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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
    • 2,860 views
Barry Ten's Blog

Paynestown - shunting tests

A bit of daylight in the conservatory was the prompt to get on with the slightly fiddly work of making a few more DG couplings!      The Sonic Models 56XX is a lovely model but greatly benefits from losing the chunky couplers, and having the somewhat less obtrusive DGs fitted. I made up another two pairs which enabled two 12T vans to be added to the goods fleet, in addtion to a short rake of 16 tonners (and a Toad!) already one. It's not much but it does allow for s
Barry Ten

Barry Ten in GWR

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Netherport - GWR 1908 7mm (mostly wagons for now!)

Private owner wagon 'United'

This time I am returning to that ubiquitous item of the early 20th century railway, the private owner coal wagon - in this case, a 6-plank end-door type built by Gloucester RCW, in the livery of 'United' collieries. The model is of course the familiar Slaters kit, and so is very similar to a build to the 'Ocean' wagon I have posted about previously:     The big difference with this one is that it is empty, not loaded, so there is full interior detailing needed, and that is the fo
magmouse

magmouse in Wagons

34
pharrc20's Blog

Issue 12 (long overdue update if anyone still out there reading this?)

Hello, well I am still here lingering on RMWeb and following the Great Image Crash of 2022, I have finally got round to uploading and replacing the photos with the same originals. Me being me, I have multiple copies backed up and some years ago I made a copy of each Blog entry as a backup too including the images, so it was easy once found and opened the Word document to suss out what images needed replacing on which blog entry. Only two Blogs don't contain any images, number 4 and number 10, so
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

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pharrc20's Blog

Issue 11 Speedlow

Some more ramblings from Speedlow. Whilst I have not been doing much with the layout boards I have been slowly planning and developing the quarry buildings that will be a distinctive part of the appearance firmly setting it in the limestone area of the Peak District. My original plan was to build customised versions of real buildings that I come across on my travels. But I soon realised this would be rather costly and potentially time consuming to do. Whilst I pondered what to do Christmas 2014
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

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pharrc20's Blog

Issue 9 Speedlow

Hi folks, you will have noticed a lack of updates on this blog. Towards the end of 2015 I had two outings with the incomplete Speedlow layout. Firstly, to my home show the Hazel Grove & District MRS show at the end of October and that was really its first proper public showing. The weekend went well and no major problems except for a dry joint on one of the point feeds that I soon got sorted out on the Saturday morning. Although the layout was only the bare boards with track and ballast laid
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

2
The Strawberry Line

Cheddar P4 - April 2023 update

Realised I didn't get round to writing an update last month so but happy to report that the 7th board is progressing nicely.   I mentioned last time that this was going to be mainly scenic work and indeed it has. First though was the ballasting, which uses Atwood Aggregates Dulcote Stone. Then the point rodding using Modelu stools and 16 thou guitar strings.   Then I could start to build up the basic ground form which is made up of layers of extruded 5mm thick polystyrene she
ullypug

ullypug in P4

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pharrc20's Blog

Issue 8 Speedlow

Hello again, following on from the track-laying in Issue 7 now it was time to start wiring up the layout for DCC operations. Early on I had decided to incorporate several power districts into the design of the wiring so as to try eliminate any whole layout shorts should a loco be operated against a point for example. It happens, yes we have all seen it happen at exhibitions and often rendering the entire layout dead until the controller has been reset. So I decided to split the layout into four
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

4
pharrc20's Blog

Issue 7 Speedlow

Hello again, in this issue I will continue describing how the Speedlow layout track was laid and finalised.   Once most of the track was laid down and glued with the Copydex I could then have a bit of a play to with some stock just to get a feel of what the layout would look like. So it was out with the stock I had to hand to put them into the fiddle yard.       These were taken in January 2013   Following some stock testing I quickly decide
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

2
Kelvinbank, a Caledonian Railway project.

A pair of Caledonian D6 brake vans part 2, in service

The Diagram 6 brake vans are now in service. I tried to give them the look of vans approaching 20 years in service, used but still kept in decent running order.   The Caledonian often allocated brake vans to a particular branch or section and lettered them accordingly, several examples are shown in the wagon book. I have lettered one for the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire section which is the line I model. Although I cannot be sure that is correct there are pictures of other vans lette
Dave John

Dave John in General

5
Jim Champ's "Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development"

GWR Nos 25 & 46-49

Very early stuff this time. I've got an idea for a new publication, but the concept means I will have to have much better coverage of the early locomotives than I did in "Introduction to". So I think I'm going to have to do a lot of drawing, and this one is starting very near the beginning! Its tempting to simply reuse the E.L. Ahrons drawings in RCTS, which are out of copyright, but I don't feel comfortable doing it. As far as I can see no-one really talks about classes this early, but thi
Chesworth - Horsham MRC's 00 Finescale project

A busy March

Well the Chesworth team took their place in the hall at the Horsham club's Open Day and despite it being April 1st did not make fools of themselves. The Wednesday before there had barely been any track laid, but after an extra "long Wednesday" (March 29, being the fifth Wednesday of the month, was supposed to be just an evening session) all the rail was down on the two baseboards so far constructed. This meant we had something to show for our work since January even if we couldn't actually run a
whart57

whart57 in Monthly Reports

4
pharrc20's Blog

Issue 6 Speedlow

Hello again, in this issue I will continue describing how the Speedlow layout came about and how I wanted to build and operate the layout.   Right from the start it was always envisaged that Speedlow would be DCC operated and I tried to plan for that accordingly when it came to planning the track plan. The layout boards as previously described in Issue 5 were built for me by Black Cat Baseboards in 2011 to the design I specified. There are 4 boards each 4 foot long and two additional o
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

2
pharrc20's Blog

Issue 5 - Speedlow Layout

Hello RMWeb members, time for another long overdue update!   This time rather than looking at my non-existent Workbench I will write about my layout that I am slowly building and am at the point now where most of the big hurdles have been jumped.   Speedlow started life as most layouts do as an idea on paper, mainly doodles in between my workload waiting for the next batch of documents to land in my in-tray. Little scraps of paper here and there, doodles of track plans based
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

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pharrc20's Blog

Issue 2 - OMWB

Hi folks, slightly later than planned due to one thing and another and a break away.   So a quick rundown what was recently OMWB:   Set of six modified Bachmann bauxite liveried Covhops plus one unfitted grey one weathered. I have renumbered the six bauxite ones using the Cambridge Custom Transfer sheet BL35h suitable for wagons in the Tunstead to Northwich limestone pool. All the existing panels and printed markings were removed with thinners and cotton buds. I used five of
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

0
pharrc20's Blog

Issue 1 - OMWB

Hello, welcome to my blog in which I will hopefully be able to share some of the things that I am modelling when time allows.   I tend to have several projects on the boil at once and this often means I swap around doing different models as time and resources allow. My workbench at present has several different modelling projects on the go and the active ones are as follows: #Hornby Sentinel shunter - to be repainted into ICI Mond Orange, grey and white livery as per real shunters
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

1
pharrc20's Blog

Issue 3 - OMWB

Hi All, following on from Issue 2 and the photo of the six bauxite Covhops that I was in the middle of converting and renumbering I have now taken a photo of the six as below. Just need to get some of the Parkside parts or have a look at home in Stockport to see if I have any filed away somewhere that I can use. I have weathered up the underframes and just need to do the same for the bodywork to make them all lime stained as per the real wagons.     A closer look at the CCT t
pharrc20

pharrc20 in OMWB

0
Artful Or Compromised?

A tall tale

As part of my submission to BRM for the ‘Great Model Railway Giveaway’ contest, I knew that my first step would be to develop a story for the layout to tell.    Although Roy Link's 1978 trackplan is loosely based on Fairford in Gloucestershire, Chris Ford’s version of ‘The Art of Compromise’ suggests a Welsh location, so I wondered whether perhaps there was scope to bring in some kind of industrial theme applicable to rural Mid Wales.   As we all know, every railway needs a r
JamFjord

JamFjord in planning

0
Barry Ten's Blog

Paynestown - revisiting an old project.

Over the last few weeks, I've dug my Paynestown project out of the attic and made quite a bit pleasing progress.   To recap - and unfortunately my earlier pics were lost in the image crash - I built a 4mm layout with the same name in 2010, then sold that a few years later.  I'd always said to myself that might have another go, this time in N, provided there was an easy route to getting a 56XX, vital for a layout set in former GWR territory in the South Wales valleys. Thanks to Sonic Mo
Barry Ten

Barry Ten in GWR

3
How to Not Build a Model Railway

An Intro to the Blog & “The Shelf of Shame”

An Intro to the Blog - “How to Not Build a Model Railway.”   I’d like to have a model railway.  I’m just not great at building them.  I do have a small layout, my grandly named freelance HOn30 Carabassett and Atlantic Lines (CAL).  It started life as a test scenic test circuit (1.0m x 0.6m) a couple of years ago and is fun to own and run.  It has shown me I can do this, but it was never intended to tick all the boxes.  I’d like to aim for something bigger.   I’ve looked at a
CJM - Rokeby Street and Central Road

Night shot over the town

Another quick shot of the town at night, and the 'Pub Disco' with quite a large LED multicolour sequence in use. Unfortunately this doesn't tend to pick up well in the shot, as it appears like a blast of light. Never mind, it is a good use to burn up some unused 9v batteries I have lying about. The Austin 1100 behind the Transit still needs work to complete, but looks ok. 
CJM

CJM in Cinema sign lamp test

2
Jim Champ's "Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development"

GWR No 40 (Ex Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway)

This was one of those locomotives which, for no reason apparent at this distance, was rebuilt time and again for a very long life. This is the  first GWR No 40, which was officially withdrawn in 1904! It was constructed as a long boilered 0-4-2 tender engine with outside cylinders in 1849 by R.B. Longridge & Co of Bedlington, for the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway, and was so well regarded that the S&B attempted to sell it without success. In 1854 it became GWR property. In 1858 Armst
JimC

JimC in GWR Locomotive Sketches

2
Dogtown and Points West

All-American Railroad Show + Parkside

Like it says on the tin.  Couple of pics from this year's show.   First, British Train Society's T-Trak layout.  I believe with two of my locos, Earl of Dunraven & my 5600   Next, my current pride & joy on.the European Train Enthusiasts layout, DSB E 991   Finally, starting a Parkside Dundas L&B four-wheel open. Debating whether seeking brass bearings will be worth it.   The open will get Dapol NEM pockets from the outset.  Have
AlfaZagato

AlfaZagato in shows

2
pheaton's Blog

Keeping 26043 alive.....No2 end.....still

Carrying on from the last entry....     The crib platework is now finished and the locomotive once again has a completely level plate to mount the front platework on for the first time since the 1970s. You can see the various pipework mounts quite easily here on the right you have Main reservoir pipe-work (yellow) which is used for charging main reservoirs on 2 locomotives that might be working in multiple, above that you have one of the control air pipes (which must be conne
pheaton

pheaton in preservation

1

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    • MikeOxon
      North Star - a GWR Icon

      By MikeOxon · Posted

      There were twelve 'Stars', with the final ones not delivered until after Gooch had introduced the first of his own 'Firefly' class.  I think I have captured all the main variants, except Shooting Star which has been described as having a lower 'Haycock' top with the manhole cover on top.  It sound like a half-way house between the round top and a full haycock but I've not found a drawing to copy.
    • melmerby
      North Star - a GWR Icon

      By melmerby · Posted

      And looked even more modern when it retired from service in 1871 with no boiler protuberances apart from a somewhat later style coffee pot on top of the firebox.
    • ChrisN
      North Star - a GWR Icon

      By ChrisN · Posted

      Again interesting Mike, to see the difference between the two.  You will have a complete fleet of these soon.  I am still amazed that the crew stood on the back of that as it hurtled along at 60 mph.
    • ikcdab
      Modelmaster - failure to deliver

      By ikcdab · Posted

      I'm afraid this is a very long standing issue. Loads of people have lost money, I placed an order that was never delivered.  You can contact trading standards  South Ayrshire Trading Standards (01292 61600) and add it to the list.
    • MikeOxon
      North Star - a GWR Icon

      By MikeOxon · Posted

      and yet North Star is the earlier of the two.  This engine was originally for an overseas order so perhaps a less 'decorative' style was applied   The haycock-style firebox was devised to provide a dry steam-collecting space and was adopted by Gooch for many of his early designs, including the Firefly class and his first of the series that became the famous 8 foot singles.  After the first of these, Gooch reverted to a round-top firebox

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