December update

A few new pictures, a happy winner informed and a new camera to get to grips with.

New pictures of another Standard 5, maybe I'll get to do the whole class. An old loco in a new guise - a Great Western tank loco in an LMS skin. It took three attempts to get it right. It didn't look right with the big LMS on the saddles, I tried two different ways. I then tried the LMS plates in the LNWR style and it worked much better. The pictures were taken before the final session of work, so there's no crew on show, the rust was toned down and the buffers were filed and the mould lines taken out. It turned out well, I hope the owner likes it as he's got another GWR to LMS conversion half way through the workshop.

The winner of my competition was pleased to hear from me and will decide what to send after the festive season has died down.

I have a new piece of hardware to take my pictures with. The great Nikon D50 I have used for nearly a year has been traded in for a D80. It is an extension of the D50 and gives the user a lot more options to work with the settings. I still have a way to go with it, but I love the quality of the pictures it can produce. The D80 body is teamed up with a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX lens to take all of the new pictures on the site.

On the bench at the moment are some N gauge blue era diesels, a Merchant Navy that has been crashed! a trio of LMS steamers and another Std 5. Still no sign of any time to do my own stock.