My interests are wide and varied, from the railways around Midhurst to all aspects of pre-group Southern companies and I enjoy building stock more than having a layout with scenery, probably because I have the artistic and creative ability of a brick!

Having said that, many years ago, with two friends, we did build three layouts for exhibition, Hythe, Warlingham, and Hurst Green Junction, and Hythe actually won ‘Best in Show’ at EXPO EM South.

Since then, there has been a period of many years of no modelling, and only recently have I commenced modelling and research again, with the intention of eventually building a small layout based on one of the proposed stations on the never-built Midhurst to Haslemere extension of the Chichester to Midhurst LBSCR line.

At the moment the only track I have is a double EM gauge line around my 10’ square den with a fiddle yard one level down, accessed by a curved turnout and a single slip from the running lines. However this does allow me to test run stock as building stock is my main interest at the moment.

All is wired and operated in analogue, using Tortoise point motors and a dual controller with brake simulation, because I do not understand DCC!

I have just finished construction an 1840’s LBSCR Open Third from a 5 & 9 kit which is awaiting painting, and now I am working on a LBSCR Craven Family/Luggage Carriage from the same supplier.

The kits are supplied as a set of castings in white metal, some with etched ‘W’ irons and some without, but both of these kits are supplied with etched safety chain mounts and hooks and the Craven carriage has also etched door handles included.

The Open Third went together very well and now the sides and ends of the Craven Carriage have had the flash removed and are awaiting assembly with solder.

The vehicle on the left is the LBSCR kit from 5 & 9 Models, and the one on the right is a scratch built Bodmin & Wadebridge carriage

My already- built stock consists of twelve LSWR locos, eleven LBSCR locos, ten SECR/SER/LCDR locos in various pre-group liveries, and for some reason a GWR ‘Dukedog’, about thirty carriages of various of the above companies and approximately 150 wagons of all kinds including a D & S breakdown crane in full Wainwright livery.

Construction has been from loco kits from Keyser, Jidenco/Falcon Brass, Will/SEF,Nucast and scratch built, Coaching stock from P & C, Blacksmith, Branchlines, Keyser , Roxey and others as well as scratch-built and the wagons from Just about every maker as well as a lot of scratch-built.,

In the unmade box are several SECR locos a couple of LBSCR part finished locos and 2 or 3 LSWR locos, as well as quite a few D & S , 5 & 9 and Woodham Wagon Kits still to be made.

This is my first attempt at a ‘blog’ and my idea is to update it from time to time with details of progress (or otherwise) of my modelling. If I am doing it wrong, please tell me and advise any way in which my ‘blog’ could be improved or more useful.

As you can see from the above, being 80 years of age at the moment, I had better get a move on.

Will keep you posted!

August 2nd 2013

I have been a busy little boy this week due to the wet weather

Have been messing about with a 5 & 9 kit of a LBSCR Craven Family/Luggage Carriage and that is now body completed with partitions in place,

I have also been building a Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway 10’6” sliding door van and that is now assembled and up on it’s wheels. I still have to construct the roof which is quite intricate due to the mid-roof openings which have a canvas cover. The version being modelled is with manual brakes.

I have also part-built two of John Arkell’s South Eastern Railway break (brake?) vans. These are resin castings of which John supplies the two sides and two ends, and the rest is up to you. The quality of the resin castings is very sharp but finding drawings was difficult so John very kindly supplied me with two similar drawings and so the end result should look something like!

Apart from that I have finished the 1840s Horsebox, scratch built from a drawing in the Illustrated London News about 160 years ago

Only other achievement is getting the Brighton H2 tender up on its wheels and given its top coat of paint. This is part of an OO gauge Jidenco Kit which I obtained from Ebay some months ago A gentleman had obtained this ‘thing’ and stripped the paint from it, only to find that whoever built it originally had probably taken on something that was beyond his ability. Having stripped the paint from it, the person who I bought it from realised that it needed a lot of work and it ended up with me. The whole thing has to be taken apart and rebuilt from the separate pieces and so far I have managed the tender which is now sitting nicely on EM gauge wheels and a rebuilt chassis.

I am always one to attempt a basket case!