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  • SouthernRegionSteam

    Coastguard Creek - 15 months of planning!

    By SouthernRegionSteam

    Hold on to your socks - this is going to be a lengthy one! (In fact it's so long, I've now split it into 2 separate posts - the next will be up soon...)   I think it's fair to say that you are all long overdue an update on Coastguard Creek. Due to other commitments, no real progress has been made since the last post way back in March 2021; almost 15 months ago! If anything, things went backwards for quite a while, as I kept finding more and more inspiring locations that I really wanted
    • 8 comments
    • 3,311 views
Redgate's Modelling

Hornby 8F with Zimo Sound

I have another 8F to do a sound fitting so I thought i'd show how I fit the excellent ABS-230 speaker in the tender   First remove the weight and prise off the plastic supports. using a razor saw cut down the rear weight fixing pillar flush. Drill some holes in front and behind the centre wheels. Cement in two small fillets of 1mm plastikard to seal the bottom of what will be the output chamber for the speaker - a couple of nicks in the corners will allow the pickup wires to pass through.  
RedgateModels

RedgateModels

0
The Legge Lane MPD Blog

The King - modifying the Finecast Frame - 2

And here is the cut out in the nickel silver frame to take the XO-4 motor. There are a couple of soldered shims each side of the front bearing which hold the front of the motor in place (as well as the lugs at the base). The entire motor is held by the screw at the rear of the magnet. The gears meshed perfectly first time, with no adjustment necessary. I consider myself very lucky in this respect.     By adjusting the rear screw backward by about 1 mm I was able to fit the Airfix brushe
Focalplane

Focalplane

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petertg's Blog

Posible movements

I have been quiet for a while because my layout is at a standstill, mainly due to my not having been able to replace the hoisting pulleys I wanted to change way back last November and also due to the fact that it is cold in the garage where the layout is suspended. With a bit of luck, there may be some new movement the weekend of Feb. 28-Mar. 1 and the new pulleys installed. I also have to replace a burnt-out point motor. That will leave a few blank places to be filled with appropriate scenery a
petertg

petertg

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S H Model Making

North of the Border

Hi all, Its a busy week here as the Glasgow show approaches (cant believe how quick its come round :-shocked ) so on a Scottish theme this week I have the following         Cheers Simon
Mr.S.corn78

Mr.S.corn78

2
Redgate's Modelling

Servoset II - Complete

So I finally got it finished     Pretty pleased with the finish, could be better but having the drill press made the machining of the case loads easier One thing I would do different, and this goes out to anyone else who is contemplating building one of these bits of kit is that the LEDs are mounted on the track side of the pcb. This makes them very prone to being caught during subsequent handling and wiring up which cracks the pcb track!   I should have drilled a couple more holes in th
RedgateModels

RedgateModels

2
Buckingham West

Dumb and Dumb(bell)...er

I could put it off no more. The second difficult bit of engineering - difficult for me anyway- had to be tackled.   For me, the enjoyment of a model railway is running it. I want to be transported back in time and to re-live what I imagine a country railway line in a corner of the GWR to have been like in the 1930's: what seems a golden era for British steam and a time modern enough to have some comforts, but still hanging onto solid principals of hard work and pride in that work being good an
Richard Mawer

Richard Mawer

2
The Legge Lane MPD Blog

The King - modifying the Finecast Frame - 1

Although I now know of other options (thank you, Tony Wright!) I had already decided on this approach. I am happy to say it works.   I used the old cast white metal frame as a go by, using the Romford screwdriver to register the rear axle and a gently placed round needle file in the front axle (I would have used a piece of 1/4" brass rod but had none to hand). I also kept the center axle on the new frame as a check. I then scribed the outline of the XO-4 mounting from the old frame to each sid
Focalplane

Focalplane

0
Layout - Fisherton Sarum

Fisherton Sarum as Risex show this Saturday with a couple of ex LSWR debutants

Fisherton Sarum will be exhibited at the Princes Risborough and District Model Railway Club’s Risex show this coming Saturday . This nice little local show that showcases a number of local layouts, is being held at the Community Centre, Wades Field, Stratton Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 9AX. The show is open between 10 am and 5 pm and is well worth a visit, so come along if you can and say hello.   Making their debut on Fisherton Sarum at the show will be two ex LSWR locomotives.  
Graham_Muz

Graham_Muz

2
Fen End Pit's Blog

Ruston LAT/LBT shiney pretty things!

I received my etchings back from PPD yesterday. Apart from an error with the J17 coupling rods which were on the same etch the Ruston bits look super. The intention is that these bits provide the strength I need for the axle boxes and motor mount together with lots of nice bits to detail the laser cut plastic body, This is the first time I've used PPD and actually produced etching for myself rather than just doing art work from others and I'm very pleased with the results.     The idea is t
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

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The Cuckmere Valley Railway

The Wall - v1

In the last update I talked about a scenic identity, and mentioned the common use of flint in Sussex for building and construction.   I'm off this week, and whilst I planned to spend a lot of time on the layout real life has somewhat got in the way, although having said that it has been a lovely few days so far with another couple to go.   One thing I've long wanted to make a start on is the retaining wall, as it will be a clearly visible feature, and it needs to go in first before I can sta
dseagull

dseagull

3
Rannoch in 2mm Finescale

Turnout Construction Fixtures

In my first post on the modular fiddle yard design I mentioned B8 turnouts had been chosen for the fiddle yard. There is very good reason for this which I can now show.   For several weeks I have been working on a few designs for 2mm finescale flat bottom turnout construction fixtures. I started off with Templot to create the turnout drawing then imported this into Autocad as a DXF. This is where the fun began as I had to change some sleeper spacings in order to incorporate a 'hidden' moving s
Rammstein2609

Rammstein2609

12
Up the Line - 1918

Still on the fiddle!

Real progress seems to have been very slow of late although very swan like (the only thing swan like about me!), there has been loads of activity of a not too obvious nature. Fevered work is going into a secret project but as it is a secret I a, can't tell you about it right now as it is a secret and b, probably shouldn't have mentioned it at all! Anyway, what I do have to show is the smaller fiddle yard extension almost finished. This has taken longer than expected as I have had to rework the p
KH1

KH1

3
Woolwich Dockyard - Working Title

Not updated in a while

Plans for working on the layout have taken a back seat again due to funds and lack of space to store any boards sadly. Hopefully in the summer I'll be able to get a shed in the garden sorted out which will allow me to store some layout boards. Obviously stock would always be kept inside.   Talking of stock, I'll hopefully get the extra bits I need at Ally Pally from Replica to be able to make another go on the 4EPB project again.   I've also managed to source 4 more bodies (3 toilet, 1 non-t
Kelly

Kelly

0
Buckingham West

Cross Country

Cross Country   As mentioned in an earlier post (NE thing goes), there was a branch off the Great Central at Culworth to the GWR station in Banbury. In the summer timetables of 1934 to 1938 there was a cross country semi-fast from Leicester Central to Reading (and back) via the Great Central London Extension, the Culworth branch (like so many other cross country trains) to the Great Western at Banbury, on to Oxford, Didcot and terminating at Reading. Unlike most cross country expresses and sem
Richard Mawer

Richard Mawer

0
Lofty

Traffic on Austrian section...

Historically the RhB was planning to extend the Inn valley line beyond Scuol/Tarasp all the way to Landeck. Unfortunately WW1 intervened (as it did with the extension into Italy from Sankt Moritz over the Maloja pass).   So the Austrian part represents an HOe version the railway bulit under post war austerity from Landeck to both a border crossing at Schalkl and the village of Nauders.   During the steam era a steam depot was at Prutz, but these days with diesel traction this is no longer re
AllScales

AllScales

2
Heather's Blog

Wagon Availability

Hi   Please can anyone recommend where I can purchase wagons from. I am looking for LMS, L and Y types of box vans, they are made of brass and plastic and have course steel wheels. If anyone also know the cost to purchase these items that would be a great help.   Many thanks
Heather

Heather

1
Coombe Barton

Building the Churchward 45xx Part Seven

Cab   Right, so it’s the cab. Enquiries on a thread have produced answers that help. What the people answering didn’t know was that I can quite successfully bu99er up their suggestions and delay delivery of the necessary wire to complete the cab rear. So now I’m going to cut out the necessary bits to dry fit them on to what’s already built. Or may be to cut out another set from brass. We’ll see.   The inside of the back of the cab, Seats and coal door in place.   A bit of thought first h
Coombe Barton

Coombe Barton

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Clevedon WC&PR

Eastleigh

Just a note to say Clevedon will be out and about next weekend at the Eurotrack show in Eastleigh. I've been taking the forthcoming deadline as an excuse to finish building a few of my older Cambrian kits as well as one or two new ones. They should be in traffic during the weekend. Come and say hello if you're at the show.
ullypug

ullypug

2
Three Shire's Head

Looking for Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago I visited the Stafford show looking for inspiration.   I always find the Stafford show a good source. It's big enough to attract some quality layouts, but small enough not to be over-facing. You can leisurely meander, taking time to view the layouts.   When I first got there, around noon on the Saturday, the show was rammed, so I took the opportunity to visit the trade stands, stocking up with my favourite Heywood's buffers and wheels from Invertrains, thus the saving o
Argos

Argos

0
Barry Ten's Blog

Dean Goods ... the saga continues

Back in December I rashly thought I'd cracked the Dean Goods...     However the saga's had a few twists since then, and it's probably worth documenting them for the sake of completeness.   Although I was initially happy with the running of the Dean, it slowly deteriorated to the point where the worm and main gear were struggling to maintain mesh. Dismantling showed quite a lot of slop in the gearbox, and I was concerned I might have reamed out the gearbox's axle bearings a touch too enthu
Barry Ten

Barry Ten

5
Lofty

A layout in the sky!

As I mentioned on the last post on Gerlos, I would be starting a new blog for the new layout...   Even though construction on the loft conversion hasn't even started, I'm already planning what's going to go in it. The original plan had Gerlos moved up into the loft where I had envisaged to fix two problems it:   The ramp up to the upper level station on one side was a considerable 4%. This severely limited the length of train that most of my loco's can haul when going that way round.   The
AllScales

AllScales

2
Wenlock's Blog

Signal Box for Sherton Abbas part 1

Well its been 10 weeks since my shoulder operation and I'm pleased to say that I've more or less got two functioning arms again! The operation went well, but I found being stuck in a sling for six weeks was a very frustrating experience. I've still not got full mobility or strength in the joint, but having regular sessions with a fierce, but very pretty Physiotherapist is definitely helping my recovery!   It's still uncomfortable reaching across the layout baseboards, so I've decided to have a
wenlock

wenlock

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