Michelle has done a wonderful job at building the railway station for me, and I have started work on building the frame for the second tunnel (the largest of the two tunnels).
Things have slowed down a little bit thanks partly to Grand Theft Auto 4 (which I am spending most of my spare time playing), but I am gradually getting back into the building mood, much to Kierans happiness! - the sooner he can have his trainset, the better!
OHHHHH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Its that time of year again when I get to change my mobile phone with a new one. As usual, Phones4u gave me a ring the other day and tried to convince me to go with a brand new Samsung G600 mobile phone (the same model as Michelle). Now, Ive been quite happy with my Nokia N80 for the past year and felt that an upgrade to the new Nokia N95 8Gb would be my best bet. Well, the sales person whom I spoke to on the phone just kept telling me that the N95 is a crap phone and that if I would go with the Samsung model, I could also get £150 cash back - yes, a cheque for £150.
I gave in, and said OK, with the understanding that if I wasn't happy with it, I could return it within 7 days.
One day later, my new Samsung arrived. I opened the box, had a proper look and came to the conclusion that the phone just was not for me - it had none of the features that I've come to expect from a phone, so I rang up and explained to them that I wished to return the phone.
As you can imagine, the sales person attempted to try and change my mind by adding an extra £100 to the cashback offer - yes, £250 cash back. I tried to explain that the phone was not for me.
I was then passed to another 'senior' sales person, and once again they tried to convince me to go with the G600.
Phones4u, get it into your thick heads that I DO NOT WANT THE BLOODY G600. I know that you all have sales targets and that you have to sell a large number of a certain model to reach your targets, but instead of thinking of yourselves, how about thinking about what the person who is actually paying for the phone wants. I know what I'm talking about - just because you sit behind a desk in some office selling mobile phones all day, don't think that you know everything about phones - you don't. I wanted an N95 - I need a phone with the functionality of a smart phone running the Symbian operating system. If you can't get me one, then I will go elsewhere.
Anyway, after threatening to leave them, they finally gave in, and have offered me a good deal on a N95 8gb with cashback (even though when I first spoke to them they said they couldn't offer me any cashback on the phone). Hopefully I should receive the phone in the post in the next couple of days.
I've now been constucting one of the tunnels. Using small wooden supports, I have placed some wire mesh to simulate the contours of a hill. Paper-mache will be added later. Once that has dried, we can then add the grass scatter-mats to cover the hill with realistic grass.
First of all though, I had to plan the layout and size of the trainset - I settled for a nice 6ft by 3ft - not too big, but at the same time still a reasonable size for Kieran to play with (and yes, it will fit in his bedroom!!!). I used a fantastic little program called XTrkCad to design the track.
Now, in the two days since I started work on the trainset, here is what it looks like now :-
Ignore the bottles of wine - I've been using them to prop things up (like the tunnel portals), and to show me where certains things are going to go.
Kieran absolutely loves it even in its unfinished state - I can't wait to see his face when it is finally finished.
As I progress with the project, I will post here new pictures.
Kieran driving a double-decker bus
Kieran and Grandad beside Steam Train
Buses
Kieran and Nanny driving an Underground train on the Simulator.
Inside an old 1938 Stock Underground train
Kieran driving another London double-decker bus
