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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
Up the Line - 1918

Odd jobs

As it has managed not to rain a bit I have done a couple of things that involved sawing and drilling outside. First up was the implementation of an idea I had for leveling the boards on the trestles more effectively. This involved drilling (very accurately!), 10mm holes in the top bar of the trestles, inserting one of the many spare M10 bolts and fixing with a nut. A wing nut was then screwed upside down on the tread an a large washer placed on top. Corresponding holes (12mm to give a bit of le
KH1

KH1

0
Fen End Pit's Blog

1865 Great Eastern station - first attempts at painting

I had a go at cutting the building again, this time in the more conventional 3mm MDF, using .7mm ply for the quions. The result fitted together quite nicely, though I probably shouldn't have turned the 'corner power' down so far on the ply as I had to resort to a scalpel to get some of the parts free.     Before discussing painting here is a picture of Clare station to give you some idea of the colouring. I'm not convinced that four decades of no trains and possible cleaning haven't chang
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

7
On Ravensers Bookcase

Set Two: Finishing Off

In the absence of better information, I reworked the underframe as proposed, sawing the Comet LMS battery box castings in half in then X-Acto mitre box, and plating the cut ends with 20 thou plasticard. The Comet vacuum cylinders were also installed , though possibly they could have been filed down to sit a bit lower. The completed bogies were fixed onto the composite and I had two completed coaches. They've come in at 110g all up: slightly more than the intended 100g (25g x 4 axles) , but a sat
Ravenser

Ravenser in Constructional

0
Jon020's Workbench Blog

A pair of "Modern image" ViTrains 47 - detailed and weathered

Stories of my demise have been greatly exaggerated; I’ve been around, but spending my modelling time, modelling rather than writing... but here’s an attempt to readdress that.   Some months ago I acquired a pair of ViTrains 47s. I’d always admired certain aspects of these models, not least their bogies, and the opportunity to pick these up in these liveries was not passed by. The Virgin loco was acquired after I missed out on a trip to Warley as some small compensation; the DRS one was picked
Jon020

Jon020

8
The GC and Met in OO

GCR 1908 full brake (II)

Over the weekend the beading was added in 0.5mm square plastic strip. Previously I have used 1mm by 0.5mm strip and as I was applying this I thought it was too slight; however when fully panelled up I think it looks just right.   I then moved on to further experimentation with producing a teak effect.   Previously I have used hues of mid to dark brown matt paint, but the effect has always struck me as being too flat and too dark. With my GNR composite I went for lighter shades and even s
James Harrison

James Harrison

0
N-Gauge LMS Layout

Foster Street - Weathering Stock (Part 2 Milk Tanks)

Well I have finally finished weathering the Milk tanks (all 15 of them) that will form one of the trains on Foster Street. My usual method was used of a limited pallet, dry brushed, and them topped off when dry with a coat of my favourite "dirty" thinners.   I tried to avoid the uniformed look, and after the research I have made, some of the tankers seem very, very clean, considering the real things carried fresh Moo Moo juice it certainly make you think.   There are a coupe of areas I think
paulprice

paulprice

0
Sixties Snapshots - 00 scale

The Peco Streamline 3 Way Point.

The Peco Streamline 3 Way point is an extremely useful space saving device. This Post is prompted because I had to sort out a couple of problems with the installation of my own three way point. I was also aware that other modellers here on RMweb were finding difficulties with the operation and installation of their 3 way points. The design of the point is symmetrical and has the appearance of a LH point being placed directly on top of a RH point. As a consequence the construction of the point i
Silver Sidelines

Silver Sidelines

3
Redgate's Modelling

Slaters 7C04 GWR S9 4 Wheel all Third Coach

OK, so as I have hinted in SUs etc I have decided to take a break from the layout to get the second coach built in time for RMweb Live! Last night I spent a productive hour getting the basic frames together.       This is an old kit I have had for some time - bought second hand off Ian Morton, so the etches are quite tarnished. I will need to clean the parts that are soldered but for now the cyano sticks to tarnished brass just as well as shiny   This kit did not come with the later m
RedgateModels

RedgateModels

2
SRman's Workbench Blog

Finishing off the Lima/Hornby RailRoad class 31

The transfers have now all been added and weathering improved/added to. There were a couple of minor setbacks: the matt varnish on the roof dried a lot glossier than the satin varnish on the sides, and one of the numbers dissolved in the satin varnish (I was probably too rough with the brush!).   I have reapplied the missing number and added blue star coupling codes on the ends. I revarnished the roof area using a Testors lacquer, which tends to dissolve any paint layers beneath it if one dwel
SRman

SRman

9
The Grime Street Blog

Five months on....blind panic.....

Is it that long since I added anything to the blog?   Work has been progressing on board 3 and as they used to say in a certain advert 'we're getting there' however I just hope it's quick enough....2 weeks to go till next outing and work is still not finished.....   Anyway a taster to board 3, most railway modellers get to add a bus on an overbridge, will as a tram modeller I get to use the cliche of a train on an embankment....   So a quick taster, K3 on a Leeds to Wakefield stopper pas
Red Devil

Red Devil

0
N-Gauge LMS Layout

Foster Street - Driverless Locomotives - a Pet Hate

Its official the Domestic Overlord has confirmed that at the grand old age of 38, I am now a "Grumpy Old Man", and I am almost at the stage you can set your watch by one of may rants.   I don't think they are rants just mild essays into the areas of life that are beginning to grind my gears, and can range from the so called "Pull to open" tabs on anything from Ginger nuts to Washing powders which don't actually work, just leave you with a pointless piece of packaging in your hand, and the prod
paulprice

paulprice

8
Feltenham mk 3

Finalised plans! Ready to venture into 009!

Morning all,   After a lil bit of tweeking, I've finished the "plan"...it's now printed at a 1:1 scale and already I've found issues but they're just spacing issues which can be resolved at the physical building stage (main platform needs to go back a bit to increase the width of platform 2 and the engine shed siding)   Hopefully there's an image attached....a rough mix of anyrail and paint...all fun.   The boards woodwork is now complete and has its layer of undercoat on, just gotta wait
Sr-Dixon

Sr-Dixon

0
Thinking Inside The Box

New project... Double Apa Box...

Work has started on the latest project, which is currently nameless. I have recycled two of the children’s APA boxes, to create the base. I removed the inner ends and glued ¼” dowelling in the screw holes to join the two together. Rather than have the joins all in the centre of the box for both frames and hardboard, I cut one of each side and floor in half so as to stagger the joins and try and build some strength in to it.   Here are the trimmed sides and floors   Double sized Apa box...
Steve Purves

Steve Purves

3
Fourgig East

Wires, wires and more wires

FINALLY I have completed the signalling wire runs on board one. The last to be connected to the 'box were oddly the signals closest to it!   here's a quick snap showing how I have, maybe unconventionally used a pulley wheel on the post of the main signal. I added Woodland Scenics fine cinders to the base of the signals before adding the wire runs by just applying PVA to the base with a brush then sprinkling the cinders over the top. A quick hoover with a hanky over the en of the nozzle cleared
RedgateModels

RedgateModels

1
I 'ad that

Control Panel

I decided that I wanted my own, bespoke control panel to work the new layout and that it should compliment it in its appearance.   I wanted to keep the wiring to a minimum and use dpdt switches to work the points, one side of the switch to work the points and the other to work the indicators on the control panel. I'm very grateful to rmweb member martin_wynne for his post regarding the use of these and individual capacitors - I used this method on the old layout and it was very successful. Hav
andy2308

andy2308

3
Fen End Pit's Blog

Fen End Pit - A grand day out at the LBNGR

Fen End Pit had a very enjoyable day out at the Leighton Buzzard narrow gauge railway, making an exhibition of ourselves in the locomotive shed at Page's Park. The stand next to us from the Darjeeling railway society probably felt at home with the morning monsoon but the roof on the shed didn't leak and we had an appreciative crowd who enjoyed playing 'spot the Leighton Buzzard locomotive' on Fen End Pit. (It isn't difficult as the answer is 'most of them!')     Additional sound effects wer
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

1
Ffarquhar: A Thomas Themed Layout

Well, well, well. It's been a while hasn't it?

As the title suggests it has been a long time since I have updated this blog and for that I can only apologise. A lot has happened to Ffarquhar since the last entry and one thing I have found out is that there is nothing quite like an exhibition deadline to force some modelling! The Braintree and Halstead Model Railway Club, of which I am a proud member, held a their first exhibition in Braintree town centre since 1984, The year that Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends was first broadcast! Ffar
Flyingscotsmanfan

Flyingscotsmanfan

4
Brackhampton Snow Hill

Brackhampton and the 21st Century - part 2

Well a pleasant afternoon which should have been spent in the garden - or at the very least doing some productive modelling has been spent beavering over my new toy - sketchup - on the computer. The results are here.     The Central girder     The intermediate girder     the valance     and all four compenents shown together - roughly   Now I shall no doubt find that what I've created is unprintable.
rovex

rovex

3
SRman's Workbench Blog

Hornby RailRoad/Lima Class 31 modifications nearly finished

Continuing with the class 31 where I put a Hornby RailRoad chassis under my previously detailed Lima 'skinhead' body.   I added the buffer beam cowls as shown in my previous blog entry.   Then, after filing the lower cowl shapes down to clear the couplings, I removed the numbers and central BR arrows, which also entailed removing a bit of the paint work. Fortunately, Humbrol/Hornby's BR blue acrylic paint is a very close match for the Lima shade so I was able to patch paint. Once I complete
SRman

SRman

0
ootrainoo's Blog

Continental Ho just works!

I would like to model British OO scale. I find myself (see my first blog) trying to improve off the shelf items from the two big manufacturers.   Then I ask myself the same question I asked myself back in the 1980s. Why? Why do I need to fiddle with Hornby railroad coaches when if they had bothered to model the buffers retracted they could have halved the distance between them for no extra cost?   Why did the Bachmann MK1s have a flawed close coupling system (and still do) making it hard to
ootrainoo

ootrainoo

0
The GC and Met in OO

GCR 1903 full brake (I)

When I finished my rake of clerestory suburban stock earlier this year, I had a pair of Hornby clerestories left over. As one of them had been pretty severely hacked up I decided to use this vehicle for an experiment....     The first stage was to infill the windows with milliput and white putty....     .... when this had dried out I sanded it down and primed it.   I then used a dremel to drill out the new windows, and cleaned them up with a file.     Then I used 0.5mm plasti
James Harrison

James Harrison

0
Up the Line - 1918

Reliably unreliable

I think I should just pack up and go home - hang on, I am at home so that isn't an option! What has brought this on? Well...... As it is still mostly raining so unable to cut my wood for the back scene supports outside and not wishing to fill the house with sawdust (again!), I decided to sort out another couple of bits of wiring which meant plugging in all the connecting leads. Result - dead short. After much head scratching eventually disconnecting and unbolting each section I found the culprit
KH1

KH1

1
I 'ad that

New 3 rail layout construction progress - part two (June / July)

The layout needs to be finished by October so many hours have gone into getting the layout ready.   By the end of June, scenery has mostly been finished and the front boards powered for the first time.   No prizes for spotting that this isn't a Dublo item, it's Bachmann that I've converted to 3 rail running, as newer stock is more temperamental this makes the EPB a great test model, I know from the other layout that if the EPB runs ok, the rest of the stock will also run!     Looking l
andy2308

andy2308

4

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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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