The collection opens with “Model Train Set”, Jonathan Blum’s first solo Doctor Who story and one of the bookends with the Eighth Doctor.  It’s a solo character piece about the Doctor playing with his model train set, built over the course of several lifetimes.  Blum likes stories that end particularly hopefully and this is no exception, it’s all about who the Eighth Doctor is, but that’s really all there is.  It’s more of a study in who this Doctor is, separated from the general line of novels occurring at the same time.  In many ways it feels like the starting point for the Big Finish audio adventures.  6/10.