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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
    • 2,793 views
DBC90024's Blog

Johnson Street IEMD - loco update - 7th September 2023

Another arrival in the Long term store siding    Since 90031 arrived in my long term siding, it was always my intention to have another Crewe Long Termer (LTS - Long Term Storage) join them for company and to add to the scene space. The layout is becoming a kind of diorama in some ways, and although 90031 is DCC fitted, there isn't any plan for it be going anywhere.   Soooo, what should join 90031, well, if one looks at what has been sitting alongside them for a good long tim
Freshwater, Isle of Wight, in 2FS

Petrol Station for Freshwater

Finally, I have got round to creating the last building required for my Freshwater layout. There were two reasons for the procrastination afforded to this project. Firstly, the building is right at the front of the layout, and would get in the way, or be damaged, when working on other parts of the layout. The second reason was the severe shortage of images or information about the petrol station as it was in the 1940's or 1950's.   Having completed the rest of the layout scenics, excus
Ian Morgan

Ian Morgan in Structures

0
How to Not Build a Model Railway

How to not plan a model railway (part 4) - In which we find an unexpected ending...

At the end of my last post I was thinking of a North American standard gauge HO project again.  It would be instead of the European one I'd been edging towards since being joyfully distracted by my Roco HO OBB Taurus loco (and all that followed).   I previously shifted my focus stateside last November, but while I already have about forty US HO freight cars and kits, plus kits for buildings, I hadn't managed to find the inspiration to keep going when my ideas for a layout design got a
Disused and Misused

The North & South Wiltshire Railway – N&SWR - (Swindon to Salisbury)

The North & South Wiltshire Railway – N&SWR - (Swindon to Salisbury)   Preamble   My interest in this was sparked during the development of the Calne & Hungerford Railway by a question from @Northroader     Praise where it's due, @Mikkel's Farthing line is excellent in its own right. Please do have a look, it’s worth it.     That crossing point is (I believe) near Avebury Trusloe. But (opening a can of worms) I wondered where the r
Disused and Misused

Lyme Regis stations, with the Funicular Railway

Lyme Regis stations, with the funicular railway   By way of two reports in the Lyme Regis Gazette and Herald.   Report in the Lyme Regis Gazette and Herald (1st April, 1899) By our staff reporter Ronald Waffle.   Grand Opening of The Bridport, Lyme Regis and Axminster Railway (BLR&A)   Today I was privileged to witness a great day in the rich history of our great town of Lyme Regis. A veritable throng of citizens gathered for the grand opening of
Disused and Misused

Ocean Quay and the Mount Wise Dock

Why?   I fancied Ocean Quay as a modelling opportunity. I've not seen it modelled by anyone else (yet?), and I'd been wondering where to find any pictures of the quayside station. There's a few pics of the Stonehouse branch from Devonport station here on this Cornwall Railway Society page. http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/millbay-friary--stonehouse-branch.html   But no pics there of the station or quay themselves. The only pic I've found of the station so far is
Chesworth - Horsham MRC's 00 Finescale project

Decision time on priorities

August was a productive month, but there is still much to do to get the layout ready for the Dorking show, even as a work in progress job. We're hoping that some of the things we are trying to do are of interest to visitors, there will be plenty of other layouts with trains running on them through completed scenery. We can't escape from the fact though that making models of real buildings is a lot more time-consuming than throwing together a Metcalfe kit or that making trees from thin wire takes
whart57

whart57 in Monthly Reports

1
Disused and Misused

The Dawlish Avoiding Line

Introduction   This relates to the Dawlish Avoiding Line as proposed in 1933. Not to be confused with the Dawlish Avoiding Line re-proposed 2012 and onwards I'd dithered about where to put this topic.   Option 1 : Imaginary Railways? Well, no, because it was granted approval and land was acquired, route surveying started in Spring 1939, with poles along the proposed route. So it was no longer imaginary or just proposed. Option 2: Disused Railways? Well, no
Mattington - 4mm Scale Layout

Building the Control Panel - Part 4

Quite a while ago I managed to break something with the wiring on the control panel that caused a glitch on the programming for all the switches so I had the TM7 board 'temporally' on the CANPAN. Several months later and several more servos and relays now online and I realised that I had to reluctantly return to the control panel and try and figure out what had gone wrong.    Disconnected the LED wiring from the circuit board (no change) Fiddled with some switches and and fou
MattB

MattB in Control Panels

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How to Not Build a Model Railway

How to not plan a model railway (part 3) - Some thoughts on Inspiration...

An important point was made in the comments below my previous blog post by @AndyB that is worth highlighting before I start: thinking through ideas for a Standard Gauge layout is not the only thing I'm doing.  I'm not a quick modeller, but my workbench has some narrow gauge scratch-aid kits and scratchbuilds in progress:     And earlier this year I completed five different station model kits, (one in TT I began last year and four new builds in HO):     The
CJM - Rokeby Street and Central Road

Progress and new ideas

As the Cinema is now nearly finished and basic weathering will finish it, I've decided to replace some of the older buildings on the layout with more realistic regional examples. I've managed to highlight the area (in red) which will have the new scratchbuilt buildings on it. I've also managed to find some ideal structures locally, and these will be fitted with interior lighting, and any other fittings which may enhance them during construction.     
CJM

CJM in Low relief buildings

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Kelvinbank, a Caledonian Railway project.

A Stevens & Sons lever frame, part 3, installation

Once I had the frame painted and assembled I made up a mounting plate from 3 mm ply. All the connections are via a 37 way connector from the spares box so that the whole module can be easily removed from the layout to the bench if maintenance is needed.   It was a bit of ply from Eileens, some brass sections arrived taped to it so I’m glad it got used for something constructive.         A front view. I have followed the Caledonian practice of fitting a des
Dave John

Dave John in General

2
46444's Blog

Hornby BR M7 30107 detailing project. A reconversion of a conversion!

Whilst perusing a well known auction site I came a cross a rather sorry looking Hornby M7 which had been converted quite crudely to a Caley 439 Class.    Now I have seen conversions of M7's to 439's that have been rather good such as Ben Alder's of this parish.   Like many I would like to see a Class 439 produced to complement the Rails/Bachmann Caley 812 Class. No doubt we will eventually see a ready to run version.   The badly converted M7 was purchased and arrive
46444

46444 in 46444 Blog

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How to Not Build a Model Railway

How to not plan a model railway (part 2.2) - Another view?

The question I'm picking up for this blog entry is whether trying (and failing) to fit a good continuous run plan into my space is getting in the way of me building any sort of layout?  I decided to have another look at a terminus to fiddle yard scheme, an idea I’ve explored in the past in both standard gauge and narrow gauge:   How to not plan a model railway (part 2.2) - Another view?   Opening up my space would appear to offer a number of advantages.  This...  
rockershovel's Blog

Reality sandwich

I've just been thrown out of the living room.   My good wife has finally undergone what we hope to be the last round of the surgery resulting from the problems caused by lockdown, and she is sitting on the sofa catching up the weeks'-worth of soaps she missed    I simply couldn't keep a straight face. I havent seen anything so grotesquely absurd, so completely unfounded in any recognisable version of reality since... well, I can't remember.    I've left her to it...
rockershovel

rockershovel in Blog

1
richierich's Blog / D&E WIP Workbench . . .

August 2023 - EFE Rail Class 143: The case of the binding wheelset…

Well another entry!   Recently TMC had the EFE Rail Class 143 in BR Provincial Blue on offer. Been a sort of local unit (admitted Heaton depot based, but they did work the Middlesborough - Whitby), I took advantage and purchased one.    However upon testing it this morning it’s running qualities where shall we say very on a par with Hornby Class 142 (early twin motor R867). So not impressed. Upon putting this on workbench (dinning room table at the moment), and powering it up, I fo
richierich

richierich in Class 143 4mm

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Barry Ten's Blog

Paynestown - first exhibition done

I enjoyed taking Paynestown to the Barry show organised in support of Alzheimer's UK. It was a very nice day out with plenty of friends involved with other layouts and just helping out, with much thanks due to Brian and Paul Rolley for instigating the event and making the whole day relaxed and convivial. By happy coincidence I was also collecting for a separate Alzheimer's event so my bucket was plonked on the same table as the layout!     I brought along a rubber mallet, not
Barry Ten

Barry Ten in GWR

8
Atherington Victoria & East Yard.

57. 'Inter-frigo' : first attempt at a scratch-built wagon body.

In an effort to provoke the Fates into an announcement of a ready-to-run new 'OO' wagon, instead of all these high-spec. re-releases, I have made a model of an IIB 'Inter-frigo' ferry-wagon to convey (under Rule 1) meat and fish to and from the Sussex Weald.           Unworthy of close examination - owing not least to my unsteady hand and unwanted ability to glue tiny pieces of plastic to everything except where wanted - I am content with its capturing the
C126

C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

5
CJM - Rokeby Street and Central Road

Further progress

It's been a while since the last update, but I've now managed to complete the front signage for the low relief cinema, and the front sign is now glued in place, and as you may be able to see, some Blu Tack is holding the graphic in place whilst it dries. The finer details and weathering will shortly take place to complete the look. 
CJM

CJM in Low relief buildings

2
richierich's Blog / D&E WIP Workbench . . .

August 2023 - upgrading a Bachmann 32-936 Class 150 270 Regional Railways to 2014 spec

A bit of a quicky project.    On ebay many years ago I picked up a Bachmann 32-936 Class 150 270 in Regional Railways livery with the handy destinations of York and Leeds. So represents workings via Harrogate or Garforth.    Been an early model this has the motor car with the massively over engineered chassis and hence no interior. This was corrected on the 2014 upgraded model where the Bachmann have modelled the single bogie drive system found on the Farish Class 150, or used the
richierich's Blog / D&E WIP Workbench . . .

August 2023 - the frustrating Hornby Class 153

Not much activity because just not feeling it for model railways. Although the recent EFE Rail Class 144 in WYPTE Metro Train has sparked some renewed interest.    So today I’ve looked at the frustrating Hornby Class 153. I say frustrating because it’s another Hornby “what might have been” model. I say this because well it’s could have been an excellent model had Hornby not selectively compressed the bodyshell, hence the flatten roof outline, odd drivers window at the converted cab, gangw
richierich

richierich in Class 153 4mm

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How to Not Build a Model Railway

How to not plan a model railway (part 2.I) - The narrow path

At the end of my previous post I gave myself two objectives:    To do:  slim down the baseboards for my next narrow gauge project, and The big question:  to consider alternatives to a continuous run for a standard gauge HO project.   Although August hasn't seen me doing practical modelling for my project threads, enough has been going on behind the scenes for me to split this blog update into two entries.  This first section is about narrow gauge:   How to not

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