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I used to be a fairly disciplined modeller with an interest fixed firmly on the BR steam era, mostly the Western Region, but with a bit of LMR for good measure. To that end, when I got back into the hobby in the 90s, I went to a lot of trouble to repaint and modify most of the pre-nationalisation models that I'd acquired during my childhood, such that they fitted into the later period. However, such commitment to one period was not to last - I soon "cracked" in both directions. When Hornby bought out their Class 50 I had to have one, even though I had nothing else to run with it that was suitable for the BR blue diesel period. That was the thin end of the wedge in that direction, but around the same time I also made the mistake of building a Coopercraft Mink, which I painted GWR grey for no other reason than it seemed a nice change from finishing all my models in BR condition. Before very long I was building more GWR stock to keep the Mink company, as well as resurrecting a box full of tatty, damaged GWR wagon kits built in my teens. After that, my modelling began to diverge in three or more directions, and that's before I acquired some sectorisation stuff, some post-privatisation models, and even (thanks to the recent Bachmann limited editions) some lovely pre-grouping models. There's no hope for me, basically, but then again I am happy to consider myself as a collector as well as a modeller, enjoying a nice model for the sake of it, even if it doesn't fit into any prior modelling interest. The downside to all this is cupboards full of models, far too many to ever run on the layout at any one time. What happens is that I'll get stuck running one era, often for more than a year, before I get the impulse to pack it all away and get out some different stock. Sometimes the push can come from a new model which demands more than just a test run, or the desire to see some older stock out of their boxes. Personally I find the BR era more easy to relate to, as although I have no memories of steam, I can connect to the atmosphere in photos from the 50s and 60s, perhaps because so many parts of the country still looked that way even well into the 70s. The pre-nationalisation period seems more remote to me, mostly glimpsed in B&W, and of course much of the photography from that era concentrates on the locomotives more than the "bigger picture", which to me is far more interesting. I also find myself dwelling on the political factors which were at large before and after the first world war - the shadows of conflict seem unavoidable. The men and women of the Edwardian period could have had little idea of the horrors to come in 1914, while the "roaring twenties" were soon to come to an abrupt crash with the great depression ... Of course, the fifties and sixties had the spectre of global nuclear war, so I suppose things were no more rosy then. Ah well, it's just a hobby - but am I alone in thinking of these larger issues when considering the wider lives of our model citizens? On a more cheerful tack, the pre-nationalisation period certainly seems to offer more colour the BR steam era, especially where goods stock is concerned, and I'm a sucker for GWR brown and grey vehicles, as well as private owner wagons. So just for a change, I've swapped the layout's stock back a decade or two from the usual formations, which is a good incentive to fiddle around and weather some pristine locos and goods stock, as well as attach couplings, and so on. Hornby's Grange is a terriric model, in my view. I've two of them, both getting on for a decade old, and they hold up as well as any new models, as well as running superbly. This one was DCC fitted for many years, but since I'm trying to standardise on pure DC for my GWR models, I've now removed the decoder and put the blanking plate back in. The horseboxes are Parkside and Hornby. Still waiting for the road. More brown stock behind the loco, almost all kit-built, but all needing some gentle weathering. Later, after the Grange has cleared the single line section, a 72xx plods onto the up road with a ridiculously colourful train of private owners. Over a period of years I built about 20 Welsh-themed PO wagons from Slaters and Powside kits, which are great fun to make and can be done and dusted in an evening while sitting in front of the television. This Hornby 72xx couldn't be more out of the box if it tried; I think all I've done so far is remove the tension lock couplings. However, it will get a smidge of detailing and weathering in due course. Like the Grange, it's running on plain DC and (after a little initial roughness) is now a very smooth performer. There's been some criticism of the lack of axle bearings on these models, but my take is let's wait and see - my 42xx is still sweet as a nut after a year of moderate running. Of course, if the chassis starts wearing out in a few years, the doubters will have a good case for complaint, especially as they can point to models like the Grange as a proven, durable design. I decided to standardise on DC, incidentally, because the majority of my difficult cases - in terms of DCC conversion - were pre-nationalisation models. Those that have already had decoders installed are getting them swapped out, which frees up the decoders for the later models. I could only do this if the layout had been wired to allow DC as well as DCC running, of course, but being very simple it only needs a few isolating sections and only one loco moves at a time. The switch from DCC to DC is via a single DPDT switch on the console and in five years of operation I've yet to suffer any mishaps to locos or controllers, despite some of the fear-mongering you read about in some quarters... A little later, an Aberdare comes through on the down line with a goods train. This is one of three kit-built GWR models that I bought four years ago - the others are an 0-6-0 Beyer goods and a Taff Vale A class. I don't know too much about them, except that they are built and painted to a high standard, although the detailing is fairly sparse, perhaps reflecting the kits from which they were derived. The Aberdare needs a little attention to the pickups, but is otherwise a fine performer, and a model we're unlikely to see in RTR form, given the fact that none of them survived into BR days or are represented in preservation or planned as a new-build. All three models were boxed and named for a Mr "D N Payne", incidentally, which is part of the reason Paynestown was given the name it had ... but my family also has a Payne connection, which is why the name also shows up on my American layout as "Paynesville". I don't know if Mr Payne was the owner or the builder of the locos. All these kits have a rather high current draw, the Beyer being the worst offender of the three, so I may look at remotoring one or more of them at some point. Close-up on the Aberdare - sparse but nicely built and painted. Hope this little trip back to GWR days has been enjoyable, and thanks for reading.

Hello. Things havent stopped yet, I have made a bit more progress and have managed to get the second board ballasted now. Que a dodgy photo.... Also I have a question, hopefully you guys remember these? I am not sure where I need to plant them, is there anyone that can help? I know I am bending the truth a little with the layout and period with the track plan, signals, and now the single line apparatus but I am thinking add them to the layout as disused but still there. They need to go in roughly the same area as the signal, any thoughts? Thanks. Julia

Now that most of the trackwork has been installed on the first (Exeter end) baseboard, it is time to try it out!!! Before I can though, a Turnout Operating Unit needed to be built. The first thing required is a method of connecting the Switch Rails to any under board gubbins. Obviously I had already thought all of this out up front, but I did need to open up the holes that I'd drilled to accommodate these fixings because I couldn't feed them down!! These first items were bent up from some 0.026" guitar string (ideal because being steel it is strong despite the small section, and also being nickel coated you can solder to it very easily). Guitar String Switch Rail Connectors (these were the rejects, the ones used are identical but have slightly less horizontal wire to run underneath the stock rails). The little loopy bend fits around the foot of the Flat Bottomed Switch Rail, the tail being soldered along the Switch Rail towards the heel) The actual TOU is constructed from 2 sizes of Plastruct square tubing (one sliding within the other). Brass attachments (rod drilled 0.4mm in the lathe) allow the capture of the previously fitted guitar string switch connectors with minimal slop, but little friction and no stress on the soldered joint between the switch rail and the connector. Part for the TOU Made up TOU (subsequently, a hole was drilled to accept the moving wire from the Memory Wire Turnout Actuator, and once fitted a small micro switch was attached to switch the crossing polarity) What the TOU looks like from above the baseboard For all of my turnouts and signals, I have decided to use Memory Wire actuators. These are built up on a piece of acrylic sheet (simply because I had some), and comprise a 5 volt regulator, a resistor in line with the actual memory wire, a pivot to allow transfer of the movement and a spring to return the wire to normal once the current is turned off. Made up Memory Wire actuator (I actually had to modify this one switching the memory wire and return spring over as I'd forgotten that it would be upside down when fitted to the board - doh! What it all looks like below baseboard Below is a short video of the whole lot under test : Regards, Ian

Had a mammoth 9 hour session today. Legs were constructed, final wiring tweaks and faults sorted - still some minor tweaking required and the top loop needs to be done but for now we have two running loops and a fully operational shuttle. Fiddle yard needed some major tweaks before it would work Resolved the problem with the shuttle signal but then found a problem with the green LED so I'll replace it during the next session We were testing on a slope - not ideal testing conditions but at least everything seems to work so far. Once the top loop is done and some final scenery tweaks finished we'll give the track a good clean up. Again for testing I used the Bachmann EPB, this time for the shuttle. I also used two 0-6-2 shunters, these I also find can be temperamental so again these locos are great testers for the rest of the fleet. As the layout now stands on its own legs it's much higher up, this should mean no more crouching over to work, no more borrowing tables and no more back ache! Video here:

The oldest surviving loco in my collection of hackbashes is a 'lookalike' D6 that I completed a few years ago. At the time of completion I was very pleased with the result.... however as time has gone on and I have finished other, better models it has been gradually left to languish at the back of a shelf. Of course, this state of affairs hasn't been helped by the fact that since I built the model more information about the prototype has come to light. Last summer I made the decision to add a D6 to my 2014 build programme; the relevant 'Green Bible' and a copy of 'Locomotives Worth Modelling' by now being in my library means a more accurate model can be contemplated. My initial idea was to use a chassis kit designed to be used unde the old Ratio Midland 4-4-0 to build the model off of; it struck me today however that I also have a Hornby 2P chassis lying around- which is an even closer match. Handily, this spares me a lot of frustration fighting with a chassis kit- my soldering skills being comic at best (picking up the hot end being my party trick). So my current plan is to build a model of one of the superheated examples as they appeared at Grouping- there's a particularly nice shot of number 5858 in the Green Bible- using (you'll love this) a Jinty body. Yes; a Jinty. It appears that the firebox is the right length, the boiler barrel is the right length and the right diameter and that the smokebox is the right length for a superheated D6. This is going to be a good one....

Real modelling is still going slowly. This has several reasons. I hope I can show some progress in a short time. I spend some time on reading inspector Wexford novels and made some thoughts about how to use them into my diorama’s. I realized I was making two type of diorama’s: More or less railway based: Northall Dock – track out of use Bridge Street – siding with track; station, arches with track Nice Street – arches Station Road - arches and British Railways van delivery service: Nice Street – delivery to Adderley Glass Works I like the railway based diorama’s and I have some idea’s to build more of them. But I also like to explore the possibility to build some diorama’s telling a story about parcel delivery in Northall. I came to this after seeing a nice instruction movie from British Railways on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAbqjmbISww What I like to do is the following: There is one railway van with a van driver that I will use for all of the to build parcel delivery diorama’s. For the van I had the Austin 3way van in mind: The van men will be Monty porter figures. I can those the right one depending on the scene I’m building. I’m also trying to create a map of Northall and have already a lot of other useful information about delivery receivers. I will create a delivery sheet for delivering the parcels. I will use a simplified one. From every scene I will make a picture and a description (small story). I this way I will try to write the story of a workday of Albert Foster, van driver at Lower Road Goods Depot in Northall in the late 1950’s. This could be a nice PDF booklet. I can use all useful information about van parcel delivery in the late 1950’s by British Railways. All information is welcome. What do you think about this idea? Kind regards, Job

Through a bequest to the 2mm society and with help from the society (thanks to the Oxford area group for storing it) I am now the proud owner of part of the late Tony Andrew's 2mm finescale layout. I hope to find the time to blog as I restore and hopefully enhance the layout. Here is an overall shot of the layout: The baseboard construction is interesting :-) A nice surprise were the (potentially) working and illuminated semaphore signals. This is the result of a somewhat over bright 1W Cree LED torch (sorry for the poor focus): A farish Jinty with association replacement chassis arriving on scene: A somewhat posed arrangement :-) The eagle eyed will spot the lack of couplings on some and N gauge couplers still to be removed from others: I need a name for the layout. Suggestions on a postcard... All for today. Andrew

It seems like it was in a far distant era that I posted my first blog which was about my Thompson 6W PBV. I published two entries - the first on this link and the second on this link. Since the postings, the wagon sat in a box with nothing happening until a few weeks ago when my modelling mo-jo returned and I started work on various models. In the time since, I have completed the build of the coach and painted it, as you can see form the two pictures below. The next step is to buy some transparent plasticard for the glazing and cut two long strips that will fit inside the top windows along the sides. In the prototype, the end windows have vertical bars on them, so I will cut a piece of transparent plasticard and then draw the lines using a very thin tipped overhead projector pen. Since the photos were taken, I've added buffers, I also need to add couplings and vacuum pipes and I think the build will then be finished after which I will number the coach and then weather it. Once I get more work done, I will take some more photos and add them to the article. Before I get on to the weathering, I need to buy myself a spray booth so I can spray indoors - I'll be buying the one that Eileen's Emporium sells. A friend has one and speaks very highly of it, so that's good enough judgement on the booth for me. I won't be able to buy this before November, so the weathering will have to wait until then, but as none of my stock is being used at an exhibition until next May, that's not a problem for me. Once the coach build has been finished, the next projects in the pipeline are the build of an E4 2-4-0. I've already written a few bits about this on this link, but since these pictures were taken I've added some more detailing such as front springs, chimney, dome, safety valves, whistles and clack valves. I need to add brake and sanding gear to the chassis and handrails to the loco, then the loco is virtually complete and I can start on the tender. You'll notice I typed projects in the plural, that's because another couple of projects I have on the go are a High Level chassis kit for an ex L&Y Pug, and a coach that was an Airfix suburban coach a long time ago, but I've cut the sides out and added etched sides from Comet for an ex LMS Brake third.Again, as progress is made, I will take some photos and upload them here. Well, that's all for now - I suppose I'd better leave work, go home and do some modelling!!! Phil