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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
    • 3,298 views
Slattocks Junction - MMRS P4 Layout

The wonder of Sculptamold

I'd read a couple of threads on here about using Sculptamold as a scenic cover and a bag was duly ordered by someone in the group for a trial. Previously tile cement had been used on the layout in rather industrial qualities. Not only was that very heavy but it had cracked when put over white polystyrene and wasn't providing the robust basic scenery the layout wanted for exhibition travel as well as sitting in the club room in prime 'leaning on' position!   Sculptamold has been a revelation on
craigwelsh

craigwelsh

5
Layout - Fisherton Sarum

Talking Stock #4 Cabs and Deflectors, Bulleid Light Pacific Variations

When first introduced 21C101 to 21C163 had the original Bulleid style cab with narrow front lookout and two large side windows, the rear one of which slid forwards behind the front. Complaints were made due to a restricted forward view, not helped by the position, inside the cab, of the vacuum ejector controls, in front of the window on the driver’s side. Therefore starting in July 1947 the cabs were modified, with a wedge shaped front (sometimes referred to a ‘V’ shaped) giving a larger front w
Graham_Muz

Graham_Muz

2
Chris Nevard's Blog

New Sign for the Pedant & Armchair

111205_polbrock_IMG_2125_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.   The Pedant &Armchair is now fully open and is complete with appropriate signage on the front. The nearby railway also has warnings to warn of its presence, but of the course the clientele would never dream of wandering onto the line because they almost certainly read government health and safety guides before going to bed. They are also unlikely to be drunk, 'mother' would never allow it.   I just need to think of a suitab
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

18
Fen End Pit's Blog

Empire Basin - Building bridges

A bit of tidying up of the wiring today and I managed to get to a point where I could think about turning to the scenery on the next section of viaduct. This consists of a road bridge under the railway which will also have the station building at street level. The road itself will be wider that the arches of the main viaduct section so I have drawn out an elliptical arch which matches the height of the other arches but gives the right distance between the piers.     Given this is a bridge o
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

4
Fen End Pit's Blog

MERG DCC system

I thought folks might be interested in a couple of photographs of the new MERG CBUS based DCC system. This uses a CANBUS (originally developed for the automotive industry) to transmit the signals from the handset to the command station which then generates the completely standard DCC signals on the track. The advantage is that this is the same wiring bus as I using for controlling the rest of the layout using other MERG CBUS boards. Ultimately I should be able to run the whole layout with 6 to 8
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

5
Tim V's Workbench Blog

After exhibtion work

One thing I do after every show is create a log of the problems/issues that come up during the show. I now have a record going back to 1997. It's interesting looking back at the problems I used to have.   As the problems get sorted out, I tick them off, making sure I've dealt with all of them before the next show.   I also have a "countdown calendar", this is based on the number of Sundays before the next show, about 15 left before Clutton's next outing.
Tim V

Tim V

2
Churchill8F's Blog

Duck The Great Western Engine - Working from the prototype

So if you were bothered to use Google to translate it, you'd find it was simply "Duck" in Dutch. If you're wondering why it was Dutch, I will reveal that at a later date.   Onto Duck's body, this has been aided with re-watching the classic episodes, and screen capturing several key shots of him to produce the body from. It's good that there is enough reference material to work from, but it would have been nicer had he been produced by Bachmann.           Worki
Churchill8F

Churchill8F

0
Sixties Snapshots - 00 scale

Cornered

As originally envisaged the top right corner was just an empty space:       However whilst playing trains it soon became apparent that a passing loop would be useful for the branch line - and if this could be combined with some sort of 'halt' / station for the autotrain, then it would be doubly useful. The wood work was changed and some track layed:     However - why did I cut off the piece of board into the corner? Maybe the corner of the room was not square? It certainly wouldn'
Silver Sidelines

Silver Sidelines

2
The Gingerbread Line

Building an old Toad (part 1)

This covers the start of planning and building a Toad (GWR Brake Van) for the layout. Not one of the usual Toads (from Association kits), which come in 20 and 24 feet lengths, with four or six wheels and a capacity of 16 to 25 tons, but the earlier outside-framed variant with a length of 18 feet and capacity of 10 tons.     This is one I did earlier - not finished yet (missing buffers, couplings, handrail, and with the roof still loose), and flawed by a couple of mistakes in the constructio
Gingerbread

Gingerbread

7
SRman's Workbench Blog

More Progress on Buses - Tiger Cub and 5Q5

More progress on the buses. I finished off the Southdown Tiger Cub and London 5Q5 for the annual modelling competition of the Model Bus Association of Australia, held today. The Southdown bus took first place in the 4mm kit built section, in spite of a few faults.   The first photo shows both of the buses near completion. The 5Q5 has just had its windscreens glued in so the glue is still white but dries clear. The Little Bus Company kit comes with pre-printed windscreens but i put them somewhe
SRman

SRman

2
McRuss german modelrailway Blog

FREMO modules at the 25th modelrailway days at Frankfurt Griesheim

Two weeks ago I attended the modelrailway days with some friends from FREMO with some of our modules. We operated it according to a timetable. Here are some pictures, and a short movie.       Overview over the exhibition room.   And now some of our modules.     Chemieanlagen Bau (chemical apparatures works)     Wuerzburger Strasse (Wuerzburg street paperworks)     another view of Wuerzburger Strasse     A Regional Express at Emonsfeld (the terminus of these modular
McRuss

McRuss

2
Chris Nevard's Blog

Dirty Beattie!

Beattie Well Tank No. 30587 trundles through the open crossing at Polbrook with a freight from Wenfordbridge to Wadebridge on a sultry summer day in 1957. 111204_polbrock_IMG_2088_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.   "She smells a bit but has a heart of gold", as coined by John Cleese when introducing his slightly less than fresh wife at a drinks party on a well known Monty Python sketch.   Here though I'm writing about Kernow Model Rail Centre's recently released Beattie Well Tan
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

6
backofanenvelope's blog

Yer know what it is yet?

Well not as much progress as I had hoped for this evening as although I went to 4D Modelshop and got the necessary bits including solder paint for the wagon build I then couldn't find the bag of bits I brought from the AGM! So yet another box hunt tomorrow. So in order not to let the momentum fizzly out I set about making a test track out of foamcore. Although it is only around 2.5feet long I will adequately meet my goals of getting something running and testing out various ideas an techniques.
backofanenvelope

backofanenvelope

5
Engine Wood

Callow Lane - goods shed update

I've finally gotten around to doing a bit more on the goods shed for Callow Lane.   To recap, this is based on the Townstreet plastercast kit, which I have always liked, although it is not based on Midland Railway practice in the area I am modelling.   It was one of their very first kit, and as such the castings would appear to be slightly less refined than their later productions, certainly the kit that I picked up has a number of minor casting defects, which I am disguising or otherwise tr
Captain Kernow

Captain Kernow

3
Turin 60's Blog

Warewithial Quay point motor

Visitors to this blog might recall that I was operating the one & only point on the layout with a Hoffman pattern point motor, which duly decided to play up from the off once I arrived at the Wiltshire groups members day at Pewsey back in August. This point motor has been removed, it is no more!   It's replacement is a slightly modified Tortoise point motor hidden inside the large warehouse occupying center stage, see below for the now you see me now you don't photographs.   Some years
Turin 60

Turin 60

0
St Ruth

Building Buildings

There is a bit of a theme to our lives at the moment... getting the buildings built.   We have accepted an invite to the Nottingham show in March next year so it's now all hands to the pumps to get a reasonable set of buildings into place on the layout. Most of us have little or no prior experience of doing this, but I think that everyone has produced good results.   The photos below were taken at our most recent meeting where we had most of the current crop of buildings in place on the layo
D869

D869

8
Stock for Brent 1947 GWR

5512 Part 4

While I still havent got round to placing my Gibson order for the crank pins, I have made a little more progress   A couple of weeks back I found a couple of perfect components for this project from Ebay, This comprised a set of Mitchell designed conrods and balance weights from the Churchward Models kit, a set of nickel silver components (including conrods and pony trucks) from a Mitchell 44xx kit, and finally a set of Perserverance pony trucks from a 45xx.   So, the balance weights are no
The Fatadder

The Fatadder

3
Dukedog's Jottings

Is this the way forward (a possible solution?)

Those of you who have seen my last entry in this blog will have read that I am having some health problems which was going to restrict my exhibition activities with Pen Y Bont.   I am happy to report that some of these problems have been overcome with a visit to the doctors and a change in medication.   I have also rejoined the Cradley Heath Model Railway Club and have been assured of assistance at exhibitions by some of the club members.   I was a member of this club up until about 8 ye
Dukedog

Dukedog

4
Dave at Honley Tank's Blog

Bits & Pieces of a J10

It’s been a bit of a ‘bits-&-pieces’ week since my last posting. The first job was cutting, rolling and fitting the cab roof, followed by the cab floor. This was followed by a day on the lathes, turning the chimney, dome, whistle, two by safety valves and the smoke box door. The master for the boiler back-head, originally for a J6 was modified and a new RTV mould made. Twenty-four hours later, the mould, now fully cured was used to cast a J10 white-metal back-head which was a good bit dee
Dave at Honley Tank

Dave at Honley Tank

0
Fourgig East

Clearance Checks Passed

Bit of progress on 4gig - I've bought a couple of Lima MK1s from BlackRat of this parish and am pleased to see that they clear the goods shed when on the run-round loop. It's not going to be a "normal" move but I can foresee the need to shunt them into the loop to release a long guest loco that can't clear the point.       The above shots are using the Templot print, but I have since checked on the real trackwork and it's fine. So full steam ahead Santa, Marcway gift vouchers please  
RedgateModels

RedgateModels

1
TomE's N Gauge Modelling

Ropley - Seeing stripes

Hi all.   Just a quick update tonight to show some work on the Carriage and Boiler shop building which is located at the Eastern end of the yard.   Using the paper mock-up shown in the last entry, the front part of the building has been started first. I've used some evergreen V grove styrene sheet to try and represent the cladding used on the real building, with thin strip then used for the ribbing. The doors were made using Evergreen N gauge car siding, and hopefully the effect captures the
TomE

TomE

5
Fen End Pit's Blog

Empire Basin - Banner repeater - positioned and servo operated

The banner signal has now been positioned on the layout. It is tight against the wall of the viaduct and I actually have to do a little bit of work as the wall of the parapet would actually be a bit too close. The driver's eye view shows the On and Off position. The Off is not quite a steep enough angle but I'm afraid it will have to do as getting a stepper angle would mean having to adjust the rather delicate push rod.       The curve probably demonstrates why the repeater was necessary,
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

4

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    • john new
      Painting some Dapol/Kitmaster workmen.

      By john new · Posted

      Next step completed after the six needed for a track gang have been painted and their foot pedestals clipped off. They will be fitted to the club layout (Axford) as a spot sleepering gang.   First lesson learnt by the experience - it will be easier in future to trim the foot block and drill for the pins before doing the painting.   The reason for the track gang is the l/hand divergent track on this board no longer goes anywhere as it now feeds a single entry sector plate. The
    • bcnPete
      Making Mountains

      By bcnPete · Posted

      This is fabulous Mike.   Thanks for sharing your techniques and it looks stunning in the setting - as Mikkel says, my kinda place!   A nice story and I do hope that they have success.   Love it in BR blue mode too 😀
    • gwr517
      Edwardian motorcars (2): British Ford T Late 1912

      By gwr517 · Posted

      Thankyou for the info.I want a British car but French or American would be OK. My "Dr" from Motley End could do with one of those modern contraptions! Railway modelling causes us all to be very aware of every aspect of life in our chosen era. Its part of the attraction. I could give your Postman a lesson or two in handling parcels also!
    • Mikkel
      Edwardian motorcars (2): British Ford T Late 1912

      By Mikkel · Posted

      Thank you Chris and Mike for the input on wording, "motor cars" it is then.   Douglas those 1960s car rallys sound good. There's an annual vintage fair here in Denmark that we sometimes go to. Here's a 1926 Ford T from a couple of years ago.       Returning to the DAPR 3D prints, I have been in touch with Ben of DAPR. He says that they are still available if you enquire. He also has them with the roof drawn up, and in pickup versions.   He says he co
    • gwr517
      Edwardian motorcars (2): British Ford T Late 1912

      By gwr517 · Posted

      No but a modeller freind has owned and restored 3 early T models. Also I was draged to many Veteran car rallys in the 1960's. My dad being a fan.I have owned 50 cars and 24 m/cycles but only one car and one m/cycle were vintage, a1925 Bullnose Morris and a 1926 AJS bike. I have riden a few veteran bikes in rallys though., great fun.

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