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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
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The 891mm Project

Op 14t Open Wagon - Wagon Rolls!

As work progressed on the Op project one thing that has been concerning me was the ability to form multiple numbers of identical roller axleboxes and brake shoes from scratch. Searching the very few O gauge wagon accessory suppliers it was becoming obvious that no product existed similar in appearance to that on the Op wagon. Looking through the range of Parkside Dundas wagon kits I noticed that their excellent kit of the BR Blue Spot Fish Van was supplied with "similar" axle boxes to those on t
Bristol_Rich

Bristol_Rich

0
Rose Hill, Marple in P4

Three months on - Pacer and station progress...

I'm a victim of my own interests - I'm sure I'm not alone in having a myriad of projects on my workbench at one time all vying for my attention. Well Rose Hill has taken a bit of a back seat if I'm honest with the construction of my first etched brass kit for Meadow Lane (my Manchester Ship Canal Railway project) and tinkering on OO stuff from time to time as Paxton Road crawls forwards. However, with the kit stalled awaiting some weighting to improve running I looked to my masking tape an air
James Hilton

James Hilton

11
Skinnylinny's Blog

Home from uni - time to start on some modelling!

OK, I'm not quite sure how these blogs work, or if I've got file uploading right... let's try it and see, shall we?   Well, it's scary, but somehow I've got through the first year of university in Edinburgh, and returned to sunny Sussex just over a week ago. Having recovered from a nasty stomach bug (it actually was a dodgy curry, ironically enough) and been given a clean bill of health by the doc today, what better than to crouch over some noxious chemicals and sharp blades for a while? No, n
Skinnylinny

Skinnylinny

4
eetype3's Traction Blog

ViTrains 37 rework - thanks, Ultrascale!

It transpires that I was the first person to request an Ultrascale conversion kit for the ViTrains 37. I'd had issues regarding DCC and the traction tyres, and the allegedly-RP25 flanges just didn't look right and caused intermittent problems on my modified Peco Code 75 pointwork. I lent Ultrascale my 37/4 for evaluation, and in return they have kindly supplied the first-off Vi 37 conversion kit free of charge, on the condition that I report on my findings. Hugely appreciated   My developme
eetype3

eetype3

0
Will J's Random Adventures in N Gauge

More laser cutting, components for the Class 139

Right, back from holiday, back to some serious modelling!   Here are the latest parts cut to make the wooden master for the Class 139 moulded resin body:   A first attempt at a side panel, which will be cast from clear resin. Note that the lower body panel beneath the windows is missing, as on the completed model this will be a tiny rectangle of photo paper, printed with the appropriate graphics! The card these layers are cut from is a fair bit too thick, 'mark II' will use thick paper.  
Will J

Will J

0
Redgate's Modelling

Wheels level and springs fitted

After two night's work we have the chassis looking like this     All eight wheels are in contact with the track, the centre two are a thou or two higher if anything, which is okay for good running. The Kemilway 8F dummy springs and axleboxes took far longer to fit than I thought but hey they are done now   Here's a shot with the wheels in place which goes to show just how pointless fitting the springs was!  
RedgateModels

RedgateModels

1
43179's workbench

37403 'Ben Cruachan' detailing part 1

Goodevening - Ive recently dusted off a long term project - the last of my class 37 fleet - 37403 Ben Cruachan. This started life as a Bachmann collectors club loco - 'Caerphilly castle' which has been renumbered, renamed, and had the orance cantrail lines repainted further up the body where they should be for '403. The warning flashes have also been replaed for earlier pre 1998 style. I just need to find suitable white numbers for ther '403' on the noses - so far I've drawn a blank.
43179

43179

8
RJRs Branch Lines

25 in G roof started

Tonight I have added the start of the head code boxes and then the first sections of the roof cladding.       The plan is to add a layer right over the top, (its 30thou) then rub down the high spots and do a second layer to add strength. Where the side grills are will only be one layer thick to create a recess.   Once the second layer is on, giving me a total of 60thou I will again rub down and fill in the lines.       Before the roof can be finished though I need to mount the
johnteal

johnteal

3
Ouse Viaduct/Balcombe/Lewes project

Laser cut components arrive!

Today a package arrived from York Modelmaking with all our commissioned bits for the viaduct. Turnround was about 4 weeks at the end of the day, not bad at all, and on first inspection I'm very pleased with the results.   Very well packed, and a definite aroma of singed timber when you open it, reminiscent of autumn bonfires or charcoal mounds - almost made me feel like getting some roast chestnuts and mulled wine   So, what did we get? Remember this is a viaduct of 37 arches. Here is
10800

10800

3
Highworth

Garage day!

An unusual birthday present from my wife, maybe, but most welcome. A day allocated exclusively to working on the garage layout - Highworth. No kids, no chores. Ploughmans lunch served at the layout. Excellent.   I set to working on the area behind Highworth Station. I've a fair number of the usual Metcalfe and Superquick shops left over from a previous layout. So, the bog-standard "High Street" seemed to be inevitable.   Nothing wrong with that approach - but I do tend to glaze over when lo
AndyB

AndyB

0
The Abercorn Branch

Insulfrog electrics and conductive paint - just what the hell am I doing?

so, over the construction period, I have, like a lot of peeps before me, been both glad of and despairing of, the properties of insulfrog points, particularly the settrack variety.   My simple mind had taken me to a point of considering that really, the issue with running n gauge small locos is that there is simply too much dead track as they trundle their way around complex track arrangements.   To counter this, thought one was - why not run them with an attendant wagon with extra pickups a
mr magnolia

mr magnolia

7
Highclere - 2mm Finescale

Presentation, presentation, presentation...

Hello   Some people have commented in the past that I have made a good job in the way I have presented Highclere. To me this is just as important as the modelling itself so I have been paying special attention to the way the whole layout looks and the way it all fits together. I seem to spend ages making sure all the little things not only work and fit together, but fit together easily. A good example are the braces that hold the pelment, I have made sure that these arent made to fit a partic
-missy-

-missy-

6
Coombe Barton

Starting at the Wrong End - building the control panel first

Control Panels   At some recent exhibitions I’ve been looking at the control panels people have been using. Some are almost as large as the layout they control. Others are a tad smaller. Most are maps of the system. So in my perverse way what better to start designing the layout than with the control panel.   The design of Coombe Barton requires that the control panel is incorporated within the layout, hence why I’m starting with it. And the room taken up by said control panel will deter
Coombe Barton

Coombe Barton

2
RJRs Branch Lines

25 body rework

I had a couple of hours in the shed tonight, after comparing the paper plans to what I had got from measuring the Bachmann I realised a) the OO model is not quite to plan B) in my enthusiasm I had made a couple of errors the main ones being the shape and position of the triangular access panel and the width left for the cab doors.   So I had to decide now I knew they were there, could I live with them, or forever think I should have done something, in the end I decided to make two new side
johnteal

johnteal

1
coombe junction - moorswater

coombe junction - Rolling stock schedule

Update - I have been refining the schedule of motive power/rolling stock that will be represented on the layout. The period chosen of 1979 - 1981 will allow the phasing out of the class 25's and the overlapping and replacement by the Class 37's, which ruled until the arrival of the class 66's.   Locos have been strictly selected upon prototypes that visited the branch and include:   25155 - BR Blue - Bachfar (with reprofiled 2FS wheels and one fully detailed front end - DG to the other)  
bcnPete

bcnPete

2
Southeast Steam Railway

SESR - Carriage & Wagon Restoration centre

Hi,   Blimey, it has been along time since I updated this blog, because of Work Experience and preparing for my exams. Unfortunatly there isn't much to report!   Over the past couple of days, to relax me before my spanish exam on Wednesday, I have been detailing the inside of the Carriage & Wagon restoration centre, this being one of the major jobs.   So far I have installed lights in the building. One of the big jobs was to install a platform down the middle of shed for body repairs.
St. Simon

St. Simon

0
Shawslong Railway Company

Well i forgot i had a blog....

No pictures this time again...   i actually forgot i had a blog till i checked whether i had one or not!   Recently again its been hectic because of exams fastly approaching and the like again, which as always are a pain in the rear end.   recently i bought two engines off another fellow forum member and i am tempted to transform the class 47 into one of the 1977 Jubilee livery variants using vinyl graphics (a call to electra methinks...) so watch this space, it may or may not happen.  
Leicester Thumper

Leicester Thumper

0
Will's workbench

PNAs: Frankenstein's underframe

I finally got hold of a Bachmann SSA locally, which I've wanted for ages in order to try Nigel Burkin's underframe conversion from the Modern Wagons book.     I followed the book's recipe fairly closely, although I cleaned up the original SSA buffer mouldings (which had a fair bit of flash) and used brake details recovered from the PNA's underframe. Not strictly correct, and I suspect there should be more stuff under there but I can't figure it out from the pictures in the book. To fit the
Will Vale

Will Vale

4
First Steps in O gauge

Part 2 - the trackplan

After some deliberation I've finally settled on what I think is a suitable trackplan to capture what I am looking for.   The layout is nominally based "early 80's", somewhere in SW England. It draws a lot of inspiration from Chard Junction, although very little of the actual prototype location can be seen!   The scenic area is 12ft long x 2ft 6 wide, accommodated on three 4ft x 2ft 6" boards made using standard construction methods that I won't bother to detail.   It is essentially a term
cromptonnut

cromptonnut

4
barrowroad's Blog

First Show - Bristol Scalefour Society AGM

The Scalefour Society AGM was held today in Bristol. Thanks to the Bristol Area Group for inviting the embryonic Barrow Road to it's first show. Assembly of the legs and boards were complete in a record 20mins - positioning the shed buildings, coaling tower and stock took a while longer, but I am very pleased with the ease of assembly.   Thanks go to Chris and Morgan of the Glevum Group for assistance and to Morgan and Dave Holt for the lone of additional stock - photos of some of their locos
barrowroad

barrowroad

8
RJRs Branch Lines

25 body progress

I have now acquired some drawings with kind thanks, allowing me to continue..         This next shot gives a better idea of my construction methods.     Next up was the outline of the fuel tank     Following a kind suggestion I have made the bogie end of it concave to allow it to sit more off centre.   Having taken these pictures I decided something was missing at under the buffer beam, it just didn't look right and was obvious the bogies were just cladding. So some more
johnteal

johnteal

3

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