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
    • 2,582 views

Steaming

Some while back as part of the work on the Winchester Railway Modellers Redbridge Wharf layout we decided to add smoke and steam effects to a model of a TID tug.  After a bit of research we harked upon cheapo piezo electric mister units as used in humidifiers.  These can be obtained in various sizes and with various control boards from all the normal sources.   The unit we settled on was a 16mm disc connected to a control board that takes a 5v input.     This was r

eldavo

eldavo in Steam effects

1. Introduction

I have long been fascinated by colonial and other offshore railways like the Jersey Eastern and British-run companies in Latin America. This will be a small, experimental project, a bit of fun, to model something of the happy-go-lucky style of the more eccentric type, free from the attentions of the British Board of Trade and its successors.   You have to imagine a pier with trains and trams. The train part will be loosely based on the trackplan of Shrewsbury Abbey station, formerly pa

Curlew

Curlew in Intro

West Drayton Coke Ovens 1839

Background   Almost 10 years ago, I made a model of a lime kiln as a ‘scenic accessory’ on my North Leigh layout. For some reason, I never wrote a blog post about its construction but did write a short article for ‘Railway Modeller’, published in November 2015.   I have, however, described how my model was based on the kiln at Fawler that originally had a siding from the Oxford Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway. Fawler is close to the real North Leigh, on which my pre-gro

MikeOxon

MikeOxon in General

A new-old pannier for Bethesda Sidings

Some folk may be aware that I recently bought two whitemetal kit panniers from @Tony Wright, which he was selling on behalf of the builder and previous owner, Peter Lawson. I understand that the ex-GW locos listed on Tony's thread are only a small selection from a much larger collection, most of which (if not all?) I gather are to be sold, due to the unfortunate ill health of the owner.   Anyway, the two panniers arrived here at Kernow Towers a few weeks ago and were posed on the layou

New (old) beginnings

I think I may have started one of these before, but I can't find the original entry.  I've got a very healthy (or unhealthy depending on your viewpoint) pile of part made and unmade kits and projects which have been sitting around for the best part of a decade. A visit to the Festival of railway modelling at Doncaster last month provided a much needed boots to the modelling motivation, so in recent weeks have cracked on with a couple of projects.   Firstly go round to painting the

Stuart A

Stuart A in Rfd Wagons

loco update - 90035 - 14th March 2024

Loco update - March 2024   Latest DB90 to join Johnson Street IEMD   90035 was one of DB's active 90s during their tenure of the contract to provide traction for MALCOLM Group. 90035 was, during this time, repainted from tired EWS livery with faded decals into new DB red but unlike matching classmates 90019 and 90028 wasn't named.    One of my first DB90s to join my fleet was 90028, named Sir William McAlpine, nicknamed "Bill", named at York's National Railway Museu

An early CR horsebox, part 2

The 1870 horsebox is now painted and in service.  Once primed I liked the overall level of detail, the top hinges and the dog box end show a slight bowing out but not severe enough  to merit a substantial alteration.  I think it would be in plain coach brown by the 1900s, compartment interior off white and a simple bench seat added. Lettering is from the HMRS sheet.  Some light weathering to bring out the details.   A couple of posed pictures.        

Dave John

Dave John in General

59. Wagon purists look away now! or, how to make a Bachmann BDA look like a XVA Trestle wagon.

Despite Mr David Larkin confirming for me the floor of a XVA wagon is an open frame-work, compared to the BDA steel bolster wagon's wooden platform, I am determined to have a means of conveying over-size steel from the manufacturers up north to a small ship-yard south of Atherington East Yard, at Tilling Docks.  The wagon would be conveyed at the head of the goods train 'passing through' my goods yard, so I need not consider load handling in my little general sidings.   What decided me

C126

C126 in B.R. blue goods yard.

BRDatabase availability

Once again, my website is unavailable, but this time it is thanks to facebook. I don't fully understand this but facebook is indexing my website over and over again (it's a known thing) and has consumed all of my bandwidth for March (and it's only the 13th!) The hosting company wants me to go to a dedicated server which is like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. The cost of running it would triple from $18 to $48 per month (and that's just the starter offer). I can't afford that and I can't

D1001

D1001 in Keeping me informed

Iron Duke

Another train to talk about, and one of the more known broad gauge locomotives, "Iron Duke"   I have actually made one of the Iron duke classes, which is Lord of the Isles, though it was inaccurate in basically everything. I have it shown on my entry about my 'finished' Rover Class.   I've planned to make Iron duke after I finish the North Star, which never did since I started work on Iron Duke immediately when I was satisfied with North Star's progress. Though I was hes

LNWR 4-plank wagon (diagram 84)

I have just finished making an LNWR 4-plank open, to diagram 84. This was meant to be a "quickie", as a relaxing diversion following the complexities of the horsebox and before getting my teeth into a brake van. However, it has taken three months - partly due to a lack of modelling time recently, and partly because it turned out to be a bit more involved than I had expected. The starting point was the ABS whitemetal kit. My first impression was - it's enormous. The prototype was 18 feet ove

magmouse

magmouse in Wagons

Western National-Tavy style. EFE Bristol LS detailing.

Lurking on the work bench have been two EFE Western National, Bristol LS' which I have been detailing. Both were picked up for less than £10 each secondhand.   Inspired by the Lincolnshire Road Car Bristol LS on Tony Wright's Little Bytham I asked Ian Wilson at Pacific Models to make me up some printed destination screens for this pair.    I supplied Ian with the dimensions of the screens, destination and route numbers. In this instance services which would have originated fr

46444

46444 in 46444 Blog

North Star

It's been real quiet since the last entry, and I do apologize for that. Didn't have time to work on stuff due to school and personal life events but nonetheless, I'm proud to show one of my almost-finished projects, the North Star.😀 -   For those who want some info on North Star, read the Wiki articles below.   The Great Western Railway (GWR) Star Class of 2-2-2 broad gauge steam locomotives were used for passenger train work. Designed by Robert Stephenson, the cla

NER P5 hoppers with automatic working bottom door

should start by saying that about 10 years ago I produced some 7mm kits for both a P4 and a P5 coal hopper and R2 and R4 coke hoppers. These were resin with brass strapping over layed onto them. With the moulds dying last year I decided to see if I could upgrade them to be a one piece 3D print. This was achieved pretty quickly. But then I had the idea to make them work ie make the bottom doors open and close automatically. Easier said than done. So starting with the P5 hopper this is how far

About time too!

I’ve finally completed painting my pair of six wheel coaches which have been languishing on the work bench for far too long! Readers of this blog will know that coaches are definitely my nemesis, they always seem to take me forever to complete and these two have been no different!  I’m taking Sherton to the York  exhibition at the end of the month and that provided the enthusiasm to get them finished🙂 Diag V8 Passenger Brake Van       Diag U14  Is

That feeling when you make the first irreversable step

The next task was to cut an entry hole from the fiddle yard.   I don't know if you are like me, but I find it a bit daunting cutting holes in or otherwise modifiying (and therefore potentially ruining) any expensive and lovely model. This is why, even though I was pleased with my weathering on some wagons, I haven't yet built up the courage to tackle a locomotive yet.   I mean, I know most things that go wrong can be sorted with a bit of work, but there is a feeling that it m

Clevedon WCPR at Yate 9 March 2024

I don’t post much about my Clevedon layout anymore but just a note to say that the layout will be having a run out at the Sodbury Vale show in Yate on 9 March 2024. I’ve spent a pleasant evening servicing all the engines and checking the layout still works! All is well. Do come and say hello if you’re passing.

ullypug

ullypug in EM

A Pantechnicon for Farthing

A horse-drawn furniture removal van has appeared at Farthing. The kit is a reborn Gem product, marketed under the John Day Models label alongside other re-introduced whitemetal ranges. It’s all run by Daryle Toney who is very helpful (no connection).       The main parts are a fair fit. As usual I used Loctite Gel to stick it together. Unlike most superglues it does not require a perfect join to bond well.       Some parts did require fettling.

An early CR horsebox, part 1

The latest kit from True Line Models represents a horse box built by Metropolitan in 1870 for the CR. This is a different method for TLM being a resin print. I have used 3d printed parts but this is my first go at a complete 3d printed wagon.   Removing the body from the supports taught me just how brittle resin prints can be. Since I want a practical layout vehicle I decided to reinforce the steps and springs with 0.3 brass wire. Wheels are on MJT internal compensation irons soldered

Paddington Engine House 1840

“Towards the end of July 1837 I heard that Mr. Brunel wanted some one to take the post of locomotive engineer on the Great Western Railway, and I at once went to him, on July 20th, preferring that department to railway making.”   Thus wrote Daniel Gooch about the event that changed his life when he was just 21 years old. As a result, he left Manchester and went to London, beginning his duties with the Great Western Railway at West Drayton on the 18th August 1837. Because no engines had

MikeOxon

MikeOxon in General

Autocoach tinkering

I have been working on a couple of Autos for Caia Road. This has included a comet BR(w) auto, an uplifted airfix and a Bachmann example.  I have been doing a bit of weathering and have given the airfix one a spray of muck. The roof remains loose as I need to finish some details inside.  The sides were kept relatively clean on the airfix coach I made a bit of a mess (not in the intended way) of the Bachmann example but have tried to correct this. I have gone quite heavy

Dapol Kitmaster Presflo uplift -Ex works

I have tonight ckmpleted decals on the Presflo kit. The wagon was primed with Halfords red oxide and then I droped the whole thing on the floor. Some detail was losr and a couple of cracks needed to be sorted. The project was very close to being binned!  But.... I persisted and I am rather happy with the decals. The colour is mixed from Mr Hobby brownds which I have never used before and , although not righyt provide a base for an interesting weathering project.  I need to p
  • Blog Statistics

    2,556
    Total Blogs
    21,957
    Total Entries
×
×
  • Create New...