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James Hilton

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Everything posted by James Hilton

  1. Thank you! James - sounds like the bug has truly bitten. The small layout offers those with space a welcome distraction and chance to indulge in diversions away from a longer term project. It offers the space starved a valuable approach to creating real character in a small space. A small layout is not small on the inside! Good luck with the N - I have loved it all. The DG Couplings transform the look of models and the Farish locomotives run beautifully.
  2. 08761, a gently weathered Farish 08, silent on Paxton Road. This transports me not just to childhood memories of Chester station watching similar liveried Sprinters, but to the library on a Saturday morning, in the basement level, sat on the big box steps at the back with a book from the ‘Transport’ section pouring over all the new sector liveries. Today’s blog, a slightly off-piste commentary on ‘art’ again… https://paxton-road.blogspot.com/2024/03/nostalgia-and-lack-of-clutter.html
  3. This is the stuff I use: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y67D1JH/ref=pe_27063361_485629781_TE_item
  4. I think you’ve created something wonderful here. Lovely work. I wonder if adding a passing loop would spoil the feel of the layout somewhat, its compact nature possible due to its limited complexity? I’d also suggest you’ve perhaps ‘overlit’ the layout? I would be using only one strip of LED in something of this size, glued to the inside top edge of the pelmet. If shadows are a problem, a second strip mid way would help, but I’ve never had a problem needing to use a diffuser. If you search in my blog I think there is a link to the brand of LED strip I use on all my projects these days.
  5. Just a reminder that this cameo micro layout is for sale still at £175 https://paxton-road.blogspot.com/2024/03/for-sale-traeth-hafren-in-n.html
  6. Equally... Perfect train length for a Mosslanda!
  7. I can't remember where I have seen it recently, but there is a photo of one of these locomotives on a coal haul in Scotland being loaded with a big wheeled shovel truck thing - not sure if it was imported coal at a dock somewhere? The wagons were HEAs but the Farish HAA are a much nicer model than their HEA so you've made a wise choice. Perhaps something inspired by that could be a good start? Take your time and enjoy each stage - including the planning. If you can draw, sketch out in 3D what it could look like, if you struggle with that cut up some cereal boxes and make a 'Paddington' view of the layout. My Dapol 26 are lovely running models.
  8. Thank you! It continues to delight - long beyond what many would suggest would be such a simple layouts 'sell by date'.
  9. The track is British Finescale code 40, in N gauge. It is not 2mm finescale. Ian - thank you. That is a wonderful reflection, I’m glad to have taken you there…
  10. Ian that’s great - I’m working on two new books too… hopefully one will definitely be ready this year, a companion to ‘The Art’ with pure case studies - lots and lots of lovely layouts and full page imagery.
  11. I have fully embraced the ‘collect all the things’ side of my N gauge journey. This is a shameless nostalgic wander through childhood ‘photo albums’ of blue diesels and sectorisation with a healthy dose of train spotting thrown in for good measure… Since Christmas there have been two locomotives join the ranks here, thank goodness they have such small boxes! The first hasn’t really graced the blog previously, above, the second has had a series written about its conversion (below) but whilst neither is specifically ‘for’ Paxton Road, they both feel home. These models are wonderful creations by the design and tool makers, but adding my own flourishes bring them to life in my eyes. The repainted 37 and weathered 31 take in tones echoed in the scenery they inhabit… but it’s more than that. This isn’t about them looking right, it’s about them feeling right. They feel right, sat in this ‘goods yard’ environment because I’ve experienced seeing real locomotives sat in real sidings, the excitement to find something exotic and the yearning to see it move but soaking up every inch of its static being all the same. I love model railways. Until next time more soon…
  12. A project that has been ticking along is the 'flask' train in N - although the 31 isn't weathered yet, seen here 'running around' on Paxton Road it still has all the character of the prototype and brings the 1990s to life in my small cameo and in my heart. I love these sector liveries in particular. They recapture the excitement of the prototype 'new' in my youth...
  13. This layout is for sale: https://paxton-road.blogspot.com/2024/03/for-sale-traeth-hafren-in-n.html
  14. The PiChem Severnbank works was a chemical manufacturing facility on the banks of the River Severn. Production ceased in 1992 after nearly 80 years at the site. Back in 1990 however, a daily weekday trip working operated along the Traeth Hafren branch serving the facility… After the M4 had been built and the branch truncated the works was effectively accessed by a trailing spur, arriving trains propelled backwards into the works from Traeth Hafren. There was a loop in the reception sidings, so departing trains could run around before being propelled back onto the branch and returning to Twnel Hafren junction. In these wintry photos taken 24 years ago this morning we see 31131 with its short train of PCA tank wagons used for one of the powdered salts used in detergent manufacture by Lever brothers at Ellesmere Port and Warrington. The photographer hasn’t noted quite what was going on but the train has drawn into the platform at Traeth Hafren which wasn’t always the case, usually they stopped at the telephone beside the line to phone for permission to access the works siding. Note the brakevan used on the trip working, due to the requirement to propel back into the works, an action that crossed several plant roads before reaching the loop. Of course, this is my latest N gauge HifiMicro ‘Traeth Hafren’. The blue 31 on a short freight shows that even a small single track layout can have a variety of operation if a backstory is carefully crafted. The balance here is believable reality. The ICI works at Severnside was a trailing connection from the Severn Beach branch, trains could run around the train in the reception siding… it didn’t take much to go from that information to the faux history presented here. This concept is one I hope to expand on with a future, slightly larger single track scheme - one that features a chemical works AND a nuclear power station giving two excuses for freight traffic on an otherwise boring passenger branch-line. For now though, until next time, more soon…
  15. Intrigued as to how the cooler colour temperature on Traeth Hafren might paint different models in a different light (excuse the pun), I have tried out a few old favourites on the ‘hifimicro’… The Farish 25 is far from perfect but goes a long way to capture the character of these at one time ubiquitous machines and so a cheaply acquired second hand example was added to my collection some time ago and ‘paired’ at least mentally, with a pair of Dapol Dogfish wagons (which despite rebuilding still exhibit some of the banana effect I almost returned them for!). The cooler light casts a bluer tint across both locomotives and stock, yet their weathering and consistent appearance is not diminished - the effect still attractive. These experiments give me confidence that my methods, the craft, that underpins the creation of the small worlds contained in these boxes can cope with colour adjustment. Whilst this might sound intuitive I wasn’t certain how a cooler light would make the models themselves feel, so it is a small comfort and encouragement to continue experimenting. Here, the low angle photos that are so easily possible on a small shelf layout show the potential that N scale has wirh portraying ‘standard gauge’ in a smaller space. The layout itself will shortly be for sale, so if you’re interested in taking it on let me know. Until next time more soon…
  16. Great back story, and a pleasure to work on him for you. He is looking very much at home on the layout too!
  17. Today is the last chance to vote in the British Railway Modelling awards, I was humbled to be nominated in modeller of the year and would appreciate it if you’d consider voting for me (on the last page) if you haven’t done already: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVprB4ALfO-BPO2zBXLSPI5UiSDDmfxfHLtR8rqfbj7DokOg/viewform In 1985 the first Class 37/4 rolled out of Crewe Works after rebuilding. The work to these locomotives, already 25 years old, included replacing the generator with an alternator and extensive rewiring… These 31 locomotives, also fitted with electric train heating, were allocated to Scotland and Wales and provided the backbone of regional long distance travel in these areas for another 10 years until displaced by the Sprinter (Today, the type still sees regular service on the mainline on charter, spot hire and occasional infrastructure trains - even freight with timber on the Cambrian from Aberystwyth, not bad for 64 year olds!). In Scotland two distinct fleets were maintained at Glasgow Eastfield for the West Highland to Oban, Fort William and Mallaig (seeing both passenger and freight service) and at Inverness (for the Far North and Kyle lines). In my parallel universe the Inverness based machines also served Lochdubh… Above, we see 37418, a recent rebuild having arrived at the gateway to the isles with the 8:55 departure from Inverness. Visible behind, 37035, ousted from passenger service lays over having worked a Speedlink service earlier that morning. It would follow 418 with the return freight working to Inverness before a second run down the branch with the alumina train to the smelter at Strathbane. Here, as 418 has run around its train we get a clearer shot of the aging 37/0, this example was destined to never be rebuilt, running as built until 1996 and cut up in 2000, having served the railway well for over 35 years. Of course, Lochdubh is my N gauge cameo and these models are re-worked Graham Farish examples. You can read more about them here on the blog. Until next time though, more soon…
  18. gosh yes, I hadn’t clicked on the link! North if £100! I think I’ll stick to my usual. I can see the potential and benefits of the glass front though for some, displaying a layout in the living home.
  19. It seems to have been a few years since I’ve updated the post here! I am very much still trading, busier than ever. I am still writing on my blog daily (https://paxton-road.blogspot.com) and have a fledgling presence on YouTube these days too (https://www.youtube.com/@JamesHiltonCustomModelRailways). I’ve started sharing my own layout projects again on RMweb, where I pull the relevant blog material together in one place - you can find those in the Micro section. Of course I’m also one half of Planet Industrials, and now an author of two books! I was humbled to be nominated in the Modeller of the year category in this years ‘British Railway Modelling’ awards… It will be interesting to see what this year brings. Thank you.
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