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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
    • 3,303 views
Petes Model workshop (or ramblings from the balcony)

PARKSIDE SPRUNG WAGON HORNBLOCKS

I have been attacking a few plastic wagons as I have been stuck at the appartment. I was half way through a Parksibe brake van and thought it ought to be compensated, but could see no easy way around it. Then I thought I like Haywoods spring system could I incorporate this into the Parkside kit.   Well here is to receipe. Drill the top of the axle box and the bottom of the spring to clear a Slaters hornblock spring. I found that drilling holes to leave only 0.5mm to be compressed
N15class

N15class in Handy hints

1
St Ouen JNWR

St Ouen JNWR – The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Women

How Much Detail is Required in a Backscene? - Back   http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11443-st-ouen-jnwr-how-much-detail-is-required-in-a-photo-background/   My Whole life is a Stage - Forward   http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11512-st-ouen-jnwr-my-whole-world-is-a-stage/   All right I admit it, I have made a design mistake! BUT you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. I have now reduced the baseboard width by 9mm so that I ca
Lisa

Lisa

1
AJ427s - Great Hotton

Great Hotton is 1!

Great Hotton is now officially 1 year old and to celebrate I’ve given it a new blog home here. I'll still be posting links to relevant updates and info on my 3d modelling on this blog.
AJ427

AJ427

0
greslet's Blog

Micro Baseboard Construction

The build has actually started! We have a baseboard. I decided that the size of the layout would make no difference to baseboard construction technique, so my materials of choice are 9mm plywood baseboard top: thick enough to be rigid and not flex too much and also able to take screws on the underside to [...]   Source
greslet

greslet

2
brightspark's Blog

Birthday treats

Well it was my birthday today. I got home from a hard day at work to a nicely made up table and a train cake!   I also got a lovely new handmade wash bag with trains on it.   SWMBO makes up various bags (see previous entry for the train handbag). If you wish one for yourself or someone you know then PM me.   I just realised that my last blog entry was in September. Hmmm must post something soon.
brightspark

brightspark

3
AllScales' Gerlos Blog

Luggage overload...

Sorry but no massive number of photos to attach to this, however Miniatur Wunderland was amazing!   The only problem is that it is also very busy, so it is difficult to get anything other than narrow shots of specific scenes. So even though we came loaded with video camera and several cameras, we only took photos of the little HSB part of the layout.   One of the most spectacular parts of the whole thing is the Swiss section, this is a two storey section with narrow gauge trains running all
AllScales

AllScales

2
Ambridge - An Everyday Story of a Branchline

Flock the Quarry....

I had some good news yesterday - an e-mail from John Lloyd (proprietor of the 'Flock-it' machine etc) who stated that the caution about pacemakers was a U.S. requirement (its marketed as 'Grassmaster' in the US) but he has several customers who have pacemakers fitted. I've copied the email to the wife just in case!   So, time to add some greenery to the disused quarry. Whilst I'd never used a machine in the past (I have used the balloon/jumper technique tho!) there are plenty of 'how-to' vid
scanman

scanman

4
Sixties Snapshots - 00 scale

8Fs – Heavy goods engines - the old and the new

In this Post on heavy goods engines I make reference to one of my earliest purchases and to one of my most recent purchases.   Hornby Dublo 8F from the 1960s   I have used the image above before in a Post ‘in praise’ of Hattons. A visit was made to the shop in Smithdown Road in Liverpool and it was purchased in person in the early 1960s. It was an up to date model of the time and came with a Late Crest which was exactly right for the period.   When I went off to college my layout was dis
Silver Sidelines

Silver Sidelines

7
Eric & Gripper's Blog

We were born before the wind Also younger than the sun Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the mystic.(Van Morrison 1969)

It has been an interesting return to this hobby so far. One observation I have to make. There are some very beautiful layouts out there,finely detailed,brilliant landscapes,photo realistic backdrops etc. They are a million miles away from anything in my Railway Modeller's magazines of the 1980s. The one thing, thats stick out in these truly beautiful landscapes is the ex-works locos and stock.   From a military modelling perspective I wouldn't dream of building a diorama of the battle of Falai
Eric & Gripper

Eric & Gripper

5
Ambridge - An Everyday Story of a Branchline

The Quarry - time to get serious..

In fact, time to add some colour... The quarries in this area are mainly of 'oolitic limestone'. Now limestone is usually white/grey and the basic quarry would be good to go... However, this limestone varies in shade between a honey colour and darker shades of sepia etc. So, time to add some paint.   Being a cheapskate I look to do this as cost-effectively as possible, and the 'test pots' sold by the commercial ranges like 'Dulux' fit the bill nicely. They are 'vinyl-based' so will readi
scanman

scanman

4
Scanman's Upton Dene Blog

Off-topic but....

Whilst at the Crawley show yesterday I spotted these on the 'Masterpiece Models' stand (he used to trade as 'Falcon Figures').   He's developing a new range of figures suited for the Victorian/Edwardian period - and these are just a few of them!   In 4mm (sold individually) -   - no prices unfortunately...   In 7mm - sold as seen (!)   - 'Mother & Daughter Walking (£8)   - Woman Scolding Child' £7.00   All figures are cast in lead-free pewter.   'Masterpiece Models' can
scanman

scanman

2
paddock wood bay (in a boxfile)

get back in your box...

Good evening,   Full on deadlines at work have affected progress of late and to say I am behind is an understatement, but having given the exhibition manager, Chris R, a commitment a year ago, I intend to honour it, so some how things will get done.   My brother has kindly made me the sub structure on which the layout would sit as I couldn't see a way of getting that in my hand luggage   I sent him some drawings / sketches and he has made a 300mm x 2000mm board which folds in half to fit
bcnPete

bcnPete

10
The GC and Met in OO

Jutland- now in green!

The last week or so I've been trying to get my D11 into apple green. It eventually took two base coats of Revell 'Leaf Green'- a horrible bile green colour- and then three coats of Humbrol 'Apple Green' acrylic on top. The result of using these two colours is that the final finish has quite a pleasing depth to it.       I'm also trying a bit of an experiment on the model. When I first started lining out my models I bought an 'easi-liner' tool. It is basically a caligraphy pen with a
James Harrison

James Harrison

2
Chas's Model Railway

Roofing Fun and Appeal for Help

I have had a thoroughly good time on and off over the past few days making progress on the Old Tyre Depot, particularly playing with the roof structure. Who'd have thought a few pence worth of plastic could provide so much fun?     However, I'm afraid work will be getting in the way of more important things over the next few days so the roof is going to have to be neglected.for a while. I'm looking forward to painting it though. In the meantime, I have a bad case of what can on
crayment

crayment

4
Maxstoke

End of the Line

Whilst reviewing the photo showing the basic formwork for the ground it was noticeable that the siding has not been fitted with any buffers. So I thought I'd better provide some. Typical rail built Midland style buffers are described in MRJ issue 121, and now adorn the Northern end of the siding.    
RichardW1

RichardW1

0
Buckingham West

After three months .....

So the last entry was almost 3 moths ago and what's happened at Buckingham West? The unfortunate answer is not enough. In short it's been too cold in the loft and too busy generally. However I have purchased a Dapol track cleaner and have serviced the 61xx, a 43xx and one of the Dean Goods. Unfortunately the 61xx is still not a good runner and so I have ordered a new Hornby 51xx. I have also bought a Bachmann 4575 from a collector. It had never been run, but after some lubrication it has perform
Richard Mawer

Richard Mawer

0
Maxstoke

Groundwork

Now that the Servo TOU's have been installed, it is time to start thinking about groundwork. On Copenhagen Fields the majority of the 'world' is plywood, being covered with buildings. Here at Maxstoke I am going back to open country, so the basic ground former for the foreground land is based on artist's chicken wire stapled to plywood formers. Over this is painted on a liberal quantity of white PVA and strips of newspaper- both on top and under the chicken wire.   Now chicken wire is ok, but
RichardW1

RichardW1

4
Highclere - 2mm Finescale

Trying to get motivated...

Hello.   As the title says really I am really trying to get motivated on the layout once again. Its just been sat around untouched for nearly a year now but now one board is unpacked and sat on my kitchen table.   Stage 1 is to take some photos to remind myself why I am doing it...         Missy
-missy-

-missy-

29
Trevanion Dries

Launch The Fleet!

Whilst I'm working on my wagon fleet, I had the wheels on my 2 DMUs sent away for turning and gauging to 2FS standards. Now they're back, here's a visual comparison of the Dapol 153 and the Farish 150, both in Regional Railways livery. They both look great and run superbly (although the Dapol model does have far better slow speed control than the Farish), both before and after conversion to DCC. The blues used for the main body side colour and the lighter blue stripe are slightly different, not
Kaolin2FS

Kaolin2FS

2
Penmaenmawr station and sidings in 7mm c.1995

Dogfish wagons

It's not much use having a layout if there is nothing to run on it, and since progress has slowed I thought some of you may like to see some 7mm kit built M&M models dogfish ballast wagons which I have built. These have been modified as each one is based on a prototype working from period photographs. They have been super-detailed (I am in the process of adding detail to certain ones) and weathered, transfers being a mix of left-overs and home-made where no equivalent exists. The vacuum pipe
Howard Smith

Howard Smith

12
Eric & Gripper's Blog

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, And I'm feelin' good (Nina Simone,1965)

I am returning to this lovely hobby of ours after twenty years away. I haven't neglected my workbench in that time, it has been full of German Armour, and the calender has been set at 1944 forever.Everything else in this hobby has changed.From the outside looking in quality has improved exponentially.   Some dear friends have encouraged me to return to my previously devoted hobby. Armed with my military modelling knowledge i have been trying to edge my way back in slowly. My friends have sugg
Eric & Gripper

Eric & Gripper

6

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

      By PaternosterRow · Posted

      Hi Pete, excellent entry.  Can’t wait to see more updates.  Nice to hear from you again and note that you are enjoying getting out and about up in Scotland. It’s a beautiful part of the world up there - I spent a summer back in the 90’s walking and camping from Glasgow to John O Groats.  Never got to Kyle as I went up the straight chain of Lochs from Glencoe to Inverness and then North form there etc.  it’s surprising how similar to Scotland this part of world I am now in is - winter here with t
    • Neal Ball
      Autocoach upgrade

      By Neal Ball · Posted

      Maybe with the new bottle, I should have sent it back…
    • MikeOxon
      A Tender for Viper

      By MikeOxon · Posted

      Thank you Annie - I really enjoy re-creating these early engines.  It would have been impossible if the young Edward Lane had not taken a liking to them in the yard at Swindon.  By then, most of them had been superseded by later designs, such as Firefly, but he must have had a sense of 'history'.
    • The Fatadder
      Autocoach upgrade

      By The Fatadder · Posted

      If the IPA is not removing paint, a good trick is to warm it up which makes it more effective.   Though like you say after a number of uses it does loose its potency, I recently had to change mine after it got to the point where it was barely touching the paint 
    • MikeOxon
      A Tender for Viper

      By MikeOxon · Posted

      Thank you Chris - I think it's lovely too!  The Lane drawing was probably made in around 1848, ten years after this engine was delivered and after its time on the South Devon. As my final sentence suggested, I am now looking hard at 'Ajax' which had similar-looking solid wheels.

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