Model Rail 252 September 2018

[dibber25]

Trim the cost of your modelling. This month's Model Rail suggests some ways to save money, build great models that aren't expensive, and navigates you through the business of buying second-hand.

 

We open this month with a tribute to our good friend Allan Downes whose recent passing has robbed the hobby of a great character and a superb maker of buildings with real atmosphere.

Current and former MR staff recall their meetings with Allan and some of his great models are featured in Chris Nevard's photographs. 

 Chris Leigh recalls the Greatest Show on Earth and Paul Tudor reflects on the joy of restoring and modifying older models.

Layouts:

David Harrison's N gauge layout beautifully representing the Loch Fyne area.

Tony and Graham Bucknell go back to the 70s with Kirkmellington, a coal mine layout in EM gauge.

Paul Lunn suggests some layout ideas based around the Windermere Lakeside branch.

Workbench:

How to bag a bargain and dodge a disaster when buying used model railway equipment.

George Dent's £10 upgrades.

Peter Marriott builds another layout but can he get it in for under £200?

George Dent upgrades 1970s wagons

Top ten scenic savings

Chris Leigh repairs and tweaks a Hornby-Dublo station

Ken Newton creates NER Tyneside electrics from old Hornby Mk1s.

 

Plus all the regulars including 'According to Chris, Know Your Stuff, The Clubroom, Present your case and Backscene. 

 

PUBLISHED AUGUST 30th in shops and on-line. 

 

Edited August 29, 2018 by dibber25

[Butler Henderson]

Mine arrived Saturday although it was Sunday when I spied it hanging through the post box. Only two reviews - Bachmann H2 and Hornby 14xx.

[dibber25]

Mine arrived Saturday although it was Sunday when I spied it hanging through the post box. Only two reviews - Bachmann H2 and Hornby 14xx.

 

Yes. The summer is usually quiet. Bet it will go mad in few weeks' time! (CJL)

[russ p]

Love the tributes to Allan , Chris

All really well written

[dibber25]

Love the tributes to Allan , Chris

All really well written

 

I wrote mine in haste as I learned of Allan's passing only hours before I went to Canada on holiday. I only saw the finished feature earlier today and I agree, they are some lovely tributes to a really nice guy. (CJL)

[rue_d_etropal]

Not a bad issue. At least I could look before buying this time.
Just a few points though.
Money saving tips.
Good to see someone else has realised emulsion paint pots are good value. As for colours, yes there is a good range, except green. In particular BR/GWR type green. Not sure why, but you can mix your own.
I used to just wash brushes clean, then realised I was throwing away a lot of paint. Keep a jar of (initially clean) water, and wash brushes off in that. Probably a good idea to then quickly wash brush off in clean water. Now as the dirty water gets more gungy, it becomes suitable for weathering models. I weather my models wet method, so keep a tray under model, and then can tip what runs off back into the gunge pot. When I was doing a lot of painting, I used to have 2 or 3 pots in different stages of gunge, as at some point the dirty paint brush is not as dirty as the gunge!

Sand, it concerns me that you should suggest taking it from a beach. If everyone did that, there would be no sand left, and no beach.

Old Hornby Dublo buildings. £50 sounds a lot to pay. I have a couple of these buildings, including the terminal building. Missing doors and windows and they can usually be picked up cheaper. In fact I sold off the doors and windows as they are always popular I have replaced some with my own 3D printed ones.

Painting plastic buildings. I now mainly use emulsion paint, but it needs a coat of either good quality acryllic paint, or acryllic primer(household stuff seems to work). Sometimes it is still necessary to wash the plastic to remove any grease. Once the primer is touch dry, you can overpaint with emulsion paint, but then leave it to properly dry(24 hours) before handling a lot. I then weather it using my gunge pot. Let the gunge run into cracks and crefices. If necessary add a touch of new paint, then wash that down. Collect the liquid that runs off, and pour itback into the gunge pot for next time.

It is worth while checking out DIY section of stores. Wilkinson's have an excellent non solvent based brown wood filler. It sticks to most things including plastic. I have even stuck track down with it, and best thing is that because it is brown, you don't get that white streaks when it gets scratched! It is in their Rhino range, and you can buy it white if you want to.

 

Good to see article about Tyneside EMUs, but there is an alternative method as I have done those units in 3D printing. For book recommendations I suggest the booklets of drawings the North Eastern Society produce. They can also supply booklets of LNER drawings .

 

Finally, sad about Allan, but at least we have his superb buildings to remember him by.

Edited August 31, 2018 by rue_d_etropal

[south_tyne]

Managed to have a very quick flick through the new issue in the supermarket today and looks like an excellent issue. Particularly liked the look of the building a layout on a £200 budget and I'll definitely come back to this. Given the seemingly increasing costs a d expense of this hobby it is great to see that there is another way and that alternative approaches and ideas are available with a little resourcefulness and lateral thinking. All in all looking forward to getting a copy and having a proper read in due course!

[puck]

I haven't seen the current edition but I believe it's illegal to take sand home from the beach unless permission is granted by the Environment Agency. Tut Tut

 

https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2781&p=0

Edited September 1, 2018 by puck

[Kiwi]

I haven't seen the current edition but I believe it's illegal to take sand home from the beach unless permission is granted by the Environment Agency. Tut Tut

 

https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2781&p=0

What? Has the Island of Guernsey taken over law setting from the British Government? Perhaps a crafty move in the ongoing brexit saga

[it's-er]

The novelty of it - a magazine for September that comes out right at the beginning of September! Wonderful - most refreshing!

 

John Storey

[rue_d_etropal]

I haven't seen the current edition but I believe it's illegal to take sand home from the beach unless permission is granted by the Environment Agency. Tut Tut

 

https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2781&p=0

There has been a case reported recently of someonehaving to return stones they took from a beach or face a huge fine.

I also  seem to remember seeing something a while back  about people taking sand from beaches(not the odd cup full), and either selling it or using it for some business activity. I am sure the are people who do take a sall quantity(cup full?) and impact isminimal. I made my original comment mainly because I found it a bit irresponsible to actually suggest taking sand from a beach.

There are a lot of alternatives that can be bought in shops. Pet shops offer bird grit and sand. Some fish tank gravel can be used, but beware I have found some that reacts with PVA and short circuits the track!

[Steamport Southport]

I haven't seen the current edition but I believe it's illegal to take sand home from the beach unless permission is granted by the Environment Agency. Tut Tut

 

https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2781&p=0

 

It was clamped down on due to East European builders taking materials from beaches on an industrial scale.

 

Why pay for sand or gravel when there is a big load of free stuff lying around? 

 

 

Jason

[dibber25]

Fine sand is available in garden centres - or do as I did for the article on my beach scene on Polwyddelan - and put 'fine sand' into the Ebay search box. The choices are almost limitless and it's probably more hygienic and certainly more environmentally friendly. I was away on holiday, so I didn't see the proofs of this particular article - indeed I still haven't seen it. (CJL)

[Hroth]

I haven't seen the current edition but I believe it's illegal to take sand home from the beach unless permission is granted by the Environment Agency. Tut Tut

 

https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2781&p=0

In Scotland, some folk are getting wound up over beach cairn builders, let alone removing pebbles!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-45146681

 

I'd have thought that the first autumn storm would level the beach to its "natural state", problem solved...

[Steamport Southport]

Just go on a day trip to the beach.

 

You'll be emptying the stuff out of your shoes and socks for months afterwards. 

 

 

 

Jason

[steve1]

Actually bought a copy for once as it had enough in it to make purchase worthwhile and VFM.

 

Still don't like the paper though.

 

steve

[rue_d_etropal]

It was clamped down on due to East European builders taking materials from beaches on an industrial scale.

 

Why pay for sand or gravel when there is a big load of free stuff lying around? 

 

 

Jason

I suspect locally born individuals have also removed sandin large quantities. Always easy to blame someone else!

 

I would suggest anyone thinking it allright,then they should visit some coastal areas which have suffered to to coastal erosion . Quite a few house owners have woken up to find their gardens in the sea, and had to leave, as their house will be next. Sand is not expensive to buy. If you actually live in a sandy area, you might even be able to dig it out of your own garden.

[F-UnitMad]

Chris's assessment of the second-hand O Scale market is spot-on. A minefield of over-valued & over-priced tat, as routinely displayed at events like Telford Guildex

 

"Hey, it's O Scale - so it must be expensive!".

 

Good to read a bit about Allan Downes. I remember reading about his 'don't model what you won't see' policy years ago. Maybe I can blame him for the bad habit I have of often only weathering one side of my locos & rolling stock

Finally I don't often buy mags but MR being nearly £1 cheaper than BRM at the moment swayed me this time - yes I'm a cheapskate!! (& my eyes couldn't cope with the BRM cover photos this month )

[Steamport Southport]

It's a valid point about the price of some O gauge tat.

 

I would expect to pay premium prices for well built models, but have you seen the prices people expect for poor quality, damaged Lima and Big Big Train stuff. 

 

 

 

 

Jason

[black and decker boy]

Really thrilled with how my article on Kirkmellington has come out and the fantastic pictures by the talented Mr Nevard.

[paulbb]

A good issue.

Using the mag to show how the hobby can be done cheaply is a good idea which may give hope and help to the many people feeling left behind.

This is partly by technology changes -the so called digital divide - (some people boast that they have never used a computer and never will!)  and partly due to the big income divide. I know of many people for whom  a £100 loco -never mind a 200 one with sound- is a forlorn hope.

I was a bit confused by the Hornby 14xx product review, which apparently described the loco as having prodigous feats of haulage due to traction tyres- and the product description, which said no traction tyres, so does it have them or not?

[steve1]

Chris' article on buying used equipment is worth the price mag alone. Hopefully it will help a lot of newbies not get rooked by dodgy sellers.

 

steve

[Revolution Ben]

It was clamped down on due to East European builders taking materials from beaches on an industrial scale.

 

Why pay for sand or gravel when there is a big load of free stuff lying around? 

 

 

Jason

 

 

Or large Briitsh companies, Suffolk householders and builders on remote Scottish Islands: 

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/beautiful-beach-carted-away-for-building-sand-1566434.html

 

http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/cops-warning-over-taking-sand-from-beach-1-205625

 

http://coastalcare.org/2010/06/scotland-pristine-white-sand-targeted-by-thieves-in-midnight-raids/

 

Let's not blame Europe for everything!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Grafarman]

Trim the cost of your modelling. This month's Model Rail suggests some ways to save money, build great models that aren't expensive, and navigates you through the business of buying second-hand.

 

We open this month with a tribute to our good friend Allan Downes whose recent passing has robbed the hobby of a great character and a superb maker of buildings with real atmosphere.

Current and former MR staff recall their meetings with Allan and some of his great models are featured in Chris Nevard's photographs. 

 Chris Leigh recalls the Greatest Show on Earth and Paul Tudor reflects on the joy of restoring and modifying older models.

Layouts:

David Harrison's N gauge layout beautifully representing the Loch Fyne area.

Tony and Graham Bucknell go back to the 70s with Kirkmellington, a coal mine layout in EM gauge.

Paul Lunn suggests some layout ideas based around the Windermere Lakeside branch.

Workbench:

How to bag a bargain and dodge a disaster when buying used model railway equipment.

George Dent's £10 upgrades.

Peter Marriott builds another layout but can he get it in for under £200?

George Dent upgrades 1970s wagons

Top ten scenic savings

Chris Leigh repairs and tweaks a Hornby-Dublo station

Ken Newton creates NER Tyneside electrics from old Hornby Mk1s.

 

Plus all the regulars including 'According to Chris, Know Your Stuff, The Clubroom, Present your case and Backscene. 

 

PUBLISHED AUGUST 30th in shops and on-line. 

 

Very enjoyable read through today, having just got back from a holiday in Windermere the Paul Lunn article on Lakeside was especially welcome, but I would have liked an overall shot/trackplan of Peter Marriott's budget layout; I realise the plan must be very simple and the whole thing quite small but the snapshots were enticing enough to warrant a larger picture I think...or is there more to come next month perhaps...?

 

David

Edited September 2, 2018 by Grafarman

[Huw Griffiths]

Ken Newton creates NER Tyneside electrics from old Hornby Mk1s.

 

Not a bad issue. At least I could look before buying this time.

 

... Good to see article about Tyneside EMUs, but there is an alternative method as I have done those units in 3D printing. For book recommendations I suggest the booklets of drawings the North Eastern Society produce. They can also supply booklets of LNER drawings .

 

Finally, sad about Allan, but at least we have his superb buildings to remember him by.

 

Fair comment.

 

As for the NER Tyneside EMUs, I'm just glad to see an article about how to build stuff that runs on layouts.

 

In fact, I'd rather like it if I could see more stuff in a similar vein in as many magazines as possible - stuff like this makes a welcome change from opening boxes and seeing photos of other people's layouts.

 

OK - a personal view - and probably a controversial view - but my real interests in railway modelling have always centred on how to build things - and how to make them work.

 

 

Huw.