise by Terry Tew.
Set in North London this 00 gauge layout has detailed interior section of an engine shed as well as lots of operational interest. A BR built Class 501 three car unit eases into the main line platforms at Rossiter Rise alongside a pair of Q Stock vehicles on the London Transport line. (pictured above left) The background has been built up to suggest distance in this compact scene. This layout featured in Hornby Magazine in September last year. Rossiter Rise is a fictitious through station set somewhere in North West London during the mid-late 1950s.

The layout consists of a main scenic section placed centrally with a traverser storage yard to the left and a second off-scene yard to the right. This section also has scenic interest in front with the interior of a London Transport (LT) works portrayed. At the front of the main scenic section is a small LT depot with two tracks leading into the works plus a head shunt leading to a single road steam shed. Directly behind this is a London Underground bay terminus platform. Then there is a pair of through tracks constructed as four-rail DC in the style of LT and the North London Line. Finally, at the back, is a through bay platform which is non-electrified.

Mothercombe High Wycombe & District Model Railway Society, Junior Section
00 gauge rural Devon station featuring either GWR or BR period running sessions.

Pentrefan by Mike Morley.
Bringing an Edwardian theme to the show. EM Gauge layout set in the 1920’s based on mid Wales light railway lines.

Cobra Canyon By Riley Barnes.
Cobra Canyon is an American N gauge layout built by John Parkinson of wales but was given to the current owner Riley Barnes with the hope to inspire him to build his own layouts. It is a highly detailed model of a stereotypical Wild West scene, it was seen on the tv program “Hornby: A model world” in November of 2021.

North Barneston By Riley Barnes.
North Barneston is a fictional maintenance depot built by Riley Barnes for the tv program “Hornby: a model world”. It uses techniques learnt by studying his other layout “Cobra canyon”. The TMD and running lines are fictitious but is based on an area in the Leeds and Manchester area in the late 2010s

Marlow Station by Graeme Vickery.
A display of buildings, locos and rolling stock in 00 gauge for construction of model of Marlow Station as it was in 1947

Moos by Mike Roualle
Was featured in Continental Modeller November 2020.
This is the first show outing for Moos. Location is Weinviertel in Lower Austria – through junction station, located on a subsidiary line running from Zwettl to Horn, the standard gauge branch heading to Huf. The narrow gauge heading South to Krumau am Kamp. Whilst the main running line is electrified both the narrow gauge and the branch are not relying on diesel and some steam traction.

The narrow gauge merges in the station area using Tillig dual gauge trackwork. The era modelled is from the late 1970’s onwards- This allows a flexibility in the range of rolling stock, so that some interesting items may appear from time to time.

Oakworth to Maidbridge by Andrew Hicks.
00 Gauge layout there is a central back-scene running the length of the layout dividing it into two 8’x2’ halves. One side is a country station; the other is a town station.

All Cars Stop Here 請在此站停車 by Dave Carson
Based upon a Hong Kong street scene where trams run in the Central District

County School Station By Ollie Simons is attending its first exhibition.
Based on a rural junction station that serves the village of North Elmham. The station included 2 through platforms as well as a bay platform and run-around loop in the adjacent siding. The layout has been recreated as closely as possible to the real location while still in service in the late 1950s. This includes some complex point work and some beautiful scenery. The layout is a DCC sound fitted system including both loco sounds and ambient noises with working signals and lighting. The layout also features stunning custom built buildings

A Work in Progress By David Jay.
“00” gauge tramway which is presently in build. The layout features hand built track with very tight curves as would have been in the day.

O Gauge Shunting Puzzle By R&DMRC.
Conversation among members occasionally turned to the possibility of the Club building a second, smaller, gauge 0 layout that could be transported relatively easily and exhibited at smaller exhibitions such as 'Risex'. A dockside scene was one idea mooted, but the concept took on a practical form when it was suggested that a 'shunting puzzle' would be a good choice.

Nearest Railway Stations:
Princes Risborough [0.47 miles]
Monks Risborough [0.73 miles]
Little Kimble [2.31 miles]
Saunderton [3.42 miles]

WELSH MARCHES EXPRESS RAILTOUR - MONDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2022

WELSH MARCHES EXPRESS RAILTOUR
MONDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2022

DEPARTING FROM;  NOTTINGHAM,  LONG EATON,  DERBY,  TUTBURY AND HATTON,  UTTOXETER,  STOKE-ON-TRENT,  KIDSGROVE,  ALSAGER,  CREWE.

Traversing the breath-taking beauty of the Welsh Marches route our steam hauled train offers a totally unique day out as we travel through the rolling hills of the pretty Shropshire countryside dividing England and Wales for a visit to the capital city of Cardiff.

We cross the Cheshire Plain and through historic Shrewsbury to join the Welsh Marches line and at Church Stretton there are outstanding views of the Long Mynd, known in Victorian times as ‘Little Switzerland’ – continuing along the Marches we pass magnificent Stokesay Castle and the historic towns of Ludlow and Hereford. Entering South Wales and the county of Monmouthshire there are superb views of the Brecon Beacons as the black mountains tower over the train. 

Crossing the River Usk

At Newport we cross the River Usk, joining the Great Western main line to Cardiff for an afternoon break. Arrival into Cardiff Central is expected around 12:40 and you are directly in the heart of the Welsh Capital with plenty of shopping, sightseeing opportunities. 

Not forgetting that it's Valentines Day for all you loved up couples. 

The capital city of Wales offers spectacular shopping, museums, dining, and entertainment. Easy to explore on foot and close to the station you can visit the free Welsh National Museum and spectacular Cardiff Castle all within the city centre. Top class entertainment is on offer at Cardiff Bay with its restaurants, waterside views and Wales Millennium Centre and there is plenty to see and do in the three hours whilst our train is prepared for the return journey.

The train is steam hauled from Crewe by one of our immaculately restored pool of engines including: the world famous LMS Royal Scot Class, No.46100 ‘Royal Scot’ – West Country Class, No. 34046 ‘Braunton’ – Britannia Pacific Class, No 70000 ‘Britannia’ (pictured below).

Steam hauled from Crewe by one of the train operators preserved locomotives;

West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34046 Braunton
History
built at Brighton Works in November 1946 in original streamlined form and upon completion was allocated to Exmouth Junction. Further allocations included Salisbury, Brighton and Bournemouth. In 1949 the engine was re-numbered to 34046 once owned by British Railways.
Withdrawal and preservation
34046 was withdrawn from service in October 1965 and moved to the Woodham Brothers' scrapyard at Barry Island, this was to be the engine's home for the next 23 years until it was moved in 1988 to Brighton in a bid to be restored. In 1996 it was purchased by the West Somerset Railway but later sold on to a private individual. The engine was moved to Williton on the WSR where a long term restoration to running order was to be undertaken. 34046 returned to steam in July 2007 for the first time in the 42 years since its withdrawal from service. The engine's debut return to passenger service was in 2008 with plans to have the engine certified for use on the mainline hauling excursion trains. Since 2018 it was based in Crewe and owned by Jeremy Hosking. 34046 is operational on the mainline hauling excursion trains.

46100 'Royal Scot'
One of our immaculately restored locomotives; LMS Royal Scot Class, No.46100 ‘Royal Scot’ is on the roster to be available for this tour. 

History / Preservation Notes
The original 6100 was the first of its class, built in 1927 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. It was named Royal Scot after the Royal Scots.  In 1933, 6152 The King's Dragoon Guardsman and 6100 swapped identities permanently. 6152 had been built at Derby Works in 1930. The new Royal Scot was sent to the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933 and toured Canada and the United States with a train of typical LMS carriages.  46100 was bought by Billy Butlin of Butlins holiday camps after withdrawal and after cosmetic restoration into LMS crimson lake at Crewe Works, although this was the original livery received, the locomotive did not carry it after being rebuilt (only one rebuilt Royal Scot ever carried LMS crimson lake livery and that was 6170 British Legion). It was then towed from Crewe Works to Nottingham by Black 5 No. 45038 and then from Nottingham to Boston by B1 No. 61177 on 12 June 1963.  Royal Scot arrived at Butlins on 18 July 1963 piped in by pipers from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots. This made 6100 one of two preserved rebuilt Royal Scots, the other being 6115 Scots Guardsman. It was set on a plinth at Skegness and was to remain there till the 1970s. On 16 March 1971 6100 departed from Skegness for the Bressingham Steam Museum and was returned to steam in 1972. It ran until 1978 when it once more became a static exhibit, it was eventually sold from Butlins to Bressingham in May 1989.

NOTTINGHAM MODEL RAILWAY SOCIETY EXHIBITION - SPRING SHOW 2022

Nottingham Model Railway Society

  - Spring Show 2022

Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th February 2022

LOCATION:

Highbank Community Centre, Farnborough Road, Clifton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire   NG11 9DG

OPENING TIMES:
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

ADMISSION:  Adults £5.00

Nottingham Model Railway Society's Spring Show 2022 will take place at the Highbank Community Centre which is a short walk from the Holy Trinity tram stop on Farnborough Road.

How to get there

Nottingham Express Tram (NET) to Holy Trinity tram stop.

By Car M1 Jct. 24, use A453 to Clifton. There is some on-Street parking or use the free parking at Clifton NET Park and Ride which is signed from the A453 (Satnav NG11 8BF). 

the exhibition will include several layouts including the club's own iconic Woodhead Electrics layout - Deepcar, a number of trade stands as well as a hands on demonstration.

List of Layouts Attending:

North Haston  HO Scale in New England USA

A new OO9 Layout by Dave Jones (Nmrs)

Britannia Mills. 1950s BR steam in OO based around a local Nottingham industrial layout. 

Hazelby Ballast Loader. BR sector era freight facility, Hazelby Ballast Loader is an N Gauge double track oval layout, It features an open fronted ballast Loader rather similar to the one found at Cliffe Hill until the last days of BR. The loading is done at the push of a button and can be seen from the viewing side of the layout.

Welby Lane RTC, OO BR research department with stunning departmental stock (pictured above). Based on the Derby RTC research test tracks of Old Dalby and Mickleover in the 1970s and 80s.

East Midlands Fremo Group With an extensive US based layout in HO.

Netherwood Sidings. 7mm scale O gauge by Graham Clark. This layout represents the Woodhead line in its final years. The layout is based on a set of exchange sidings near Sheffield. The track plan is freelance but based on features taken from Rotherwood and Wath. 

The bridges, in particular, are based on the real ones in the Rotherwood - Orgreaves area. 

The layout has taken around ten years to build. With scratch built Em1s & Em2s

Taste of Alber, Czech narrow gauge in TTe

Nearest Railway Stations:

Beeston [2.07 miles]

Attenborough [3.55 miles]

Nottingham [3.75 miles]

East Midlands Parkway [3.83 miles]

MISSING YOU ALWAYS DAD - 7th FEB [1934 - 2012] LOVE YOU FOREVER 💔Xxx

Always thinking of you Dad, Happy Birthday, missing you always, you were and always will be my biggest hero and inspiration

    Love and miss you Dad Xx




My wonderful Dad should have been celebrating his 88th birthday today, I miss him so much every day. Our families lives were changed forever in a way I couldn't imagine when you were taken from us, I so wish you were here now to advise me, admonish me, and keep us safe.

I'll never forget what you did for me, Dad you should be happy and so proud knowing that Graham and Susan turned out so well and have each brought up an amazing family, Sue especially as she enjoys her life in Australia with James and Hannah, who herself is now a mum to Addison and has a son on the way too you would have been a wonderful Great Grandad. I still have some regret not having the mental strength to follow their example and to also have made you proud. I will raise a glass to your memory, and have never stopped missing you, loving you and wishing you were here now.  

Also wish I had more pictures of you but what I have I make do with including lovely ones of you and Mum on your wedding day. X 

Love you loads, missing you, though I will always continue to wish you were both here to celebrate your birthday with us all xXx

HILLINGDON RAILWAY MODELLERS OPEN DAYS 2022 - 5th FEBRUARY 2022

Welcome back, time for another Open Day run by the Hillingdon Railway Modellers. A regular feature that's returned to our calendar and are sure as they return will once again prove to be extremely popular. The first open day for 2022 will take place on Saturday 5th February 2022. It might be cold now but you will be certain to receive a warm welcome, plenty of expertise on hand too, and run some trains if you wish. I certainly hope to get there and do just that.

Expect these to continue through 2022 as well and naturally everything is dependant on any changes to government rules and guidance, but we keep our fingers crossed. 

While I have not been able to attend here for a little while this is a good opportunity to get myself over there and give a few of my Dads O Gauge models a bit of a run out since I've no room for a layout at home and I don't want them to live in boxes forever. I aim to hopefully get there for the afternoon with a few items in my bag to try out and also update a few pictures too. It's always a popular day and doors open to the public at 10:00am, it's been a long time and I look forward to getting along and having a little run with a few of my old items they could sure do with a decent run as I haven't a huge amount of space available at home.

Address: 

Yiewsley Baptist Church, 74 Colham Avenue

West Drayton  UB7 8HF

* Please note that the entrance is at the side of the church down a path and the doors at the end should be open, please do not try and enter the main doors of the church itself. 

                       

Due to the rental costs of the hall there is a cover charge of £5 for these Open Days, there will be two extensive O Gauge and OO Gauge Test Tracks available and have recently added a three track N Gauge circuit too (Pic Below) all up and running so if you have anything you wish to see get a good run do please come along, have a chat with the friendly bunch of members, a nice cuppa and give your models a chance to shine.

N GAUGE TEST TRACK 

OO Gauge Test Track pictured left, has five available loups to test your models with. DC and DCC accommodated, I believed that the club members have been working on their own layout too, so whatever your theme, they should be able to accommodate you, and rule one always applies, run what you want, modern image, steam, continental, I've even seen some London Underground run there in the past.

HOW TO GET THERE:

If you are Travelling by Car

Check here for Parking Options.

Nearest Railway Stations :

West Drayton [0.34 miles]

SETTLE & CARLISLE PULLMAN - SATURDAY 22nd JANUARY 2022

Departure from;

Eastleigh (pu) - Winchester (pu) - Micheldever (pu) - Basingstoke (pu) - Reading (pu) - Maidenhead (pu) - Slough (pu) - Watford Junction (pu) then fast to the Settle and Carlisle reaching Carlisle around lunchtime.

This specially preserved HST set run by Midland Pullman are pleased to offer this very special New Year rail tour  special circular tour including a journey over the entire majestic route of the famous Settle to Carlisle railway and Cumbrian Fells. The Midland Pullman, was Britain’s first luxury high speed diesel-electric train, running in the early 1960’s between Manchester Central and London St Pancras. Beautifully refurbished carriages hark back to the days when you could truly unwind and enjoy the journey. The comfortable Pullman and first class carriages have leather cushioned seating, generously sized tables, and plenty of room to stretch your legs.

With great limestone peaks and deep valleys, we travel over no fewer than 19 viaducts and through 12 tunnels on this masterpiece of Victorian engineering – including the famous Ribblehead Viaduct Our train heads into the Yorkshire Dales for a spectacular journey over the magnificent high Pennines with the prospect of snow-covered mountains as they glisten in winter sunshine. The sheer scale of the scenery is apparent as we pass such famous landmarks as Batty Moss, Wild Boar Fell and Mallerstang Edge, with views of the three peaks towering over the line.

One magnificent sight follows another before we gradually descend into the tranquil Eden Valley to the border city of Carlisle for a lunchtime break of around 2 hours. We return over the west coast route passing Penrith, climbing over Shap summit and through the pretty Lune Gorge affording stunning views of the Cumbrian mountains, thence through historic Lancaster and Preston.

Blue Pullman, A brief history.

In July 1960 the Midland Pullman was relaunched as a luxury all-first-class service using two new Blue Pullman six-car diesel-electric units. The Blue Pullmans were luxury trains used from 1960 to 1973 by British Rail. They were the first Pullman diesel-electric multiple units, incorporating several novel features.

Named after their original Nanking blue livery, the trains were conceived under the 1955 modernisation plan to create luxury diesel express trains aimed at competing with the motor car and the emerging domestic air travel market. Although not entirely successful – they were seen as underpowered, and ultimately not economically viable – they demonstrated the possibility of fixed-formation multiple-unit inter-city train services, that a decade later was developed as the InterCity 125, which resembled them in having an integral power car at each end of the train. The sets were an advanced and luxurious design, befitting a Pullman train, although they did suffer some criticism particularly over a persistent ride quality problem. Over time it became costly to maintain such a small fleet of trains. By 1972, with the development of first-class accommodation in Mark 2 coaching stock, the surcharge for Blue Pullmans seemed uneconomical and unreliable to passengers and BR managers, and in 1973 the trains were withdrawn. Sadly none of the class were preserved.

SECOND HAND / REPAIRED OO GAUGE MODELS #2 - GWR PANNIER TANK No.5764

OO Gauge 

Manufacture - Mainline Railways

Cat No 37084

57XX Pannier Tank Locomotive

GWR Green/Gold No. 5764

This model represents probably my earliest memory of owning a OO Gauge 'toy' model train, it was probably a Hornby or even Airfix model back in the 1970s (yes I am old), although this is a much more recent acquisition and doesn't have the smoke effect it still a very well made model for it's age, and I'm pleased to have picked one up. 

Especially pleased that it only cost us about twenty quid, which for a boxed item and one in such lovely condition seemed a quality purchase, will be used with some of my wagons as well as the auto coach or B-set that I have in Choc Cream GWR styling too. 

Nice and easy one to take apart, removing the screws to release the chassis from the body, tidy, just probably a lack of run and been in storage for some time. Didn't show us anything to begin with but after it was removed, cleaned and some light 'sewing' machine oil applied, as I do regularly with other models, also checking all the leads are intact too. All back together and checking for signs of life. 

Excellent result as we soon found it responding, leaving it on a rolling road to run gentle for about twenty mins at a very low speed. Like it so much I am looking at getting another one and having it renumbered, although also seen that Bachmann produce the London Transport livery which might be interesting to us.

GWR Pannier Tank History

5764 was built in 1929 at Swindon at a cost of £2,651. It spent its entire service under BR ownership based at Old Oak Common. 5764 was sold to London Transport (LT) in 1960 and renumbered L95. By the time it was withdrawn from service it had completed 668,771 miles.

It was sold to Severn Valley Railway in 1971, and was operational less than a month after last being used on LT. Along with many other locomotives 5764 has appeared in films and television dramas. This engine appeared in the BBC production of the Charles Dickens winter tale in 1976. It was last entered service in 2010, the boiler certificate expired December 2020, and it is currently in store at Kidderminster awaiting overhaul.

KENDAL MODEL RAILWAY CLUB - EXHIBITION 29th - 30th JANUARY 2022

Saturday 29th - Sunday 30th January 2022

LOCATION:
Leisure Centre, Burton Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7HX
OPENING TIMES:
Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm
ADMISSION:
Adults £6.00  Concessions £5.00  Children £3.00  Family £16.00 

All being well this will be the Kendal MRC 2022 Annual Exhibition, with many of the traders and layouts carried over from the cancelled 2021 show with a number of new layouts and traders to replace those unable to attend. 

As with many events at this time of the year the rules might change at short notice with regards to attendance and rules, so far as we publish this the Uk Government have NOT issued further restrictions. "At this point we are hoping to be able to run the show as we usually do, but we will of course be guided by government policy and Covid safety requirements at the time. We will have wider aisles and hand sanitiser available".

List of Layouts Attending:
Abbotsford - N Gauge BR 1960s Liverpool/Manchester
Dunkow Road - N Gauge SR/WR set in the era 1960/70
Coketown - N Gauge WCML 2000
Gravelly Oak - N Gauge West Midlands/Shropshire.
Upper Cwmtwych - N Gauge from 2000 set in South Wales.

Rushen Valley Railway - O Gauge Preserved Railway. The clubs own modular O gauge layout which usually depicts a preserved railway. It can be exhibited as separate layouts -  Maidenhaiste Station and Broadhurst Works - or joined together, with additional scenic boards, to become the Rushen Valley Railway.

Harkness - by Tony Bucknell. An EM gauge layout based on a private railway in Northumberland 1930s to 1950s. The Belford Budle and Harkness Railway was a private light railway joining the LNER East Coast Mainline at Belford to the small harbour at Harkness on Budle bay. It is based on the North Sunderland Railway which ran between Chathill and Seahouses. We run two periods, 1939 (LNER), 1949 (early British Railways) and will add a third 1959 (BR) in due course, all with representative locos and stock.

Hartburn - EM gauge Northumberland, Hartburn is a small village in Northumberland (pictured above). It was never served directly by rail but lay just north of the old Wansbeck Valley Railway from Morpeth to Redesmouth, with the nearest station being Angerton. However, the original plan put forward in 1855 to link Morpeth and Rothbury proposed a line running via Meldon, Hartburn and Longwitton.

Furka Oberalp - HOm Swiss metre gauge, set somewhere on the Swiss Furka Oberalp Bahn, between Andermatt and Disentis, the layout features working rack and pinion operation allowing the train to climb approximately 3 feet as they wind their way around the layout, with up and down passenger trains passing each other at the small station, which is served by a funicular railway.

Loughborough Midland - OO gauge Loughborough Station.
Museum of Transport - 4mm museum layout

Lochdoun - OO9 Gauge - Automatic layout fitting into only 2ft square space

Nearest Railway Stations:
Oxenholme Lake District [0.99 miles]
Kendal [1.14 miles]
Burneside [2.96 miles]
Staveley [5.3 miles]

MAP:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022 [PRAYING THIS YEAR IS MORE FUN THAN THE LAST]

Oh yes it's time to kick off another year, a big welcome to 2022 and may it be twelve amazing months for you and yours, unlike the year we have just seen go by for many of us.

Can we just agree that the last year has not really gone to plan at all so might be best to just leave it be and move on. Been unable to attend any of the regular open days and running nights at local railway clubs, so quietly been adding to my small N Gauge collection at home, which is growing nicely now with a few additions and my Xmas gift to myself of another locomotive. Still need a place to give everything a good run but we do what we can with a test track at home. Hopefully would be nice to have some events and exhibitions to enjoy as well as visiting heritage railways and therefore the plan for 2022 will be to indulge in that more. While also considering a change of scene might do me the world of good and would be looking at a move down towards the south coast depending on how work turns out. While this blog has outlived its original remit, which was to highlight and focus on my late father's models, I do enjoy it and plan to keep it going for as long as I can with hopefully more news and events throughout the year as well any more days out I can manage. Still need to rearrange trips to places like Swanage during the coming year now that the line is connected to Wareham and they might begin to run a service from the main line which would help my plans to get there by Train. Must arrange a few days away in York when it becomes possible and a trip to the National Railway Museum plus hopefully Blaenau Ffestiniog would be great ideas for long weekends away this year. We also expect to see more of friends and family as well given the past year and an almost complete cancellation of activities then. All this would help if work was better for me too, and if I can get back to enjoying life rather than the grind of train strikes and commuting. Whatever happens make it fun, enjoy life as much as you can and be entertaining too in all you do.

Peace and love to all.
Hope you enjoy a wonderful year throughout 2022.