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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
Shipston-on-Stour Branch

Shipston in Languedoc

The entire but not very large layout is now in southern France. It could be renamed but there is not much point in that. Shipston actually comes from Sheep's Town, so Moutonville would be a close approximation, but I don't think the GWR, S&MJR, etc. would approve!   Unpacking, I realized that there are too many projects on the go, so toward the end of January there will be an attempt at rationalization. There will a strong temptation to start baseboard construction which I will not be able
Focalplane

Focalplane

0
Up the Line - 1918

Boxing Clever - featuring my new Cameo Cutter

Having left the Baldwin and it's dodgy cranks to mature for a bit (maybe some Christmas elves will sneak in one night and fix it for me!), have turnrd my atention to something else I have been avoiding - ammo boxes. These formed a very large part of the wagon loads so obviously have to be tackled. First option would be to just buy a load     These are available from PLM but would be prohibitively expensive and would need loads of cleaning up and filling before they could be used. Second opt
KH1

KH1

6
ANOTHER Challenge!

'Tannery Lane' - a bridge too early?

Ever had one of those days when you get up full of good intentions - and then realise you're actually planning something about three stages too early?? Case in point....   A small 'occupation bridge' is required to cross the 'drain' to access the abbatoir. No problem - a few bits of plastikard, some acrylic paint then lay the track...     Easy.. Then I realised that the scenics of the drain would have to be done prior to setting the bridge in...     Slap on scenic compound and som
scanman

scanman

3
Brackhampton Snow Hill

Great Western Arcade - part 2

I've got the design of the facade finished and so thought I would share a few more pictures with you.     Its succesfully loaded up to Shapeways - though that doesn't mean much until you try to print it. As the cost of likely to be 125 Euros I'm gonna wait until their next sale. I'll share the results with you   In the meantime for those interested here is a link to one of the few images of the original   regards   Rovex
rovex

rovex

3
The San Miguel Central RR

Part 42: The Leadville house

Hi all, this is the latest build for my layout: CM's Leadville house! It was a real joy to build, and the mfg delivered the missing parts very swiftly (thanks!). I think it is a really good looking house that I wouldn't mind living in in 1:1 scale! My wife asked when we should start building it.... I have put real glass in all the windows, as I do on all my builds now. That will show the interiors really good when I have installed the lights in it. I will also build a small shed/garage
M Graff

M Graff

3
Snitzl's Main Blog

Replacing Coupling Rods.

Here's a couple of methods you can use for making replacement coupling rods.   Its not unusual when scratchbuilding a new loco chassis to make the rods first and use them  as a jig to drill axle bearings holes or holes for axle bushes, but there are times when there's a need to make replacement rods. Here are a couple of methods that may be of use. The  first method is the simplest, but requires the use of either a milling machine or compound slide mounted on a bench drill. For those t
snitzl

snitzl in Workshop

0
MikeOxon's Pre-Grouping Blog

Scenes around North Leigh

I have written before in this blog about the Wilcote family, whose activities formed such a large part of the social life of North Leigh in the late 19th-century. Any regular readers will know a little about the younger daughter, Blanche, but her sister, Amy, was a far more serious character.   Like any well-educated young lady of the period, Amy enjoyed practising her artistic accomplishments. Remarkably, some of her work has survived and come into my possession, so I am fortunate to
MikeOxon

MikeOxon in general

9
What's new at Furness Wagon Co

Ready to Run Wagons

A few photos of some of the ready to run wagons that I have been busy building for a number of customers in the last few weeks. 12 wagons in total 2x SDJR 20ton Brakes, 4 North British wagons, 1x MR tanker, 1x MR Tariff Van, 1x SDJR Road Van, 1x G&SWR Box Van 1x GER Box Van 1x GER vent Van. Only two Locos to do before Christmas.
MarcD

MarcD

0
Nestor's ramblings

Discovering one's inner finescale modeller

Evening all   Having now done some more research into parts to build 21mm track, I've found that some appear to be available. through the Scalefour society. This has led to what could be turning point in my relationship with the hobby; I have decided to join said society. This information turned several worried heads at my weekly club night earlier this evening. There is definitely a certain view of the kind of person who models to P4 standards. It is a view that, I have to admit, I subscribed
nest

nest

6
ANOTHER Challenge!

Tannery Lane - trackwork

The last 10 days have been a bit of a nightmare, with virtually no modelling done last week, what with a funeral in Devon, some private work coming in (more of that later on the 'workshop blog') and, of course the start of the 'festivities of the season'. Nice but it ain't modelling!   So what time could be given over has been tied up with the trackwork. It's now all built -     as this shot shows - the PCB sleepering is still 'au naturel', but     a few passes with a can of 'sleep
scanman

scanman

2
The GC and Met in OO

What I've been up to....

After a month of being suspiciously quiet, I think it is time to talk about what has been going on in 'the works'.   The complete rake of 5 clerestory carriages has been comprehensively rebuilt (I covered the work this involves in an earlier post). It is well worth the effort I think and much improved by now being the right colour (!) and being fitted with kadee couplers rather than the horrible massive tension locks.   The fourth carriage in my GCR mainline rake has also been reteaked- t
James Harrison

James Harrison

0
Erudhalion's Blog

Stripping Down

I'm back!           ...with little progress to show for the past months (on the modelling front anyway, other things have changed, such as deciding to go for luthiery rather physics). What I have done in the last week or so is stripped the paint off my GVT Dennis, so I can refinish it with something else. It turns out there was about half a ton of paint on the model, covering a lot of fine detail. Next time I'll try being gentler with the airbrush. It currently look like this:     As
Erudhalion

Erudhalion

0
Matthew Cousins' Blog

Hal o' the Wynd takes shape

Friend Peter has now really got his teeth into building the A1 kit from David Andrews for me. Unlike the previous two kits (which he had to do significant scratch building on), he's finding this kit much more straightforward. To be finished in BR blue 1951 condition, with the exception of the chimney, which will be lipped, because it looks so much better to me, I'm really looking forward to this loco being completed. Had a good day at Reading trade show, selling prints and Christmas cards, bu
Matthew Cousins

Matthew Cousins

4
Brackhampton Snow Hill

A work in progress - The Great Western Arcade

It being too cold to be in the shed, I have spent the day playing with Sketchup.   Opposite the entrance to Snow Hill id the Great Western Arcade. It was built over the tunnel carrying the tracks from Moor Street to Snow Hill. Originally it had a very impressive facade but this fell victim to enemy action and was burnt out. Rather than restore it after the war it was demolished and for a long time the arcade was somewhat truncated.   A modern building now occupies the site but the original a
rovex

rovex

4
Nestor's ramblings

A brief history...

Evening everyone   I'm going to use this posting to go into a bit more detail about my new project, starting with the aforementioned entry into the MRC's layout challenge. Without further ado, a brief history of the line from Westport to Roonagh Pier, County Mayo...   The town of Westport is small but a cultural and local hub. There is a market on Thursday mornings and the town has become a centre for music and art in recent years. This and the towns proximity to many beautiful mountain wa
nest

nest

2
Northall

The start of Caroline Street

I started with the design of Caroline Street when I finished Station Road. I had made my wish list for this one before I started with the first drawings:   - a row of Victorian 2up 2down cottages - a factory - a just a few people ( I had the idea of just one) - a balanced colour choice - the right choice of textures   The first attempts did go to the recycle bin. I tried to add some track into the diorama, but that didn’t work out. So you have to imagine that the goods line is in front
Job's Modelling

Job's Modelling

6
Ze German way ov railways

The Most Versatile Einheitslok (possibly): A technical portrait of the German class 140 electrics

Morning all!   As I just let on in "To Mod a Modding," I was thinking that some restructuring of earlier content in this space would be due in order to reflect partings and new additions. I'd especially wanted to make my technical profile of the class 140 electric – which in many ways also addresses the line of Deutsche Bundesbahn's Einheits-Elektrolokomotiven as a whole – available again, having spent quite a bit of time for research.   As there is rather a lot of literature relating to the
NGT6 1315

NGT6 1315

1
Ze German way ov railways

To Mod a Modding: Putting a 140 back on the workbench

Morning all!   I was just meaning to write a few words on how I intend to put one of the DB Schenker 140s I presented in July back on the workbench. I had actually preferred turning one of the pair into one of those 140s outfitted with DSA 200 type single arm pantographs to begin with, but knew from my first attempt at this kind of rebuild that the DSA 200 variant for the Roco class 155 – which was the only option theoretically viable at the time – did not match the spacing of the supporting i
NGT6 1315

NGT6 1315

0
Up the Line - 1918

BGM - 4

Finished the last bits of detailing so it was time for a bit of paint which was pretty easy as this kit splits into really useful sections. After a coat of grey primer, I started with the frames, a tin of Humbrol track dirt, an old stiff brush and plenty of talcum powder. Being rather taken by the results I carried on but swapped to some olive green. For someone who has been proudly spraying locos for quite some time going back to a brush was quite a shock for me but really pleased with the resu
KH1

KH1

11
Nestor's ramblings

Just the beginning...

Hello everyone!   So, I've decided to start a blog. But why? I hear you scream with anticipation. Well I've realised there's a fair amount of modelling and railway related stuff that goes through my head and workbench that doesn't fit onto my Sandhurst thread. I figured that rather starting another thread for each of these, it would be better to consolidate every thing into one useful, easy to find, rambling blog. Sandhurst will continue to be updated but with purely stuff related to that
nest

nest

5
Shipston-on-Stour Branch

Brass number plates

I have been away (and no Internet, how did we survive without it?) for a few days and came home to a package from Fox. Now the GWR brass plates can be affixed for 2551, 3207, 5724 and 4804. But not until the entire stock is moved to southern France in a few days time. I have made the decision to keep the two layouts (Shipston and Legge lane MPD) in France for the time being. SWMBO needs the space here in England, what more can I say? (But then I like France). The good news is that the modu
Focalplane

Focalplane

0
Three Shire's Head

Rolling Stock 3 - a P.O trio

No pre-grouping layout would be complete without a P.O fleet.     These three wagons represent the current status of the fleet. More wagons will be required to reflect the loads carried, crushed stone, lime, coal, coke and fluorspar. Given that limestone and fluorspar are ingredients in the steel industry I'm planning to add a few steel work wagons to the fleet. Coal was mined locally at Ladmanlow but of poor quality and used only at lime works nearby (Grin quarry). This coal was transport
Argos

Argos

1

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  • Blog Comments

    • bcnPete
      Kyle - an update...and a visit at last...

      By bcnPete · Posted

      Many thanks Mike - yes Scotland is indeed beautiful...in all weathers!   Interest in Kyle....hmmm...where do I begin!   I guess a number of reasons - I am an 1/8 Scottish so I guess part is in my DNA. A few trips up to Scotland over the years and I guess a love of the interesting small trains especially in the BR Blue era.   Kyle came about as my 2mmFS china clay layout layout was expanded too quickly so I became a bit bored with it...even though china clay seems to
    • Yan
      Post Scaleforum 2024

      By Yan · Posted

      Thank you for leaving the comments and thoughts guys, much appreciated.   Both Butley Mills and Ditchling Green are with new owners that are currently refurbishing them. Even the modelling skill and composition still shine through, so they were both well worth seeing in the flesh. One of Iain Rice's layouts I'd like to get the opportunity to see is Trerice.
    • BarryP
      Post Scaleforum 2024

      By BarryP · Posted

      It's good to see so many positive reviews of a model railway exhibition. I did dabble in S4/P4 way back and Iain Rice's writings were inspirational. I saw Butley Mills when it was first shown at Scaleforum in 1987 and I loved it. Gordon Gravett's models are fabulous and I would love to see them in the flesh, as it were. I did visit two shows specifically to see the magnificent "Pempoul" layout that the Gravetts built, that was the finest I've ever seen. I'm dabbling in "O" Gauge and an opportuni
    • Keith Addenbrooke
      Post Scaleforum 2024

      By Keith Addenbrooke · Posted

      Good to see it was a positive experience - and really nice to see a couple of photos of Ditchling Green (I didn’t realise it was still around).  Always struck me as a lovely layout: an early example perhaps of the ‘less is (so much) more’ approach to railway modelling that is now widely appreciated.  Keep up the good work, Keith.
    • Mikkel
      Post Scaleforum 2024

      By Mikkel · Posted

      The layout and info display looks very good. Thanks for posting photos of the other layouts, always a gift for those of us abroad - especially when they are this good.   Imposter syndrome is common I think, it can hold us back but on the hand I'll take that over bragging anytime.  

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