2024 - what happened?

 Well, it was the year when I finally started to build a layout (Drystone Moss), and also realised a long term ambition by building it to 006, that is 4mm scale using a gauge of 6mm to represent an 18" gauge narrow gauge railway.

Drystone Moss, as it stands at the moment.

Taking the layout first, it started out as a flight of fancy, an imaginary line across a part of the Staffordshire Moorlands that I'm quite fond of built to carry coal. Now, there has been mining in the area, in fact I posted about finding some remains, but the mining was on a small scale being bell pits. However, I did find that there was a rope worked n.g. incline near to where my layout is set, so maybe the mining was expanded and a loco-worked line built.

Mining remains, Axe Edge. Once an incline carried drams of coal down to the A53. I'm stood on a spoil heap in this photo.

It still needs finishing, my next job is to carve some rocks from DAS, not a difficult task in theory but it's the point where I've stalled. Once I've made some rocks that I'm happy with (there are a few on the workbench) then I can place them into the landscape and start applying static grass, of which I have several types to play with. Still, I've got more done layout-wise in a few months than I have in the past couple of decades.

Practice piece, rock carved from DAS.

Laying the track has been a very interesting exercise. I used code 40 rail, which had to be bent into a circle. For that I had to make a rail bender as well as a pair of gauges to lay the rail with. All good fun. 

Of course a layout needs stock, and so far I've built one loco (which still needs paint) and several waggons. All but two waggons are scratchbuilt, including the wheels. To go to those lengths is, I admit, a bit eccentric, but I like the challenge and the freedom of making pretty much everything myself, although making multiple wheelsets on the lathe can be a chore. My approach does have its disadvantages, if I'd used Z gauge standards or adopted/adapted the Busch Feldbahn system rather than using modified 2FS standards then maybe life would have been easier. Or maybe not, Z is pretty crude and Busch expensive. I'm also slightly restricted as far as wheels are concerned, spokes are out unless I want to do some very tricky work, but the fact that I can make them any size that I want balances that out. Having a layout where everything is, as far as possible, built by myself is quite satisfying. 

Part of the attraction of this project is to do something completely different, which has meant working out not only track and wheel standards but also the coupling type and height. I'm not using any type of automatic coupling, rather I'm attempting to follow the prototype with a simple link and pin which is fine for a roundy-roundy pizza. One other thing to come from this is I'm now being more careful about what I buy, if it can't be used for 006 then I won't buy it (in theory!). I do have some 009 kits that could be used, mainly locos, but most 009 won't I feel work on the narrower gauge.

This year I intend to get the layout finished, and perhaps start on the follow-up.

Other notable jobs on the bench this year have been few; I bought myself another airbrush which needed cleaning up, I built another controller, and I had a commission to turn a lamp housing for a coach. Away from the bench I've photographed some corrugated iron, visited the Steeple Grange Light Railway, and wandered across moorland taking photos and looking for mining remains. Amongst other things that I've done in 2024 which are outside of the scope of this blog have been visiting stone circles, teaching myself to sharpen kitchen knives, been to a few 'dig days' (path maintenance at the Roaches in Staffordshire with a local mountain biking advocacy group), been to quite a few gigs and I've done a bit of sewing.

Doll Tor, Peak District.

Who knows what 2025 will bring? Perhaps more of the same, perhaps I'll disappear down another rabbit hole, perhaps I'll give up modelling altogether (highly unlikely!). Whatever happens I intend to enjoy myself, and I hope you all do to.

Lastly, this blog had 29.9K visitors in 2024, 1.07K of which came via. Phil Parker's blog (at this point I should point out that this blog was inspired by Phil's). I'm actually amazed that people do visit, I don't try to be topical or popular, and I'm pretty erratic about what I post and when. Not forgetting that my content is rather niche to say the least!

Paul.