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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
    • 3,295 views
Chris Nevard's Blog

Not a Train in Sight

nevard_101128_catcott_IMG_8455_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.   I must admit to when photographing model railways, apart from the odd cut-away sort of shot to show a cameo or fine detail when shooting a layout for publication, I tend to always have a train in shot somewhere. This is probably something to do with the fact that inevitably that's what I end up doing when photographing full sized railway scenes where the train is very much the star.   In an attempt to break the h
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

7
JaymzHatstand's Blog

Some 60 progress

I thought I had a topic on either here, or indeed the old site, but it would appear not, so I shall bring you up to speed. I managed to aquire a rather cheap Lima Class 60, from a certain internet auction site, and thanks to a number of members of this forum, and some trade stands at exhibitions, have cobbled together a set of detailling parts. It was originally in Railfreight Grey with LoadHaul markings as 60050 Roseberry Topping, but with EWS vynils over the logos. I had originally intended
JaymzHatstand

JaymzHatstand

1
Slattocks Junction - MMRS P4 Layout

Wiring up the new track for the Xmas Social

Sorry for the lack of recent updated on this blog, its mostly been a case of more of the same as track and wiring have been replicated around the boards. The club has a xmas social however a fortnight on Saturday and so its all hands to the pumps as we race to get the new setup running in time!   The scenic trackwork for the two main running lines is now completed again and i've shown a quick overview of the main board.   Here is an overview of the underside of that board before most of th
craigwelsh

craigwelsh

3
Southleigh Heath Workbench

Vic Berry, neo classical style!

I think I can safely say I now have enough parts to commence the Networker project, the difficult bit comes now but that won't be for a couple of weeks yet as there are a few Mk2 air con coaches and a Class 47 stuck in the queue ahead of it at the moment.   One corner of my workbench now resembles a sort of neo classic homage to Vic Berry:   Suffice to say you can see what I will be spending my Christmas and Boxing day doing!! The plan at the moment from all the various bits I have mana
John M Upton

John M Upton

3
coombe junction - moorswater

coombe junction - moorswater - rotary dries cladding - II

Update - Take 3...Whilst Barca paste Madrid 5 - 0 in the background this evening, I have tried out the final (?) option on refining the cladding. Thanks to everyones helpful comments of last week, I have looked at reducing the perceived overlap between the panels and omitted the individual panels. I kept going back to the photos of the dries and despite the weathering of the panels as exists today, which clouds the issue slightly, the horizontal banding seems to be very strongly expressed which
bcnPete

bcnPete

16
92220's Blog

Bachmann 9F Evening Star upgrading - stage 2

OK, here is a pic of the front of the prototype, showing I got the vacuum pipe bracket on the first post somewhere near right.     The steam heat pipe was a later addition.   Now to the driver's side under cab pipework.   This is rarely modelled as far as I know but it is very noticeable, even if not as prominent as the massive bundle of injector pipework on the fireman's side. There is more still, but it is fine enough not to worry for my purposes.   0.7mm copper wire bent to shap
92220

92220

3
Dave Holt's Blog

Delph - Trial assembly

Now I've got all three boards with track laid at home, I was able to assemble the three together for the first time on the lounge/diner floor - after moving a bit of furniture and a rug! The three sections together are just over 12 feet long, with another scenic board (as yet without track) to take the line off to the fiddle yard (at the far end, in the photos). Current work includes fitting the point motors, TOU's and Alex Jackson uncoupling magnets under the boards, together with trimming som
Dave Holt

Dave Holt

5
The Farthing layouts

Bunker first (1927)

Farthing is normally set in 1907, but a while ago I decided to give my "out of period" stock a bit more attention by doing dedicated operating sessions for alternative time periods. Yesterday was a "1927" day, and here are a few shots. Above, Small Metro No. 1492 runs bunker first during shunting operations in the bay area. The loco features the enclosed cab and Collett style bunker with which many of the older tank locos were fitted in the 1920s.       Driver Henry Pull
Mikkel

Mikkel in Stories

18
Chinahand's Blog

And So It Starts

Well it's been at the planning stage for more years than I care to think about but, having now settled in China and completed my domestic duties (shelves & pictures to put up etc.) I've finally made a start.   The layout is N Gauge and runs around 3 sides of my Railway Room/Study with an overall size of 3.0m x 3.5m. It will, hopefully, depict my memories of post WWII steam operations, being set in 1946; though this might extend a little to the time of nationalisation so that I can run som
Chinahand

Chinahand

7
Calshot 4mm - SRS's Blog

Brockenhurst NFMRS Open Day - Calshot's visit

Firstly, thanks to all the event organisers, catering staff and of course the general public! I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I did not expect is the size of the hall - much bigger than I anticipated and a pleasant surprise.   The morning didn't start particularly well as we battled to unlock the van doors and manoeuvred several cars to enable it to be put in the drive for loading. Once the van was loaded it was a quick rush to get to the venue in time due to the earlier fiasco. Anywa
SouthernRegionSteam

SouthernRegionSteam

10
Chris Nevard's Blog

Steam on Cement Quay?

nevard_101128_cementQ_IMG_8463_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.   2-8-0 superpower as 48660 pulls a rakes of steel 16 ton mineral wagons away from the loading screen on the wharf at Cement Quay.   Some industrial locations can suit multiple eras with just a few changes. In this shot the scene is wound back to the mid 1960's and the last days of steam on the Western Region. The 8F and the 16 ton mineral wagons look completely at home, to the extent that next time I take Cement Qua
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

3
Roding Reach

Roding Reach - baseboards, view blockers...

Trying to get the 2 end baseboards made by Christmas and the track laid to complete the loop.   Only a bit of progress today (cold outside and the prospect of building 2 baseboards wasn't overly appealing). So, just some measuring out and figuring out how the tracks will turn around to reach the (eventual) traverser fiddleyard at the back.     The MDF square at the bottom of the photo is currently the piece of scrap from cutting out the board at the top. So, no quips p-lease about the t
AndyB

AndyB

0
Pugsley's Workbench

OMG, I think it's going to work!

As per the title, really. The 'third time lucky' parts are in the process of assembly, and I've now got to the stage where I'm testing that it all works before I get too far in the process. It all fits where it should, although I have made a bit of a mis-calculation with the positioning of the cross-members, in relation to the traction motor gears. Nothing that cutting a bit out can't cure!   The cosmetic sideframe is loosely attached to the assembly, just to check everything is as it sh
Pugsley

Pugsley

5
Hythe Parkway Blog

Hythe Parkway - Cranes

Hi,   Much progress has been made with the extension for Hythe, following purchase of the crane I needed at Warley.   It is a Knightwing kit, but modified slightly to make it look like a container crane, I carried out the following modifications:   1.) Cut off one pair of legs so it will attach to the main building 2.) Add the cable runs from the jib to the legs. 3.) Made a new speader for carring containers.   Happily with 3 and a half days not doing anything, due to the weekend and s
St. Simon

St. Simon

2
Fen End Pit's Blog

More bouncing signals

More fun with MERG electricery. I purchased a PICKIT2 which allows you to change the software running on the PICs used by the MERG Servo4 controllers to a version called Sema4 which has the option of setting 'On' and 'Off' positions, the 'On Speed' and 'Off Speed' and then up to 3 'bounces' in each direction. The result is shown in the attached YouTube clip.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un5LMUBFDM8   For the technically minded I've also now upgraded the software on the MERG CBUS modules
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

0
92220's Blog

Bachmann 9F Evening Star upgrading

Hi all,   Here is a blow-by-blow account of upgrading the Bachmann Evening Star. I think the basic model is really superb in many ways, but I wanted to do a few modifications.   Extra weight for improved adhesion Loco-tender coupling distance Loco lifting rings on front frames Correct pattern front coupling and vacuum pipe Remove steamheating pipe base from buffer beam GWR pattern lamp irons Buffer shank steps on loco and tender Remove NEM pocket from front bogie and fabricate spring
92220

92220

4
'CHARD's Low Benchmarks

Parklife - it's a kitbuilding blur

Here's the premise: take a rake of four freelance Mainline 5-plank wagons and strip their makeweight bodies off. Acquire via eBay some Parkside-Dundas PC45 Medfits (bowler-tip to Max Stafford for their i.d. on the legendary Shankend Clayton photo), and measure-up. Ascertain that the missing link is an LMS 20T Goods Brake (PC58) and add this to the pile. Start the task.   That little lot coincided with starting the new job about eight weeks ago, and while I've been markedly less rowdy on the
'CHARD

'CHARD

0
Liphook & District MRC Blog

Hillsides and cliff faces part 1

Last night saw some further scenic work taking place on the hillside along the back of the layout. Much hacking took place to give us some form, and the modrock was applied; hopefully improving the appearence considerably...   Next week the plan is to add the top coat of plastering, mixed with suitable shades of paint, before the trees are added. Potentially a very long and labourious task...   We also had some visitors to Yamanouchi Oshika. First up the Nankai Rap:t that has been ment
Claude_Dreyfus

Claude_Dreyfus

0
92220's Blog

Caprotti Black 5 - what next?

Hi all,   Regarding the Caprotti Black 5 in my blog, I’ve got a couple of questions, and a problem.   Can anyone confirm whether I should leave or remove the AWS fittings if I am looking at 1962? If not, I'm going to leave them.....   What would be the best primer to start the painting with? I have a Halfords grey, but it was not the easiest thing to use last time and I am wondering whether I should try something else.   I've had a look at the infill under the smokebox and I'm not su
92220

92220

1
RJRs Branch Lines

Photo stacking

I've blogged about this before, but I am still impressed by the photo stacking software available from Helicon Focus. I originally came across it on Chris Nevards blog and tried the "free" version which gives you a limited time to use the software. With my recent return to a smaller scale I found the challenge of taking photos that are all in focus hard, my compact camera has manual settings but even so I can only adjust the F stop to a maximum of F7.6   The basic principal of photo staking is
johnteal

johnteal

2
barrowroad's Blog

Bristol Barrow Road - The final Pit

At long last I have completed building all of the various pits; those inside the roundhouse, the engine sidings, the preparation pits and the ash disposal pits, a grand total of 33 not including those inside the workshop.   The brasswork of the ash disposal pits has now been sprayed with halfords grey primer which makes it possible to photograph them without the glare from the metallic surface. I have added a number of track rivits to the surface of the brass especially near the board joints i
barrowroad

barrowroad

3
Isle Ornsay

Dry Run

A day off work today resulted in the chopping of some ply into some rather random looking shapes:     Some cutting of stripwood, then construction of the cross braces ensued which has resulted in a kit of parts to construct the baseboards from.   So I've arrived at the point where most things are in a state to allow a dry run of construction, apart from the profiled end panels and the backscene being cut to the correct shape and length for each board.     Overview of the entire lay
invercloy

invercloy

7

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  • Blog Comments

    • MikeOxon
      Edwardian motorcars (2): British Ford T Late 1912

      By MikeOxon · Posted

      FWIW I prefer two words: motor car   The English language is fickle and others might take a different view   Mike
    • ian
      Episode 1: Waiting for a Train

      By ian · Posted

      That's the beastie.
    • Keith Addenbrooke
      Episode 1: Waiting for a Train

      By Keith Addenbrooke · Posted

      Hi @ian, thanks for this.  My guess is you may be thinking of this one mentioned by @F-UnitMad and @2E Sub Shed in a recent thread of mine on American HO modelling (apparently almost two years ago!!!):     Operationally this is always a good way to get extra mileage from a plan with a continuous run (literally, if you want).  There was a lot to like about Chris' plan, he even ran short double deck Chicago commuter trains for a passenger service (the first time I'd come across the
    • ChrisN
      Edwardian motorcars (2): British Ford T Late 1912

      By ChrisN · Posted

      From Jimbo Wales big bag of trivia   This page Car - Wikipedia   and the following paragraph.   Etymology The English word car is believed to originate from Latin carrus/carrum "wheeled vehicle" or (via Old North French) Middle English carre "two-wheeled cart", both of which in turn derive from Gaulish karros "chariot".[20][21] It originally referred to any wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, such as a cart, carriage, or wagon.[22][23] "Motor car", attested from
    • ian
      Episode 1: Waiting for a Train

      By ian · Posted

      Either scheme workd well. Me being me I'd go for the two station approach on the basis of added play value.   Way back when Chris Ellis did an N scale project layout in Scale/Model Trains based on a CNW line.   The basic outline was like this:   Trains arrived on the layout from the FY/Ext (which was also the route to extend the layout in future if you wished) then travelled through station B to terminate at station A.   The cunning bit was that you

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