Desperate Times

It has come to pass.  

Himself has been left with no choice but to carry out this threat to open up the collection of animated dioramas built by the late, great Steve Coulson and give them a wee overhaul.

If you've never heard of these, they are quite marvellous examples of Steve's robust and pragamatic approach to engineering, which made use of various recycled components from expired household machinery to the internet access CDs which once upon a time used to pour through our letterboxes as junk mail.

He's begun with the drift mine diorama. 

To get it working again he's replaced one of the fishing lines which control the bucket hoist via a series of  tubes and wheels. 

He reports being very pleased at managing to thread this thin, transparent line along its path.

For anyone interested in how this model was built Steve wrote an entertaining article in Narrow Gauge and Industrial Review issue 57 in 2004.