26 September 2025

One of the things that has been holding me back on progress with the dolls house is the simple fact that once glued up it will be difficult to move around. I've been looking for options to solve the problem and having not found anything off the shelf that I could adapt I've sat down and drawn up a cutting plan to build a trolley from scratch. Part of the poking was the set of casters that Lidl was selling a few weeks ago. I picked up the big set for the dolls house, and the smaller set has gone onto the trolley in the kitchen. Leaving 4 small ones spare at the moment. I'm still waiting on the question as to if I can use the loft as a workspace, but the dolls house will never go up there, only parts will be small enough to work on away from the house itself. So yesterday I finally gave in and took the cutting plan to up and picked up a sheet of 18mm MDF which is currently on offer. Whilst I was there I also picked up some shelves for the new run on the side wall of the flat. I'd taken advantage of the CPC account to get the rails and brackets which worked out a lot cheaper than buying locally or even on Amazon. Bit of a tight fit to get 2.5mt lengths IN an I10, but they did fit ... just. So in addition to the dolls house, I've got more space to build some of the other kits that I've gathered over the past 15 months. There should be some more railway carriages arriving soon, although there is some question as to just where that parcel currently is. Jon at Bowaters Models had been stuck in hospital which had delayed things, and now the parcel has been showing on Evri as 'awaiting arrival' for over a week.

I'm also waiting on some etched brass from Worsley Works for the 15mm scale Viking Diesel Loco to go with the chassis I've partially assembled. So things are plodding along and I will have plenty to keep me busy over the next months. I've picked up the sails for the 'Norske Love' and have sorted a few other bits to repair the rigging so that is going to be fun. Again too big to get through the loft hatch so one the the dining table! At least I can leave work on there and eat in front of the TV ... not that I have been watching much recently.