Recent weather and the arrival of two new steam locomotives with snowploughs in the accessory pack prompted MIKE WILD to give Shortley Bridge’s viaduct scene a quick winter makeover.
At the end of January we saw the first flurries of snow for 2019. In fact, that very day we were travelling back from the London Toyfair behind DB Schenker Class 90 90028 Sir William McAlpine on the 4.06pm ‘Newark stopper’ from London King’s Cross and as we plied north towards Stevenage we saw snow whistling past the window. Fortunately it hadn’t reached our home area, but there were plenty of pictures circulating to show where snow had settled.
Incidentally it was the Oxford Rail stand at the Toyfair which reminded me of an idea to create a snow scene to pose the manufacturer’s recent ‘OO’ gauge model of GWR ‘Dean Goods’ 0-6-0 2534 with its snow plough fitted. This, alongside the new Hornby LNER ‘J36’ 0-6-0, is amongst few steam locomotives which have been supplied with a snowplough from the factory, though if you fancy adding a small plough to a Stanier ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0, ‘8F’ 2-8-0 or ‘WD’ 2-8-0, Hornby offers a spare part (Cat No. X9148W) though they are currently in short supply.
Above: Winter comes to Shortley Bridge viaduct as an Oxfor…