Update - No.24 - 23.12.11

Originally sent to Corkettes as an email in Dec 2011

 
Hello again my friends.....my last report of the year - I promise!  I'll keep this one brief as I know you all need to run off and watch the Morecombe & Wise Christmas special from 1981 again!

Merry Christmas from Corky!

Construction Progress...

Sadly I must confirm I have failed in my attempts to finish the low level trackwork before Christmas.  The Blue-Point machines I ordered from the USA failed to materialise and after contacting the supplier it transpired they messed up the order and they had never been sent.  They should be on their way to me now but it's all too late to complete the wiring in time for my festive deadline....pity!  So much for the "special relationship" eh! It's an outrage I tell you.....an absolute outrage!

Lower Yard - Level 1 Storage

Lower Yard - Level 1 Storage

Lower Yard - Level 1 Storage

Lower Yard - Level 1 Storage

I have however continued to lay track and points and you can see from the "Corkscrew Totaliser" things are progressing well.  Just the Lower yard North End loco sidings to go and a couple of the lift out sections and I'll be ready for gradients to and from the docks.  All progress has now halted for the year as Mrs Corky and I have been busy preparing for the imminent invasion of hundreds of relatives who will descend on Corky-Towers in the next few days!  If things all get a bit too much I'll make a cuppa and grab some mince pies and sneak off to the Corkscrew Lines until I'm discovered and dragged out by my ear......Oh My Lords!!!

Check out the latest shots and hopefully you'll see things have moved on in the last couple of weeks.  Napier-Boy arrived  last week with some strange relics from a bygone model railway age and insisted on running them whilst proclaiming "Hellfire....Hellfire" and gesticulating wildly......bless, as long as he's happy!  I feel I'm doing the community a service indulging him this way.  Rooster also dropped by today and inspected the Shinbash Lane Low Level signal box as can be seen.

Top Brew Trucker!

Rooster lifting the lid on Shinbash Lane!

European Nedding Highlight of the Week...

A few more Italian trains for your delectation and enjoyment.  This time in the magnificent city of Turin.  Check out the cute Fiat diesel which reminded me of one of our own class 25's......Dreadful!  I've included a few of shots of and from the Mole Antenna (the Italians claim it's the worlds tallest all masonry structure.....I believe them) which is Turin's famous landmark and a fantastic vantage point to see the entire city and many of the locations for the original, and best Italian Job....Oh My Lords!  It was certainly a very long way down when you looked over the edge of the viewing deck railings....not for the faint hearted.

Poor Unfortunate Souls...

A special thank you to my brother in law, Chris -"make it so number one"- Gibbons.  Also known as "Soft Fruit Boy" for reasons I thankfully can no longer remember.  He has been a long term supporter of the Corkscrew-Lines and always shows an active interest in what is going on despite not really having any significant or active interest in model railways....such a pity...poor chap!  This time of year really brings it home that there are so many poor souls out there desperately trying to survive having never discovered the charms of model railways.  They seem happy and normal but we all know what a huge disadvantage they have being born without the "Ned" gene!  Anyway, thanks Chris for all the help with the house moves (nothing currently planned you'll be pleased to hear) and you will always be my deputy curator of the "wood museum"

The Soft Fruit Boys reunited!

It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it!

In the next thrilling instalment... 

Who knows?  I certainly don't....exciting isn't it?..........Dreadful!

Anyway my lovely little Corkettes, it's the end of the Corkscrew-Lines first year of construction - the shot of the green storage boxes is the extent of my model railway at the start of the year.  

I thank you all for your support and friendship along the way.  Some offer advice, some offer assistance and companionship and others offer moral support.  I thank you all for reading the updates and hope to see you all again next year.  From Mrs Corky and myself....Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.....Hellfire!

Corky