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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
    • 3,287 views
MikeOxon's Broad Gauge Blog

Re-creating ‘Viper’

I thought I had done the Brunel ‘freaks’ to death and was thinking about what I might try making next. Then, I started reading the series of articles about Broad Gauge engines, published over several issues of the Locomotive Magazine. Starting with the January 1901 issue (Vol.6), a monthly series of article described in considerable detail ‘The BG Engines of the Great Western Ry’.   In fact, this series, which continued until February 1903, has been used ever since as a major source fo
MikeOxon

MikeOxon in General

3
Tales from Pagosa Junction

Episode 1: Waiting for a Train

Introduction   "Pagosa Junction" - a name that came on some dry rub decals with a whitemetal kit for a diminutive HO Scale Depot that I've built.  A whitemetal kit was something new for me to try.  It was a bit different, perhaps a little off-beat or even quirky, but it was fun to make - and turned out better than I thought I'd be able to do.  I guess that sums up my modelling philosophy.  So no, there's no connection with the abandoned Denver and Rio Grande Station of the same name, e
Keith Addenbrooke

Keith Addenbrooke in 2024

2
Playing with 1/50 scale

The 1/50 project a sector plate, part 2

Control. Hmm.   The first thing is to detect where the sectorplate is. I messed about a bit and decided to try optical detectors. I tried the idea of having one as a a reference and then driving a lead screw a given number of turns. Sounds elegant, but you are not driving a sectorplate in a line, you are driving it in an arc. Either the lead screw has to pivot, or the connection from the lead screw to the sectorplate has to accommodate lateral movement. Messy, and draggy if you try to
Paternosterrow

Making Mountains

I work at a holiday cottage complex in Milltown, Co Kerry doing a bit of occasional maintenance, but business has been generally bad since Covid.  The on site Bistro/restaurant closed 3 yrs ago and lettings just dried up.  However, nothing's over till it's over and we recently had interest from someone who wanted to run the Bistro as a new Coffee Shop.  I was asked to do a bit of remodelling and give the place a general shine up after being empty for a couple of years for them.  The new people a
Navyport - A cameo in OO and OO9

Initial thoughts...

First of all - the why, the where, the what, the when and the how.   Why - Inspiration When our youngest stated his desire to join Her Majesties Royal Navy (as it was at the time), it opened a whole new fascinating world to me. Both historically and technically I have been intrigued and inquisitive about the whole Naval establishment, both ship-wise from the Mary Rose and HMS Victory to the new aircraft carriers, and infrastructure-wise from HMS Raleigh to the Admiralty.
Stubby47

Stubby47 in Inglenook

2
Random jottings on my modelling.

Valve gear fault fixed - a Bachman Hall

Back at the club (WMRA) spring open day I discovered that on my Bachmann Hall (6969 Wraysbury Hall) the R/h side connecting rod had somehow become disconnected at the wheel end. I finally got around to assessing the fault last week, discovered the circlip that should have been holding it on, wasn't there. I ordered a few replacement circlips from the Bachmann spares service which then arrived promptly. On the same order I added three sets of Manor tender wheels for another project. The service f
Awreville O Gauge Diesel Depot

Class 37 weathering

I knew at some point I would need to bite the bullet and attempt to weather one of my locos, bit of a daunting challenge considering the cost of an O gauge loco. I have practised on a couple of OO gauge locos before which had mixed results but the last one I was fairly happy with.  I chose my 37 as I had placed order on another which was being professionally weathered by Lee's Locos so I would have a comparison on my efforts.     I first added the logos and numbers from Railtech, again
Tommyp81

Tommyp81 in Loco Works

3
Random jottings on my modelling.

Painting some Dapol/Kitmaster workmen.

It has been a long while since I last painted a batch of the Dapol (ex Airfix) figure sets. Started tonight, so far a base coat of 50:50 PVA followed by a coat of watercolour black as a wash to fill in the shadows. First time attempting this black coat base after seeing it described several times.   They will need some more touching in before I add the over colours, again with watercolours. The joys(?) to come will be the drilling and fitting of pins to fix them rather than the supplie
Sixties Snapshots - 00 scale

45157 Glasgow Highlander

R30226 or R2449 – both in fact?   Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 top left R2449 bottom right 2024 and Hornby have released an updated version of Black Five Gordon Highlander.   Hornby Glasgow Highlander R30226 My first Hornby Gordon Highlander, product number R2449, arrived in 2020.  I was probably late in the day judging by the product number and I am guessing that the model had been released around 2012.   Hornby Glasgow Hig
Historical Loading Gauges

Hastings Line Tunnels

Perhaps the most notorious gauging situation on the railways.  As is well known, part of the Hastings line of the South Eastern Railway was constructed by what one has to say was a fraudulent contractor who built the tunnels without proper lining. This page https://tonbridgecommuters.org.uk/trouble-with-tunnels-the-railway-investment-legacy/ gives a decent overview of the events and subsequent action. Briefly the always impecunious SER, having received quite inadequate compensation award
JimC

JimC in Tunnels

5
Awreville O Gauge Diesel Depot

Refuelling Canopy

I built the refuelling point from plasticard and strut, I bult the frame for the canopy and placed into position to see that the sizing was correct and had enough clearance over the locos. With the frame built I installed LED 12v strip's onto the plasticard and wired between, I planned to put corrugated aluminium over these and cut around the struts with apertures cut in to hide the wires and most of the strip. Installed two O gauge refuelling points purchased from eBay which were painted yellow
Awreville O Gauge Diesel Depot

Planning details

I tested a couple of ideas for detailing around the buffer stops, fuelling point and walling to see what worked and gave me the look I was after. I am after a dated look for the depot so wanted the look of grass and plants growing from the ballast. Once I was happy I continued placing clumps of small static grass randomly around the layout especially the buffer stops and fuelling point. I purchased some Railway Laser Lines yard tower lights to give some height to the scenery, these don't come wi
Tommyp81

Tommyp81 in Build

0
Historical Loading Gauges

From McDermott, History of the Great Western Railway, Vol1, pub GWR1923

P65 on.  This is from Brunel's July 1838 report to the board.  To my mind the report contains some special pleading and rather mixed logic!  At this stage Brunel is envisaging carriage bodies set between large diameter wheels, and there is no thought of mixed gauges.  He notes that larger track gauge does not necessarily mean a larger loading gauge.  It appears that the concepts of loading gauge and structure gauge are still somewhat loose at this time, although Brunel i
JimC

JimC in Pre 1850

7
Barton St David - Modelling the GW and SDJR

1939 Dia. H33 Restaurant Composite

Hi folks, time for an update on the H33.   I was fortunate enough to have a week away in Wales, visiting some fab narrow gauge lines. I’m now back, and of course cracking on with what’s on my workbench.    My H33 is coming on leaps and bounds, as an evenings work has seen lining and lettering completed for one side of the vehicle, as well as an initial coat of grey on the roof.   There comes a point in projects like this, where suddenly everything is drawing t
The Sudfords

Up and Running

It's been a busy couple of weeks, both in terms of real-life - my best friend getting married, plus the usual work concerns - and also on the railway front. I've got the entire track laid and wired, and (so far) it is working well. One of the things that was worrying me most about the tracklaying was the need to modify points, and bring down some sort of dropper from the frog. Turns out, I'd been reading guides for oo track, and Peco's N gauge range points don't need any of this! All you need to
Return of Glasburgh the ‘Train Set’

Station

My original layout had a terminus station that came in the form of a wooden Santa 🎅 present that alas has disappeared through time. My mainline station was of the ready to use Hornby variety. I decided this was the way to go to recreate the feel of Glasburgh. This time using the Hornby overall roof ( many of) These were all purchased second hand and are in the form of two through lines and two bay platforms. Based loosely ( very loosely) on how Dundee operated back in the day.  When complete I
Tay Bridge

Tay Bridge in Station

0
Return of Glasburgh the ‘Train Set’

An important loco 27 024

An important loco ( to both me and my friend Ken Joy ) has been acquired! 27 024 means a lot as Ken put forward a successful package to buy 27 024 and I contributed a very small amount at the time. 27 024 is still in working order at Caledonian Railway and runs in green livery ( although the model has no D like the current real version.  Ken’s train set is 1:1 scale!  I have recently had a couple of cab rides with Ken at the controls… a long time since our bashing days! Now the bad news…
Tay Bridge

Tay Bridge in Update

0
Return of Glasburgh the ‘Train Set’

Construction commenced

Baseboards have been constructed and track has begun to be put down. The complication being two circuits of DCC to run my rolling stock ( BR modern image) and… ( the train set bit!) my Dad and brother’s European stuff on analogue… It works! It is fun… the main purpose to enjoy seeing trains running and a return to childhood memories.. progress…
Tay Bridge

Tay Bridge in Update

0
46444's Blog

Shunterama!..A BR Blue Class 09 and something from Reading..

Lurking on the shelf in my modelling room for a number of month's has been an Hornby ex-Mainline-Class 09 which was previously finished in aircraft blue with silver logos.    The logos had been removed previously with Humbrol thinners. More difficult areas were removed with fine grade sandpaper and a glass fibre pen.   Using Tamiya masking tape, the wasp stripes on each end were covered over along with cabside windows and doors.   Halfords grey primer gave a blank c
46444

46444 in 46444 Blog

2
Fen End Pit's Blog

More of Stratford's finest

I've been backdating the J17 and producing more variants. You'd have thought that locomotives would get more 'different' as the fleet got older but it seems the G.E.R. did things the other way around and the further back you go into pre-grouping the more variants there seem to be.   The original G.E.R. F48 were built with a round-topped firebox, these were all replaced with Belpaire fireboxes by the early 1920's. Quite why some classes of G.E.R. locomotive designs went from round-toppe
The Farthing layouts

Edwardian motor cars (1): De Dion-Bouton 1904 

I’ve built some Edwardian motor cars in 1:76 scale for my Farthing layouts. Here's the first instalment, focusing on a 1904 De Dion-Bouton made from a modified Scale-Link kit.     Caption: 1902 Wolseley 4 cylinder. Source: Getty Images, embedding permitted.   In 1895 there were 14-15 motor cars in Britain. In 1900 there were 7-800. Then it boomed. By 1909 there were 48.000 cars and in 1914 there were 132.000. (Sources: National Motor Museum and “The Motoring Age: T
Mikkel

Mikkel in Motor Cars

59

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  • Blog Comments

    • Alex Duckworth
      Making Mountains

      By Alex Duckworth · Posted

      What a great idea. Nice work Mike.   Alex.  
    • Dave John
      The 1/50 project a sector plate, part 2

      By Dave John · Posted

      So far ordering direct has worked well. The only tax on electronic bits seems to be VAT, that is calculated at the site checkout.    I use paypal so that gives a layer of protection, orders arrive here in a couple of weeks. 
    • Mikkel
      Re-creating ‘Viper’

      By Mikkel · Posted

      Very interesting, Mike. I hope your research is being noted somewhere.    I like how Snake/Viper where briefly renamed Teign/Exe. Talk about old wine on new bottles!      It seems odd, in this day and age, that the GWR would even consider trying out single-drivers on the Devon banks. Perhaps it shows the limited experience back then, or that the GWR simply didn't give a hoot about the SDR.   
    • Mikkel
      Episode 1: Waiting for a Train

      By Mikkel · Posted

      Good to see things developing, Keith.   That space beside the bed seems a bit left over. Room for an extension, perhaps? 😄 The frames look good, it's very satisfying when you can re-purpose things.   On the subject of planning, I personally think that there's a risk of overdoing it and not getting anything done. I'm the overthinking type myself, so I often have to force myself and just get on with things. That involves compromises and occasional mistakes, but it keeps me moti
    • Mikkel
      The 1/50 project a sector plate, part 2

      By Mikkel · Posted

      Not something I know much about, but it looks ingenious Dave. And yes that control panel is very slick.   You seem to have good experience of ordering parts from China? I suppose there must be import fees, but with those prices I suppose it's worth it.    

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