Hello 2021 and farewell 2020

 

                            Farewell 2020 and hello 2021

The christmas card of The Danish Railway Series

2019 was a year with lots of progress on the first book, but how far is the project after 2020?

Another year has passed and what a year it has been. 2020 started like many other years with the flag raised high and the hope of a book kept going. The end of 2019 brought with it the completion of the writing work on Elias the high-speed train and the work of correcting and adapting this continued into 2020. But a Virus had to interfere, and with that I was sent home for a month, which however did not prevent a lot of progress.

In addition attending to my education as well as possible, I also saw my chance to get some work done on my projects. In addition to the fact that I had previously completely edited Elias and the high-speed train in March 2020. After this, a collaboration started with a number of volunteer test readers who as some of the first got an insight into the new book that TDRS has been working on since the first edition of the book was withdrawn in 2014.

A work that is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, after which the last of the story about Dagmar is expected to be written. At the same time, work to illustrate Elias and the highs-speed train is expected to start, a work that is expected to be completed by the end of 2022/23.

In addition, 2020 has proven to be a year full of challenges. Besides a year full of restrictions, several things were going on. Thanks to the extra hours available during the lockdown in March, the drawings for the project "portrait of a danish locomotive" were drawn and made ready for colors, something they did not get in 2020.

It was the year where there should have been many events, but everything was canceled. However, other things continued under the new restrictions, such as the danish state railways' EA-class from 1984, which in 2020 were taken out of service, after which they were replaced by 3 new Vectron locomotives, which DSB received from Siemens, out of a series on what is to become 42 locomotives.

But there was also time for other things. Due to the closed borders, the holiday had to take place at home this year, and thanks to the government's subsidy for travel passports (special tickets giving unlimited travel for 8 days), a lot of wishes suddenly became possible, which among other things ended in a reunion with Lemvigbanen, which was visited in 2018. A visit to North Zealand to look at regiosprinters and a trip to Gedser to see the railway museum there. Before the visit to Gedser, however, I had been to Struer to see their railway museum there.

After my visit, I was completely amazed at how much the museum had to offer, and it was perhaps not surprising that this year's Christmas greeting/present was given to them.

But not everything went according to plan in 2020. Just as the work progressed on a lot of projects during the fall the computer broke down and soon after my financial situation got worse. When it will come up again is unknown, but the plan is to try to get it up and running again around April. In the meantime, the last work with editing on Elias and the high-speed train will be completed, enabling me to start illustrating once it is up and running again.

2020 was a year that in many ways started out well, but ended in some worse mess.

With a new year having just begun, one can only hope that it changes.

From here, at least, a happy new year and a happy 2021 to you all.

Webmaster

Sebastian Berthelsen

Farewell 2019 and Hello 2020!

Farewell 2019 and hello 2020!

The 2019 Christmas card

2018 paved the way for 2019 with progress being made on the books, but how has 2019 differed from the rest?

2019 was in many ways a rollercoaster for the series' author, but was none the less a year where the books came a huge step closer to being completed.

Elias and the highspeed train, which began in 2012, was beyond all expectations completed and read through in 2019 and thereby the book came a step closer, as the rest of th

e work contains getting new eyes on the first draft, followed by the translation to english, so that english readers also can have a chance to discover the danish railway history.

The second book, The Story Of Dagmar, is also well underway. This book has become somewhat thicker than expected and certain parts may be left out of the finished product during the last bit of writing and correction of the book.

The Djursland Railway Museum, Ryomgård

2019 was also a year where the author visited places around the country, or at least a good portion of it. The light rail to Grenaa was opened and Father's day was celebrated at the Danish railway museum in Odense, with to My-class locomotives.

The summer holiday was held near the light rail of Århus, and therefore the lines to Lystrup, Grenaa

and Odder was visited and well documented. On the line to Grenaa the Djursland railway museum was visited and here the author was so impressed, that they naturally became the subject of 2019s christmas present.

But both the cards and presents were to be very delayed. Due to personal reasons, december became a somewhat chaotic time for the author who fought against time and therefore deliver the card, present and new years post in january 2020.

Despite the delay, i still wish you all a great 2020 and let's hope the year will bring fewer delays and enable me to reach my goal of bringing you all a children's book....again!

Regards.

Webmaster

Sebastian

Farewell 2018 and hello to a new and exciting 2019!

Another year has passed for The Danish Railway Series, which has been book less since the withdrawal of ”Fredrik & the high speed train” in 2014. But what has happened since then?

The christmas card 2018

A sketch of how the front
cover could look like on the
first book

Well firstly, the whole story had to be rewritten as i didn't believe it delivered what i wanted. It's taken its time and as we enter 2019 i think it's time for an update. 2017 was in many years where a lot of the writing was completed and in 2018 i attempted to complete a great deal of writing too.

Status at the beginning of 2019 is, that i'm still over halfway but not quite finished.

That being said, I still plan to focus a lot more on writing in the new year. Of the same reason a research process has started on other projects to ensure that 2019 will be a year of progress!

Y-type train at Lemvig station

2018 was in many ways a year of many experiences. It started in Gedser on Falster, where I got to see the progress on the H-class no. 783. The Railway museum of Odense was moving rolling stock, which meant that I could see their MZ-class in the beginning of 2018 twice hauling MO-class motorcars and other stuff around.

In June I was in Jutland to visit the Lemvig railway, a trip i shall not forget. I had many delightful trips on the Y-type train and the ”mountain line” to Lemvig harbor.

Mr-class DMU at Haderslev

It was an amazing experience being on board my childhood trains, and the seats and warning tone when the doors closed, brought back memories.

In September i was in Odense to see the launch of the replica of Denmark's first steam engine ”Odin” and on the 30^th of December I was in Haderslev to say goodbye to the 900 meter long line between Haderslev city and Haderslev west, together with the Danish railway society (DJK) which ran a farewell tour with a MR-class DMU.

I completed my Christmas art, although a little late, and both Christmas presents were handed over to two societies, both in Jutland and the Christmas card could be published on the New years eve. Drawings especially will be a common thing in 2019 as i'll be working on two documentary projects and a book project. On top of that i've been invited on board another book project that I look forward to tell you more about later!

Until next time....Happy new year!

Webmaster

Sebastian Berthelsen

The summer is approaching, but there's still a long way yet!

TDRS' new logo

Baby steps

It hasn't been since the start of the year that there last was an update from the project, and therefore it is time for exactly that. With the summer fast approaching and by that the vacation, it is time to asses how much has been done by now.

To tell the truth it isn't much. Both books are halfway but has been written on furiously at in different turns, but due to the exam period it has been decided to postpone the writing until after the last exam. 

How does the prospect look like for the release? 

In the rate that the current writing work has been completed, things are looking promising and therefore its assumed that the writing work can be completed within the span of 2 years. 

In the meantime it has also been decided to change out the logo, to show the outside world that at least some sort of progress is taking place, if not only in baby steps. 

And with that TDRS signs of for the summer. I'll be looking forward to update you on the other side of July, and who knows? maybe you'll see a new article on the blog during the vacation? 

Webmaster and Author

Sebastian 

Farewell 2017, hello 2018!

 A Farewell to 2017

and plans for 2018

2017 began as many others, with a wish to accomplish a goal within the next 365 days. The goal was to focus extra much on the writing and have as much as  finished before the end of that year. 

With the new year ahead and the old behind me, it begs the question: did i reach my goal? 

In many ways yes. A total of 2 chapters where finished for The Story Of Dagmar, and a lot of work done on Elias & The Highspeed train. This means that i'm officially halfway done with the writing at this point. 

Therefore my goal in 2018 is to write as much as possible so that the writing can be done by late 2018/early 2019. How long the following illustrations work will take to make, i don't know at this point.

Speaking of illustrations, i've been spending some time in 2017 on a new artstyle. 

This new artstyle has proven to be extra detailed compared to the old one, and by experimenting further i've come up with a result that i can be satisfied with.  

All it all, 2017 was in many ways the year where many goals were reached. 

On the other projects of mine in 2017 there was a few where i didn't reach my goals. Portrait of a Danish loco's first episode was due in the summer of 2017, but due to various reasons i didn't make it. I do however wish it to be possible to accomplish in 2018. 

A thing i've done for som time now, and which has proven to give joy to me and the reciever is gifts in the form of drawings. This year i made a portrait of two locomotives of the, Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway in southern England where the railway operates trains in 1/3 scale.  

The railway thanked me with a formal letter and if you're lucky, you might see it if you visit the railway.  

I'm currently working on a gift for a railway back home, but who it's for you'll have to wait in order to find out. 

Sadly the last half of 2017 meant that i was heavily delayed and even with this post feel like writing in the last minute.  

I hope however, that 2018 will be the year of many accomplishments, both for this series and my series called A year of trainspotting, where i show of the pictures i've taken along the danish railways throughout the year. 

With all that to look forward to and more, I wish you a happy new year and a happy 2018!

regards.

Author and Webmaster

Sebastian Berthelsen

Still going strong!

An example of the new artstyle

Apologies for a delayed update!

But non the less an update worth waiting for!

I want to firstly apologize for not having updated you guys sooner, as i've promised at the beginning of the year. On the other hand i feel like i've more to tell you now that i would have had earlier. 

Fírst and foremost, progress is clearly seen on the writing of my books. Elias and the highspeed train is already over half way done, and The story of Dagmar is not that far behind. I truly hope to have the latter over halfway done before the end of the autumn. This will make do everything i can to finnish the last bit of writing in 2018 and then my goal for a full publish in 2019, might be more realistic than ever before!

Then there's my new art style. For the past weeks, i've been experimenting with a new art style, and the illustration on the top of the page, is the result of my experimenting. I truly love the result myself and i'm looking forward to implementing it on my illustrations for the books. 

Furthermore, i've begun livestreaming again on my new facebook page: SJB Media 1996 art

With that, i'll be signing off again, i hope to be back before Christmas with more updates! 

Kind regards

Sebastian Berthelsen

Author and Webmaster

First update of the year

- And the books are well underway

Test illustration for Elias and the highspeed train

As 2016 was a very quiet year on the blog (with only 3 posts) I thought i'd try and make up for it by posting more frequent updates on the books in 2017.

We're only 2 months into the new year but already there's alot of progress. As of this moment another chapter has been finished, which narrows it down to 2 more chapters being needed for Elias and the highspeed train. 

As for the other book The story of Dagmar, Two chapters are coming along nicely, these were also worked on in 2016 but are expected to be finished this year, narrowing it down to three more chapters being needed for this one. . 

Other than that its pretty much the usual, drawings are progressing and as of this year something new, it's back in buisness for the series of SJB Media 1996: A year of trainspotting. At the moment the 2015 and 2016 editions are being worked on and is expected to release during march.

And with this first update i wish you all a nice year! 

Regards.

Sebastian