Update - No.23 - 13.12.11

Originally sent to friends and family by email only in Dec 2011

 
Hello my lovely little Corkettes.......how are you all?

A Little Bedtime Reading Perhaps?

Wow...what a fascinating article.....and what a good looking chap he is too!

It happened!  The Corkscrew-Lines is in print......Dreadful, Oh My Lords......Hellfire!  I purchased the January's Hornby Magazine a few days ago and there on page 34 is a familiar (bald, short sighted, middle aged) face - oh yeah!  I'm delighted with the article and hopefully it's the first of many more.  Rooster and Napier-Boy have already checked it out and given it the thumbs up - thanks boys.  Aficionados of the Corkscrew-Lines will be pleased to see I have all my essential tools with me in the shot on page 36, namely a steel rule, tape measure, marker pen and mug of Yorkshire tea.......Hellfire!

Construction Progress...

Well it's all track laying, track laying and a little more track laying here!!!
Check out the latest shots and you'll see I am making good progress towards finishing the lower storage yards.  I still have the electrics and the gradients to tackle but it's certainly been a good start.  Much more track to go down but so far so good.

Lower Yard Progress

Lower Yard Progress

Lower Yard Progress

Lower Yard Progress

Lower Yard Progress

New Arrivals on the Corkscrew

No sign of the Dapol class 22s....sad-face!  No sign of the Blue-Point switch machines for the points either....another even sadder face!  To cheer myself up I decided to buy myself a belated birthday present.....a little Internet based retail therapy at Hattons Models.....very happy face!  I bought my usual selection of 1960s trucks which I don't seem able to resist and a few taxis at £2.00 a pop for my station forecourt scene.  I also went for some track essentials and a couple of tunnel mouths ready for the first scenic sections.  I have a long term plan to model a typical military train loaded with period army vehicles and the armoured car kit is the start.  This is a project to be completed in stages over the next few years.  Finally, yet another signal box....again, I just can't resist them!

Goodies!

European Nedding Highlight of the Week...

Enjoy some shots of the wierd and wonderful world of Italian railways.  My jaw literally hit the floor when I set eyes on the AC powered, articulated, Bo-Bo-Bo loco at Venice....what a beast!....Hellfire!  Anyway, shots include Milan and Venice.  I loved the Italian trains but not their punctuality.  A calendar is more useful than a watch in Italy!

Venice

Venice

Venice

Venice

Venice

Venice

Milan

Milan

Venice

In the next thrilling instalment...

I'm intending to squeeze in another update before the end of the year so I will hopefully give you all an overview of the state of the storage yards and confirm if I managed to finish it all.  If there's room I'll also include some more Italian shots....but only if you've all been good little Corkettes!  Of course this could all change because we are once again preparing to host Christmas at Jones Towers and it's shaping up to be another full house with a dozen or so folk staying.  My beloved, Mrs Corky has told me she does not consider track laying in the Lower Yard to be a priority right now.....bizarre, perhaps she's unwell!

 
Corky