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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
    • 3,310 views
Sandhole's Blog

Scaleforum Urmston.

I did my usual visit to the scale exhibition at Urmston last weekend. Most enjoyable. I was very impressed with the progress made on Liverpool Lime Street. Like a number of people, I had heard the comments, 'Dosen't work. Boring ' etc, etc!! The layout has always been a thing of beauty! It reminds me of visits to 'The Pool' in the 60's and 70's. I had always felt that this was a layout that was going to come in to it's own! Saturday proved me right! I must apologise that I didn't
Sandhole

Sandhole

0
Ze German way ov railways

The Queen of German Electrics: Re-tooled class 103 from Roco

Morning all!   Followers of the Continental modelling scene may have registered that a few months ago, Roco has begun releasing a series of re-tooled Deutsche Bundesbahn class 103 electrics, adding several much-wanted enhancements to this model which had first been offered in 1977. It might not be surprising that when I was able to obtain one as a real bargain recently, I could not resist. Therefore, today's focus will be on what I assume most railfans will agree on being the? signature Deutsc
NGT6 1315

NGT6 1315

4
Shipston-on-Stour Branch

Dean Goods loco chassis - 2

Well, the Dean Goods may be in France but some of the key parts are still in England, hence the hiatus.   But I have managed to test the motor and gearbox and everything is OK. Except that I need to add those all important extra washers to keep the gear in the correct position above the worm. I also need to add a couple of PECO fiber washers outside the frame to limit the sideways play, but I can't seem to locate them (they must have been left behind), so I am reluctant to start dissembling
Focalplane

Focalplane

0
Broxfield's Blog

Broxfield

Building 'Broxfield' has been a lifetime's dream never knowing weather it would ever be possible or not. I have no professional skills in any of the required arts and crafts, carpentry, engineering, railways, electrics, etc, etc, but I've been willing to try new things and do my own DIY. Everything came together in 2004 so for 10 years now I have been able to put an increasing amount of time and energy into the project. Retirement in 2011 gave me even more time and a compact video camera ha
Broxfield

Broxfield

1
MikeOxon's Pre-Grouping Blog

Through a Time-Warp

I've mentioned before that one of the reasons why I like to model unusual prototypes is so that I can compare them with more familiar stock. Here's an example:     The Dean 4-2-4T was built around 1881, to explore the idea of a high-speed express tank locomotive for use when the broad gauge became extinct. It failed because of a severe tendency to de-rail, probably from poor bogie design, coupled with the large amount of water sloshing to and fro' in the long side tanks.   In comparison
MikeOxon

MikeOxon

7
Buckjumper's Blog

LNER (ex-GER) 6-wheel composite

Well it's been a very long time - in fact 223 days since the flood, but there is at long last a definite light at the end of the tunnel, even if it's still a way off. Eventually ten rooms were severely affected either directly or by secondary damage, and taken back to brick and concrete. Where there were timber frames they were removed and ceilings propped up, and my workshop was razed to the ground. It took until the end of July to dry the house out, but we've got one room completed with two mo
Buckjumper

Buckjumper

6
Harton and Hopeguard BR 1960's Layout

Cometh the Hour- Cometh the Axeman- Beeching Closures announced- tracks being lifted :(

Hello all,   I am afraid reading this month's BRM, running problems through Harton station (the damp has affected the gauging), problems with the remaining Hornby points (do they make them out of rubbish), the fact I am undergoing a massive career change and the fact I am getting fed up with having to climb over the layout to get into the basement means the line has been closed by Dr Beeching! Citing the damp problems (I am damp sealing the walls) and the lack of traffic (a blatant lie) the la
danstercivicman

danstercivicman

7
Ze German way ov railways

Retro Dispolok: Originally liveried class 182.5/ES 64 U2 from Roco

And a good morning once again!   I admit that the decision for purchasing the model we’re going to look at today was, first and foremost, made on the basis of my having been strangely intrigued by an operational practice introduced by DB Regio on several RegionalBahn (stopping service) lines covering areas of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia over the past few years. This involved pairing up Siemens ES 64 U2 type locomotives – in ÖBB service, and officially only there, known as „Taurus” – wi
NGT6 1315

NGT6 1315

1
Up the Line - 1918

Things that need sorting and more pics

Another day of domestic duties so no physical progress to report but did manage a bit of a brain storm about what really needs doing before next outing. The trick now is to prioritse them to make the most of two months especially as I am honour bound to reapply myself to various DIY tasks which have already resulting in me dismantling the cooker and the Dyson (twice!).   So what needs to be done;   1) Fiddle yard needs to work reliably. Andy managed to get it working OK on Saturday but, poss
KH1

KH1

0
Petes Model workshop (or ramblings from the balcony)

GWR 850 CLASS (6)

I bet you all thought I was never going to get back to this.   I have made a start on the cab. First job was to add the beading to the side lookouts these fitted nicely. I did not like the idea of soldering the sides to the edge of the spectacle plate, so I added a brass angle down each side as per the prototype. You will also see I have decided to go for a half cab, I will most probably go for No 1905 1907 with a dean bunker with Great Western on the tank sides. I may make up both bun
N15class

N15class in GWR 850 CLASS

7
The GC and Met in OO

LNER D6 Part ?

Finally some progress actually worth reporting!   I found a spare 2P chassis in my bits box so I decided to use that instead of my scratchbuilt chassis, and when it comes to the body I've added new splashers and cabsides and some brass handrail knobs.     I'm also experimenting with three link couplings- homemade from brass wire and bits of Hornby tension lock couplings- as the trainset couplings really don't do anything for me.     Perfect? No. Better than tension locks? I thin
James Harrison

James Harrison

3
TomE's N Gauge Modelling

Ropley - Treemendus

Hi all.   After a few months of working on the fiddle yards, track laying and getting Ropley to the stage where it could be operational in time for RMweb Live, it's time to turn back to the scenics side of the layout.   A few entries ago I was experimenting with producing trees using the methods described here. Since then I have also found this gentleman's work, which is simply amazing. They appear to broadly follow the same method, and I have tried to use a similar one for the trees on Ro
TomE

TomE

4
The Farthing layouts

Four o'clock blues, ca. 1902

Goods checker J. Peerybingle was tired. It had been a long day in the goods depot, and his feet hurt.     Life is so dull, he thought. I should have gone to sea. I should have married Emily.     He looked up at the skylights. There was a bird up there. Was it a crow?     He thought: How lucky birds are, how free.     Up on the roof, the crow looked down at Peerybingle.     It t
Mikkel

Mikkel

30
sigtech's Blog

Sproston - signalbox progress

Hello again, well the weather has become more reasonable for modelling, so I decided to make an attempt at advancing the construction of Sproston's signalbox. This has been sitting partly madeup on my little workbench/ folding picnic table for some time, and after reading through the many posts on RMweb of RSLR (Reece), I have been galvanised into action...adding the courses of engineers blue brick around windows, doors and on the edges of the structure,adding the glazing and painting the r
sigtech

sigtech

5
Sylvian Tennant's archive of pants!

Another Doodlebug into the mix

So I finished work a few weeks ago and thank god for that! Despite having another 8 hours a day free, I seem to have less time for modelling with other stuff taking prioirty. E.G preparing for University and the likes. However I did manage to get this little darling sorted. The whole process was just over a week (it would have been less had stuff like friends and life not been a pain in the hoop and wanted my precious time). But I am quite pleased with the outcome.     She is 43050, the fi
Sylvian Tennant

Sylvian Tennant

7
Up the Line - 1918

I Survived!

Well here I am, after my first (3 day!), exhibition and everything went perfectly and nothing at all went wrong - if you believe that you will believe anything! Of course things went wrong but in the best of British traditions we carried on and there was always something running but not necessarily what I had planed. To be absolutely truthful it didn't really matter what was running as it was not a model railway exhibition as such but a themed addition to a much larger and very impressive weeken
KH1

KH1

9
Ullypug's tales from the tinking table

Rumblings in the paint shop

As Wheal Elizabeth is about to make an previously unplanned exhibition appearance at Scaleforum, I thought I'd better try and get the T9 ready for service. Have given it a light touch of weathering with the airbrush, applied smoke box number and route disks and given it a couple of coats of Dullcote. Just needs the crew, the front coupling (I had it here somewhere) and the shed code plate. I am rather pleased with how this has turned out. Oh and it runs too, though it hasn't pulled a train in an
ullypug

ullypug

7
Shipston-on-Stour Branch

Geoff Brewin

I am almost speechless at the recently announced loss to this world of the owner of Comet Models, Geoff Brewin.   My condolences go to his family and close friends. I met him once, at Leamington this Spring, and am very glad I did. Comet's service was second to none, that was Geoff's way.
Focalplane

Focalplane

1
Goosehill Central

Initial Track Plans

The initial Track Plan features a station with a double and single platform. One for strictly goods from/to the mine through the single tunnel and the others for mixed traffic. It also features 2 sidings and a small single lane engine shed. The main line will disappear into a double tunnel going to the main fiddleyard. Due to a lack of space the train length may be limited to just 2 carriages. However the main action will be the shunting of rolling stock as this is a end of main line Passenger/G
misterscrubb

misterscrubb

0
Variants of Q....

Down in the bunker at midnight....

No going back now, the tanks are glued on!!   Attention has turned to the bunker end and after a lot of umming and arring I concluded that the best combination would be the cab end of the Q1 tender allied to the bunker of the 4MT so after some cutting with the razor saw, the two parts have been tested attached with sticky tape and so far it looks all right:     I may refit the sliding shutter parts to the bunker when this is complete which I am certain had the QT (my choice of classificat
John M Upton

John M Upton

5
Dave at Honley Tank's Blog

Loads of Repairs Done

It’s over six weeks since I last posted and while the garden and domestic commitments have pinched a lot of time I’ve still achieved a fair bit of modelling. Mainly this has been layout and stock maintenance and repair. The work I carried out on the double slip on Bowton’s Yard got me in a track making frame of mind and caused me to add another road in Guidbridge hidden sidings which will make operation a little easier and stock/loco handling a little bit less. A small shuffle of the layout po
Dave at Honley Tank

Dave at Honley Tank

1
Martin Hartley's Blog

Building a wagon underframe (3)

The brake shoes, v-hanger and buffers have gone onto the underframe since the last blog post. The V-hanger and brake shoes are part of a huge collection of whitemetal odds and ends that I bought off ebay several years ago. The buffers are (I think) from a Slater's Midland Railway wagon kit. I just need to work out what I'm doing for the rest of the brake gear. I'm keen to find the rest of the collection of whitemetal bits, as I recall that I had brake levers there. If you're wondering why I cut
hartleymartin

hartleymartin

0
TomE's N Gauge Modelling

Ropley - RMweb Live! - That was the show that was.

All set up and ready for the show!   Hi all.   Well, its over! Ropley's public debut has been and gone and currently the layout is sat in the van whilst I summon the enthusiasm to lug it up 4 flights of stairs.   Ok thats not quite true, there is a lift in my block, but it will still need several trips too and from the van and after the weekend the beer siting on the desk next to me is a far more attractive proposition right now!   I'd like to begin this entry by thanking all those w
TomE

TomE

11

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  • Blog Comments

    • 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.  
    • Mikkel
      Netherport and Basuto Quay Chronology

      By Mikkel · Posted

      That sounds like a good approach Nick, thank you for clarifying. A sense of space is so important, less is more and all that.   The Penzance photo shows unloading of flower traffic from the Scilly Isles (no date). It features on the front page of this volume by Tony Atkins. The book is perhaps not unexpendable and a tad dry, but it is informative and some of the photos are lovely.    

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