I'm a fidget, I can't sit watching TV for long without wanting to do something with my hands.
Had over 35 years of scale aircraft modelling, but needed a change a couple of years ago. As with many I'd always dreamed of having a model railway, but never had the space, time, or finance. With retirement and the children all having flown the nest that just left finance, with interest rates at such low levels I thought I'd spend some money before it became worthless.
This means my knowledge o
My Blog tends to chart my workbench activity. With more than a few wagon builds as I needlessly add
even more to the overall collection.
I've decided to try and clear some inherited kits which while very good at their time of issue are now
beginning to fall short of later models. However first I thought I'd add a picture of the Cambrian Dogfish
in it's current decaled but not weathered state.
Right, next I started was a very old Ratio kit, one of a fe
At times I feel they are not fit for purpose when it comes to British Outline wagons. The wagons are too easily drawn along out of an uncoupling position by 'magnetic creep' Many of us have spent ages getting our stock to run VERY freely with thoughts of long goods trains. This is the path to absolute failure, mass has little influence, the pressure needed to open the knuckles is not reached before your wagon rolls along !!
Well the only answer to my mind is adding brakes to one axle on ever
Well almost the end of the line ........ The day my MDF was cut was 13th July, here we are 13th August and apart from some very minor 'touch-up's' the scenic programming track is done.
This week the weather has been a little damp, that combined with being out nearly every evening caused some delay. As an example my Fresian cows are now brown although still need some detail painting. The tractor has not been 'worked over' with mud and grime hence all these small side elements not yet added to th
When I see some of the so called Art I become more and more convinced that railway modelling is very much an art form, yet one that we don't explore as much as we should. Good clear photographs are great to see in detail what is being presented, but are not exploring the envelope of art presentation. In short we could all do better for artistic pictures.
Today I was taking what was intended to be one of those good clear photographs to show my newly made GWR speed restriction sign. The camera
For the last few months I've been busy on layouts. Both for the club and while intending to get some club
input the Corona Virus shut down has left the option of do nothing until the club rooms open again, or do
it myself. All interesting and keeping me busy, but apart from the '0' brake van I've not touched a wagon.
Couldn't go much further without making something with wheels !!
What's in stock - too many, but the Cambrian GWR/BR 18 Ton Sleeper Wagon caught my eye. T
Well Tuesday evening was a sad one ...... were it not for the warmth of MKMRS members.
We had a special evening as one Andy York was coming to our club, some future article ?
During all of this it was announced that it would be my last visit as moving home is almost
upon us and I expect to be transferring a couple of layouts to Dorset next Tuesday. I was
almost embarrased by the number of members who said they'd miss me.
What can I say ..... This club has been welcoming and I've enjoyed
I've just spent 10 minutes trying to find my Blog, there used to be a link found by ones name icon, but I can't find it now. Perhaps they're old hat and destined to vanish ?
Thought I'd add what I've been doing since lock-down, O.K it started before that.
With my mate Derek we made an inglenook shunting puzzle layout, always popular with club members and went out a few times without myself, or Derek present. It was
damaged and I then put my foot down at the end of last year saying
I do dislike waiting for paint to dry, but it's a basic essential.
As of this morning I have 4 wagons, all with some paint too damp and sticky to handle.
At least I've made the decision on what the final V16 livery will be. No not BR unfitted
grey, but GWR grey.
The clubs, and my V12 as well as the GWR V14 will all be liveried as 10 Ton. The BR bauxite V14 and that indecision V16
will be 12 Ton liveries, a result of up-rating.
It's at this
I ask that as an exhibitor. Running ones railway at an exhibition can be quite hard work. Certainly any layout consisting of several base boards need thorough checking for any damage that needs repair from a previous outing. All electrical circuits need checking, track cleaning, then the quandary of what rolling stock to take, sorting and packing and in my case the hiring of a van to get it there and back safely.
No wonder that more & more exhibitions consist of smaller layouts, and that
I opened my last 2 Parkside PC84 GWR Mink 'A' kits without paying too much attention.
Today while getting on with them I couldn't find the small black sprues on which the laminated
buffer heads are located, wagon hooks and a couple of drop door stops (Multi Purpose sprue).
These two 'new' kits also had the small ModelMaster decal sheet included, on reading I note
that all the markings are for BR period wagons and the sheet is clearly marked "Ex GWR 10T
Mink, Mink 'A', V1
I suppose the 'hacking' problems with the associated down time made me leave on-line things well alone.
Meanwhile progress has been the usual snails pace. No apologies as this is a hobby to be enjoyed at whatever
pace the poster wants. We do so often let ourselves be pressured into actions we may not want. I suppose we
oldies become rebels as there's nobody who can dictate to us (except the dear wife that is !!)
Castell Mawr rather than becoming a joint GWR/LMS route is becoming more or l
It was a once a year outing, Castell Mawr back in the shed again.
While it does everything I wanted at the time, it has become something of a white elephant. Too big to have up and running
at home. I can just assemble on our patio which is high and catches wind, easily enough to take stock off !!
I really don't know what to do with it ? Jamie one of the original group of 4 builders/planners came down to Dorset from Cambridge
just to run it for a day, he had a great day and so
Well, with the programming track "End of the line" finished I'm back working on my simple oval. Everyone should have a roundy, roundy, or how do you run a new locomotive in ???
It was started early this year, but having nowhere large enough to work on under cover it was dependant on good weather. Then a halt while my old garage was demolished and the new one put up as well as playing around with what I'll now refer to as "End of the line".
Now up in the garage and live, seemingly not having su
Although it's only 39" (1 metre) long and just one piece of track I want to develop an authentic feel - but all artistic (I hope) from my imagination.
I've added vegetation to both sides of the stream, I'm still not happy with the reeds and will have to add more when all this is securely set.
From the scenic side - well there is another 1.5" at the embankment base - the cow needs to become brown, the tractor getting dirty, and those reeds, need a bit more. I've already touched up the paint on
I took a few snaps last evening, showing the few odd jobs that I've been doing.
We all like photographs so here are a couple more.
just 6 foot 8 inches of it !! The station platforms measure 6 foot 1 inch straight, a little more because of the curve.
Dad-1
We all like a funny photo .....
Tonight I was laying some grass on embankment sides and decided as I was finishing
to take a few photos.
This one kind of caught me out !! Have you ever seen such pretty smoke coming from a chimney ?
Brought a smile to my face.
Dad-1
I do most of my modelling outdoors - any mess is easily swept away
However it was raining when I got up this morning. I decided to look at my 'New' Metclafe
GWR signal box.
Now there is a growing group of railway modellers who look down their noses at Metcalfe card
buildings. Yes over used and the answer is that they are affordable,reasonably easy to make
with first class instructions and most retailers stock them ....... just proves they must be
doing something right.
The new box is e
I'm not a frequend poster on here.
I prefer to be working on something rather than be on-line. Trouble is I've just painted the loft
hatch and can't get in there today.
Still, it's like this ...... At Warley I saw a Parkside Dundas wagon kit, one promised by Bachmann
many moons ago, the 22 ton tube wagon. Having spent what seems like a lifetime making scale aircraft
kits I thought why not .... it's only £9 & could be fun.
It was fun & I kind of caught the bug, purchased 4 mor
Laying in my shed looked at frequently, but worked on occasionally my 'Big' layout Castell Mawr
has progressed slightly. One thing so few layouts have is a raised embankment section of any
length where you can look up, or the camera can, to passing rail traffic.
Today I finished grassing one part of embankment that is now completed from main road under
bridge to this boards edge.
I am having to look for suitable old brick colour paint, some testing was done with Humbrol 70, but
I'm
My butterfly personality means I like to switch from subject to subject, at times without always fully finishing a previous project.
For that reason I have a siding full of wagons awaiting weathering, but heck I've done that and got the 'T' shirt.
My two little Roxey yard locos are done .... to a level where they work fine doing what I want, weathering ? that can wait.
I've plans for a local yard layout, this will need tight dock & factory yard turnouts. They must however be live-frog
I like making up scenes, but first there's all the boards & trackwork, which at times seems to go on forever.
My coal siding board, which is also the north station throat has at last seen some greenery.
I get so pleased at reaching this stage that my camera comes out while things are still wet with glue
Sorry !!
Ahh well, only 11 more boards to work through - Even this needs the cattle dock making and buildings
finished, but at last it starts looking like a railway &
I've never been the most prolific poster on here so I doubt I'll be missed for a week or two. The layout will shortly be on unspecified 'hold' as next week I go in for a spinal operation. NHS didn't want to bother because I was still fit & flexible, but they have no idea of the pain I have. So after a private consultation and parting with around £7K it will be done at a BMI hospital.
So just as I reach the point of working my river end boards I'll have a break.
Here styrene risers show
Bliss , or is it ? Working in the garden today laying a plaster/sawdust skin over styrene.
Now summat went a little wrong as todays effort has developed cracks, yet that I did a
few days back before the weather changed is fine. I presume that either the mix was
too dry, or too wet, perhaps it dried too quickly out in the sun. Still no problem as the
surface will be painted (and worked into any cracks) and then soaked in watered down
PVA to attach all the greenery.
Just for play time I
I'm never quite certain what to do with a Blog ? What exactly is it ?
Well I use this as a sort of diary of things done and to be done. I have always tended to look forward, but explaining rough ideas for the future would be a waste of time. As a result all I can do is show a few things that have been completed enough to have something to look at.
Back in October a few of us (4) decided to make a lightweight layout where we could have longish trains thundering around. This with a view to
