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
    • 2,726 views
The Grime Street Blog

Weathered trams! Middleton Railway exhibition and other bits and bobs................

Whilst getting ready for the Middleton Railway exhibition last weekend I decided to attack a couple of the works trams with some Tamiya weathering powders, I always felt that they were too clean and tidy. Seemingly weathering trams appears to be not the particularly done thing, I've only ever seen Paul (PLD) mention it on his motorising a Horsfield thread on RMweb3   Anyway, thought I'd have a go so here's a pic of, perhaps slightly overdone, tower car 1. I really must stick a driver in there,
Red Devil

Red Devil

0
Engine Wood

Callow Lane - ballasting - early days

I've made a start on the weathering of the track and ballasting on Callow Lane.   I would normally do all the track weathering first, which usually involves painting and/or dry brushing each individual sleeper, plus painting the rail sides and chairs varying shades of light/mid rust-brown/brake dust etc. This would then be followed by ballasting/siding grunge/weed growth etc.   My ballasting methods on previous layouts such as 'Engine Wood' and 'Bleakhouse Road' have generally involved paint
Captain Kernow

Captain Kernow

8
The 891mm Project

Barrel for Ystad

"When" Ystad is finally up and running, the locos and railcars will require the care and attention of the small loco shed situated near to the yard and station to help keep things in running order, and to counteract the harsh Swedish environment. This is some way off as although rolling stock construction continues, initial track plans haven't even touched paper.   However, returning from my hols I'd managed to pick up some dirt cheap Tamiya 1/35 Oil Drums/Barrels for the princely sum of £2.
Bristol_Rich

Bristol_Rich

1
GRUNFOS' Blog

Everyones got them......but

Quick cooat of matt varnish, job done. Just as I remember them My jacks will be at the back of the center road holding a converted Hornby 25 in the air. New toy outside the traction inspectors office, not sure what its doing so far south though.
GRUNFOS

GRUNFOS

0
Colwyn Bay Goods - 2mm Finescale

Short Switch Blade Sketch

Sorry for the rushed post, but I thought I would post my idea for pivoting switch blades before I install them. One of the main issues with my 3 way asymmetrical point was the short switch blades.   The shortest blade will only be supported by 2 chairs, so...   - Two plastic chairs didn't seem tough enough long term.   - Two brass chairs on PCB sleepers would be more than strong enough...   - Now the blade was fixed solid at one end, it would be tough flex the short length of rail using
Bryn

Bryn

6
'CHARD's Low Benchmarks

Lowering the bar... 'Chard's summer workbench round-up

Reminder to self: make a list of what's outstanding on the workbench this month.   4 Dapol SPV to retro-work into white fish vans for pre-May'68 workings, these reached the masked for primer stage last weekend, they have since received a spray coat of Plasti-kote 'Ice Cream' which looks about spot-on for these future Blue Spots. Also coupling replacement required. 4 Dapol ex-SR CCT to distress into various stages of 'sludge brown' weathered livery, masked and sprayed with Railmatch 'rail
'CHARD

'CHARD

3
Ramblings from the Man Cave

I enjoyed playing trains

I had an enjoyable but tiring weekend. I was surprised by the quantity of layouts in attendance, including some that I had not seen before (even excepting the challenge layouts). The layout was transported and erected without problems and ran pretty well too. I had problems all day Saturday transferring from the layout into the cassettes with almost everything derailing, but the so far not very scenic section only has a few niggles. The problem with the cassettes is with the haste of constructi
richbrummitt

richbrummitt

13
gc4946's Model World

How many of us like to collect/model on specific themes?

I know most of us model a chosen location and period, but how many actually model and collect stock on a particular theme?   As an example, over the years, I've read in the Railway Modeller someone who modelled all 34 BR liveried A4s.   In my case, I've modelled named locos based on where I and my family lived over the years: towns, cities and counties, in steam, diesel and electric. It's been very absorbing, especially during the BR sector era, I found it was possible, purely based on this
gc4946

gc4946

0
coombe junction - moorswater

coombe junction - BCN - LGW - OXF - STD - BCN...

Update - Returned late last night from a fabulous weekend in the UK   The 2FS EXPO really was terrific. Such a nice bunch of friendly, helpful people, fantastic layouts and for me finally a chance to put a few faces to names from the Association and RMWeb - I won't list names as it will look like an Oscar acceptance speech, but it was a real privilege to spend a weekend and be amongst and talk to modellers who have been and continue to be an inspiration to me.   I would have loved to have
bcnPete

bcnPete

14
Avonwick South Devon in 2mm (Kris' Blog)

Avonwick the future....

Whilst driving home and last night I spent a few hours thinking about the development needs that Avonwick has at the moment. Considering this and the comments that have been popped on my previous blog I have now started to plan for the future.   Lighting is still an area I have not got any further with so there will be no illuminating comments about that from either myself or farmer Giles at the moment.   Continuing on to the continuos run theme I think I am now getting somewhere, in my hea
Kris

Kris

9
RJRs Branch Lines

Mk1 Suburban in G, test run.

From experience I have realised when scratch building its always a good idea to have frequent test runs, just in case you get something really wrong that renders the model inoperable. So last night after adding the thin skin top walls to the second side and also altering the bogie positions inwards to suit the underfloor framing a test was in order. I am pleased to report it ran first time no problems.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsSFwKygAb8"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=SsSFwKygAb8  
johnteal

johnteal

3
Whitemarsh Yard

Trying out the path

He's no pointing man, but inspecting man came out this afternoon to check out the path for size.   [   This was really to test a couple of things - how does the fine grit on the path photograph, and how the concrete looks. I'm fairly happy on both counts - in the flesh I think the path is a bit too heavily drybrushed, but in the picture it's not *too* bad and the grain size looks very believable. The concrete colours are working well - this is a drybrush of Tamiya Buff and then white (very g
Will Vale

Will Vale

5
Gene's Blog

Sound and Rust

I haven't posted in ages so here's an update.I've been spending quite a bit of time playing with sound-chips for my locos, working on a section of the club layout and trying various weathering techniques. On the sound-chip front I've installed Howes sound chips into a Bachmann Pannier Tank loco, 2 Hornby GWR Flying Bananas, 2 Heljan Class 33 Cromptons and a Bachy Class 108 2-car DMU. They were all quick and easy installs except for the Pannier...that required a bit of chopping and cutting but r
Gene

Gene

0
Colwyn Bay Goods - 2mm Finescale

Goodbye Oxford

What a great weekend, the 2mm Association's 50th Anniversary show really did live up to the expectations. A great selection of layouts (new and old) and enough enthusiastic faces to keep me talking almost solidly for the whole weekend.... only stopping to a sip a few ales   I've now come home full of inspiration and a note pad full of ideas. I also think I may have solved the issue of the 3 way point (more to come on that shortly). Thank you to everyone who stopped to talk with me and also t
Bryn

Bryn

4
My inept fumblings in N gauge and other associated stories

So what's next now I have a blank canvas again?

I'm starting to mull over just what to do with the fresh boards sitting down one side of the shed at the moment. Whilst there is the temptation to rush in, I made that mistake with the fiddle yard last time and it became the major reason for the destruction of Wycliffe.   I am playing with various configurations, but I may hold fire until the code 55 3 way point is released. Hopefully that will be at some point in Q4 of this year.   in the mean time the debate goes on within the darkest rece
pirouets

pirouets

0
2mm Random Ramblings

Framed!

Since my last posting I've actually started construction rather than just doodling, so I thought it was worth producing a quick update. This is the current view of the baseboard (apologies for the distracting background! )     The board is pretty conventional - a PSE softwood frame with a birch ply fiddle yard surface. The next job is to work out levels and cut and fit the risers that will support the trackbed. I've also started making the cassettes from aluminium angle (I remembered to buy
2mm Andy

2mm Andy

7
Calshot 4mm - SRS's Blog

Putting your foot in it! - Poll included - All help welcome!

Now we've got a basic outline, where do you progress from here? Well you draw many sketches of variations of different plans!   Here's eight I've knocked up. But I'm not sure which, if any, to go for! (Sound familiar? ). Other thoughts include adding some beach huts which are fairly common at Calshot.   Sketch 1     Sketch 2 Sketch 3 Sketch 4 Sketch 5 Sketch 6 And these two which you have seen before: Sketch 7 Sketch 8 - This plan would involve changing the layout sh
Best of British Haymarket Diesels

Cheviot Claytons - heirs to the K3s.....

LOL! Couldn't resist, and there'll no doubt be a Facebook campaign to have me exiled to some railless British region just for the sheer temerity of that comparison... Well the Borders will do just fine, ta - its natural majesty is still there to be inhaled, even if its diesel denizens and hill-climbing 2-6-0 stalwarts exist only in spirit form.   Claytons were allocated to 64B from new; in summer 1966 Haymarket consolidated its position as the largest home depot for the would-be 'Standard Ty
'CHARD

'CHARD

1
Best of British Haymarket Diesels

64B Haymarket allocation snapshots: Januaries 1966 - 1969

January 1966, 64B had 90 main line diesels allocated, comprising:   Clayton Type 1 (34) BRCW Type 2 (20) EE Type 4 (19, max) Brush Type 4 (9, max) EE Type 5 (8, max)     January 1967, the fleet has grown to nearly its maximum size, 140 locos call 64B home:   Clayton Type 1 (47, max) - Haymarket had the largest single depot allocation of Claytons during the period 5/66 - 7/67 EE Type 1 (4) - at the time of 64B's largest ever allocation, 144 in May '67, this stood at 5 BR-Sulzer Typ
'CHARD

'CHARD

3
Best of British Haymarket Diesels

Napier nonsense: how to justify the unjustifiable

For completeness, the ScR Deltics can't really be missed out. You'd be expecting something very generic at this point, basically saying that if there was a Scottish regiment bolted to the side there'd be a 64B stencil on the nose. And you'd be wrong.   These eight were Haymarket's usual stable:   9000 9004 9006 9010 9013 9016 9019 9021         However, during October - December '67 it looked like this:   9001 9003 9004 9006 9009 9010 9013 9021   And from January - Ap
'CHARD

'CHARD

3
Whitemarsh Yard

Walkway

Sounds a bit more glamorous than "I made a path" doesn't it?     Rest assured, it isn't.   After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, I decided to stick with the 3mm high path edges, since they match the height of the fittings such as the lamp bases, and the idea is to infill with ballast leaving just 0.5mm-1mm showing at the top. I have some very fine ballast somewhere which will do for the gravel of the path itself - the colour isn't an exact match, but it's in the right sort of area.   Havin
Will Vale

Will Vale

0
Newbryford's bit of everything - mostly modern

Ghost In The Machine

Pics of the Steelman in white primer.   I've used white primer as the basic colour scheme will be similar to that applied to the GEC shunters at Clitheroe Cement works   Photos taken in low summer sun highlighting any imperfections - these will be sorted before the next layer of paint is applied. Cruel enlargement of the pic also!   Ford Diamond White and Radiant Red will be the base colours. Cheers, Mick
newbryford

newbryford

1
barrowroad's Blog

Barrow Road - Workshop 2

The front elevation is now complete, painted and features two sets of doors which can be opened. Bays 2 & 4 were the only ones used during the 1950/60s so I decided to carry out some modification to the Rowmark and glazing in order to make these two operational. You will see from the attached photos that I have achieved this by cutting the inner door rowmark to make it thinner down the hinge edge in order to fix a piece of square section tube. This tube extends to the top and bottom to form
barrowroad

barrowroad

1

  • Blog Statistics

    2,556
    Total Blogs
    21,982
    Total Entries
×
×
  • Create New...