As Thomas and Sons is completed I’ve been asking myself ‘What’s next?’
Well, I could spend hours and hours operating the layouts I’ve already built… but I like making stuff.
So there has to be more ‘making’ 🙂
The plan has always been to restart on The Granta Valley Railway.
After all I’ve made the baseboards, laid the track and done the electrics. Two years ago in fact (Gasp!).
However, as so much time has passed I’ve forgotten where I’d got to.
I needed a ‘stock take’ or, more accurately, a rummage through my boxes of half finished and unmade kits.
This revealed:
- some half finished coaches, in two different liveries (!)
- a rather nice Avalon Lines 3D printed ‘Exmoor style’ loco body with chassis
- a couple of O9 loco bodies that I brought second hand because they were only £5 each
Plus, totally unrelated to the Granta Valley Railway:
- a ‘Hornby’ pug bash, loosely inspired by the Kerr Stuart ‘Pompey’ class locos
My challenge is that I feel torn in two directions: I want to make the GVR, but I like the idea of an estate railway with stock inspired by 18 inch gauge industrial lines.
So I’ve decided to make some models for the GVR and the unnamed estate railway … and see where this takes me.
Oh, and I may make a decision about what livery the GVR coaches will be.
Or can a miniature railway run two different liveries?
Steve's Narrow Gauge Adventure 
With regards to liveries, most railways, including miniature lines, changed liveries occassionaly, so perhaps you could model the line in the middle of a changeover? At present my four coaches are in totally different schemes, as I can’t decide either.
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Hi Ian
I’m pleased I’m not alone in struggling to decide which livery I prefer 🙂
Good idea about the transition between two liveries. I will say the railway is transfering from the green to the blue livery. Problem sorted.
Thanks !
All the best
Steve
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Which brand made the loco bodies? I’m just starting in 09 and your page is amazing!! I really like your pugbash, which blue did you use on the coach? I would go for a blue livery for the main stock and maybe use the green for engineers trains, who makes the coach without the roof?
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Hi Jason
Thanks for the positive feedback on my blog – much appreciated.
If you are new to O9 you should check out Colin Peakes blog, he’s a great O9 modeller http://o9modeller.blogspot.com/
Also, I’d recommend a book called ‘Going Minimum Gauge‘ which is all about modelling in O9. There’s loads of inspiration and advice in it.
The open coach without a roof is scratchbuilt, based on an article by Colin Peake in ‘Going Minimum Gauge’.
I’m not totally sure where two of the 3 D printed loco come from because I brought them secondhand but I think they may be from CW Railways, although I can’t see them on the website anymore.
All my O9 modelling blogs are here if you want to browse, and the blue coach is painted in Macragge Blue from Citadel.
Hope this helps.
Let me know how you get on…
Steve
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Thank you Steve
I think your pugbash is one of the best 09 locomotives I’ve seen so far! I’m now a member of the 7mm narrow gauge association, I’ve also ordered the book you recommended too! I’m hoping to make some designs for a 09 railway soon.
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Hi Jason
Good to know you’ve joined the 7mm Association. It’s a broad church with people modelling British, European and American stuff in a range of scales and gauges. Perhaps not everything will appeal to you but I’m sure you’ll find some of it of interest. Glad to hear you’ve ordered ‘Going Minimum Gauge’ – my copy is well thumbed 🙂
Another thought. A good free resource is the Narrow Gauge Modellers Online Forum. https://ngrm-online.com/ You may know it already, but just in case. Loads of NG modelling on there – Very absorbing – But beware it sucks up your time!!!
All the best
Steve
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Hello Steve,
I did wonder if you would go back to the GVR and carry on with it. The problem I have is that I start a lot of projects but have problems finishing them off as the lure of another new project diverts me! The end result is that when you come back to the original project you have to spend a lot of time understanding why you did and why! I also tend to look at the original work and find fault with it. I can understand your predicament but sometimes, as you seem to be doing, you just have to see where you end up rather than setting out a defined route – it can be a lot more fun and take you off into areas you never thought. What ever you do the important thing is to enjoy it and I guess that is why I have so many projects!
Regards,
Woody
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Hi Woody
I’m pleased I’m not the only one with too many ideas and not enough time 🙂
My mind wanders off and there I am exploring another idea for a layout…. Magazines and the internet are a great source of ideas. I see a model and I think I’d like to make one of those, or I see a layout and I think I’d like to make one a bit like that. And off I go again.
I do want to make progress on the Granta Valley Railway, but I don’t really have a plan. I’m just going to try stuff, see where it takes me and see what works (or not!). Plus, as you say, it is a hobby and it should be fun… exploring is definitely fun 🙂
Keep enjoying youself
Steve
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