Jump to content
 

Blogs

Featured Entries

  • 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
    • 2,788 views
bmthtrains' N gauge projects

350 in N - final photos

With the Delner couplers now added, this is complete! The base is lazer cut, a chance to experiment with some of the advanced CAD/CAM machines at the Arts Uni. There are two slots cut for the wheel sets to sit in (an inverse rail kind of thing), while the text was engraved.   Overall I'm pretty pleased with how the 350 has come out in the end, its pretty rough in places, and the bodyshells have slight mis-forms in places, but with the strong livery, this definately 'looks' like a Desiro, and
bmthtrains - David

bmthtrains - David

5
Adventures in N-gauge

The Point of No Return

More progress on the IHA: the hood supports have been added, as have the lettering panels and small pads for the hooks that hold the hood shut to mount on. The next job is a key stage. The area between the hood supports has to be filled and sanded back to create the surface of the hood itself. I have trialled this idea on a very crude test piece and it came out all right, but if it doesn't work in practice then not only has all the work on this wagon probably been wasted, but the entire IHA proj
Jim Martin

Jim Martin

2
Smallbridge

Smallbridge - Photos of progress.

As promised a photographic update of how the layout has bee progressing. Rather slowly, but hope to speed up a little over the next few weeks, as I've got a fortnight off soon to recuperate from an operation.   As usual any comment etc. all gratefully received.
wollastonblue

wollastonblue

1
Grahame's dining room table

Class 47 re-paint

I'm going to be brave and attempt a first for me; to re-paint a new Bachmann class 47 (one of the blue ones) in to NSE livery. I started by stripping it down of all the glazing and bits and pieces and then attacked the paintwork with Phoenix stripper. I've also plated over the boiler exhaust and added Ratio hi-intensity headlights and then given it a coating of Halfords grey primer. Currently I'm going through my books and the internet to decide on exactly which number to represent. I nearly set
grahame

grahame

4
Highclere - 2mm Finescale

Pink my controller

Hello   Just a quick post really. What do you do when the club layout you are a part of uses the same controllers and your own controller could easily get mixed up?   This is my solution...     Paint it PINK!   Missy
-missy-

-missy-

6
TomE's N Gauge Modelling

X marks the spot

A new arrival today. I'll post a full review in the next couple of days once i've had chance to run it in but in summary, despite tooling which is showing it's age next to the latest releases, its a lovely reproduction of the Cross Country scheme.     Cheers,   Tom.
TomE

TomE

1
halfwit's fantastic workbench!

OOn3 Ruston 48DS - pick-up problems sorted.

I replaced the pick-up wires on the EM chassis this afternoon with longer wires which apply less pressure to the rims. The old wires were too short and stiff and prevented the front non-powered wheels from turning. Thanks to Buffalo for the tip (a pint is owed). Here's a photo of the new revised pick-ups;     If only my electrical soldering was as neat as my brass soldering...   And here's a shot of the loco on my test track, actually a piece of old bent C+L, in the kitchen. The running i
halfwit

halfwit

1
Redgate's Modelling

Deltic Prototypes - Dapol/Bachmann Finished

Well, ok, it's not quite finished, just need to add Brian at Shawplan's excellent etched windscreen wipers, but apart from that it's done.   Took a lot of fiddling round the edges, getting it to run round rad 2 curves, re-doing the chassis to loco fixings, shimming the fixings so that it sits level etc etc etc.     marker lights have been done by drilling them out 2mm then a slight countersink with a 3mm drill. Finally a blob of clearfix provides the lens.   Runs smooth with a Bachmann
RedgateModels

RedgateModels

6
Mattington - 4mm Scale Layout

Card or Plastic Kits - Which are best?

Im sure that I am not the only railway modeller who wonders whether their layout would look better with a plastic or a card kit. Im one of those people who would rather spend some time constructing something rather than buying a premade building as I feel that the half the fun of the model railway is about the building of it.   When I first started building Mattington I was aware of many plastic kits produced by a variety of manufacturers but at that time card kits seemed to be just taking of
MattB

MattB

2
halfwit's fantastic workbench!

OOn3 Ruston 48DS - chassis part 3.

Well I've got the EM chassis running. Here's a photo of the motor and gearbox combo;     The motor is a Mashima 1015 and the gearbox a High Level Slimliner Compact+ 54:1 reduction. The same set-up will be fitted to the narrow gauge version when I send of the 1/8 bore gear and bearings and swap them for 2mm bore (I ordered the wrong spec...). Here's a pic of it fitted into the frame;     The motor is mounted on a piece of bicycle inner tube. For pick-ups I've used phospher bronze wire,
halfwit

halfwit

4
TomE's N Gauge Modelling

Burnt fingers!

The building site area is coming along and tonight I've started soldering up some scaffolding, a result of which is burnt fingers and blue air!   The pic below shows the start of the work and it is yet to be properly cleaned up and so there are a few large blobs of flux still present. It also needs its wooden feet so looks a little lop-sided but hopefully you get the idea!   I'm hoping to get the roof trusses laser cut once I've drawn up the master, which will save a lot of time!     C
TomE

TomE

4
Highclere - 2mm Finescale

Oil Tankers - Finished! (well the first 6 anyway)

Me again   As mentioned in the last post, the tank wagons needed a splash of varnish and weathering. Well here are the first six finished...         Once varnished with a matt varnish I used a bit of light grey weathering powder to take away the harshness of the black. I then used a mix of black and dark rust weathering powders to add a few highlights / roof muck and then I gave them all a light dusting of some railmatch sleeper grime (to take away the harshness of the white transf
-missy-

-missy-

16
Mattington - 4mm Scale Layout

Brewery Corner - Devizes - Road Construction Scene

16/03/10 - I was asked the other week by my collegues at work if I could produce a road construction scene of Brewery Corner in Devizes for my Team Leader who is retiring at the end of this month. The only problem is that I only have 3 evenings to produce it in as it has to be complete by this Thursday.   So far I have completed the road / pavement work and half the buildings. Still have to do the roadworks, white lines and touching up. It fits into a boxfile (naturally) for easy transportatio
MattB

MattB

0
Smallbridge

Smallbridge - Approx. 715 miles South of Tigh Charrann

One of the parts of Railway Modelling I find really fun is creating the fictional history, and locations for my layouts. So with the purchase of a 3rd Rail EMU, a scottish layout seems to be a bit too far fetched.   So here goes with Smallbridge. The name comes from one of my literary heroes Hornblower, who after his exploits against the French was made Baron Hornblower of Smallbridge, and a bit of a google has found no Smallbridge in Kent. I did try and find something with a Doctor Syn refer
wollastonblue

wollastonblue

2
The Fatadder's Modern Workbench

Class 33s

Given that my attention has turned to Class 33s, it seems right to get something posted here about my plans for them.   For my early period I am going for a pair of locos to share the engineers duties with my 73s, the first will be 33116 'Hertfordshire Rail Tours' in BR Blue, the other will be 33026 in Dutch. Both will be fitted with the correct style of fuel tanks, have the bogie springs modified into the correct position, and have all of the unpainted details painted. I also have a feeling
The Fatadder

The Fatadder

5
RJRs Branch Lines

Rethinking the bridge

I like to think I am open to suggestions and advice, and a couple of people have pointed out that the road bridge in this scale is too narrow. Fair to say that at a scale 9' it was only ever going to be a single track road , or a representation of half of it ! I do have nice Fiat 500 that makes it look wide though   My Dad who although a boat modeller follows this blog (Hi Dad) suggested making it wider by extending it to the right over the sector plate so it would take up very little extra
johnteal

johnteal

1
Will J's Random Adventures in N Gauge

Adapting 'old skool' N gauge wheels for 2mm FS track?

Right, decision made, finescale track is the way to go...   ...so the tricky question, how to adapt my existing N gauge kit to suit? Remember, I am not using points at this stage, so this contrived N/2mm FS approach just needs to result in trains smoothly scooting past without derailing, rather then navigating through a maze of junctions (not yet anyway )   I reckon my Minitrix Ivatt (which I am determined to keep running in light of all the recent modifications it has had!) will need som
Will J

Will J

0
Fen End Pit's Blog

inset track 2

A couple more pictures.   Firstly this is the switch end of the three-way. The check rails were basically just soldered on to the copper clad using the a set a Scalefour Society jigs to locate them. I was given some old Studiolith rail which is actually a little thinned than the current bullhead available from C&L et al. In reality the guard would probably just have been a piece of angle iron rather than rail, but it was rail I had to hand.     To give you some idea of how the lower l
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

3
N gauge modern image

board done next step track laying

today my brother has made up the board for my dcc sound board being a master chippy he has done a top job thank you graham. tomorrow we should have the track and in the evening should also have it layed hopefully i will be able to get some pictures and will post on here if ido. aswell as getting the track down im hopeing to have order a Bachmann dynamis controller and a sound chipped 57xx hopefully i shouldnt have to wait to long before i can start shunting with the sound of a pannier. I will
shreives

shreives

0
The Saltney Railway

Saltney. It's all a load of walls

Finally got round to painting the retaining walls along the edge of the LM yard. About 9 foot of it..             It was all painted in a concrete colour, allowed to dry then a colour mixed about 50/50 matt black and Humbrol 26 ("matt dark earth" I think) brushed diagonally over the raised bits. took about 3 and a half hours including brew breaks. I think it looks ok.   Steve's now started the GW station track laying. The station throat board is removeable at the moment, so
Jon Fitness

Jon Fitness

2

  • Blog Statistics

    2,556
    Total Blogs
    21,989
    Total Entries
×
×
  • Create New...