2mm Scale Narrow Gauge Group

[Phil Copleston]

Hello all,

 

The 2mm Scale Narrow Gauge Group (established in 1993 as a Special Interest Group (SIG) of the 2mm Scale Association) is still around and has today 'gone public' with its Facebook "like" page: https://www.facebook.com/2mmScaleNarrowGaugeGroup

 

Our aim is as a forum to encourage narrow gauge modelling in 1:152 (2mmNG) and 1:160 (Nn3) scales on any track gauge between 3mm and 6.5mm. Prototypes may be British, Irish, European, North American, 'Colonial' or any other. If you are interested in, or intrigued by, the possibilities of 2mm scale narrow gauge modelling, then take a look at our Facebook group and do join us! 

 

Since 1993, Mark Fielder (2mmMark) and I have regularly attended model railway exhibitions displaying 2mm scale narrow gauge layouts and providing demonstrations of 2mmNG and Nn3 narrow gauge modelling. Last weekend we exhibited Mark's 'An Clár' and 'The Pizza' layouts at Railex 2016, generating a lot of interest. We have also attended every Expo-NG in Swanley, Kent (last weekend in October) and 'Small & Delightful' Narrow Gauge South West in Shepton Mallet, Somerset (third weekend in February) each year since 1995.

 

We are just establishing the group's Facebook page, so please bear with us, but we have already uploaded some photos of the best of 2mmNG and Nn3 modelling (with lots more to come). Your photo uploads, discussions and comments are very welcome. Or just "like" us for regular updates. See you on there!

 

 

Mark Fielder’s circular layout ‘The Pizza’ ~ landscape realism in a small space.

[queensquare]

I'm not on Facebook and like any good Ludite refuse to entertain the idea but Kim is so I will get her to keep me updated:-)

 

Jerry

[Phil Copleston]

Hah - thanks Jerry! So for the happy Ludites amongst you who are not on Facebook, here's a tempting selection of 2mmNG and Nn3 photos...

 

 

Overview of Mark Fielder's famous 'The Pizza' layout - just 400mm in diameter and a complete world in itself. Not so much a circular layout, but perhaps conceptually a straight track curved around on itself!

 

 

Mark Fielder's 'An Clár' - the entire scenic section! Somewhere in the west or Ireland on a 'soft' day with patches of sunlight. Backscene superbly painted by David Eveleigh, with the foreground and trains by Mark Fielder expertly blended in with careful attention to matching hues and tones. This scene is just 600mm wide by 200mm deep!

 

 

Knut Kittelsen - Norwegian Nn3½ narrow gauge (1:160 scale, 6.5mm gauge): LFB loco meets NSB loco at the station. 

 

 

Stewart Hine - Dutch Nn3½ narrow gauge (1:160 scale, 6.5mm gauge): Rotterdamse Tramweg Maatschappij 0-6-0 tram loco utilising part of a Märklin Z gauge 0-6-0 loco boiler and mechanism together with a scratchbuilt coach.

 

 

 

 

John Greenwood - 2mm scale, 4.5mm gauge: Tal-y-llyn Rly 0-4-0T 'Dolgoch' (upper) and Welshpool & Llanfair 0-6-0T 'The Earl' (lower). These are exquisite tiny models and fully work - as you'd expect from a master 2mm loco-builder. I have particularly selected photos of these locos part disassembled to show you the internal mechanisms. The W&L loco has full working Walschaerts valve gear on both sides.

 

 

 

Paul Styles - 2mm scale, 5mm gauge Welshpool & Llanfair brake composite coach - both outside and in.

 

 

Denys Brownlee - 2mm scale, 6mm gauge Isle of Man Railway 2-4-0T No.4 'Loch', coaches and diorama. 

 

 

 

Julia Adams - 2mm scale, 4mm gauge Ffestiniog Railway 0-4-0TT No.2 'Prince' - made from her self-produced nickel-silver etchings.

 

 

Mark Fielder - 2mm scale, 6.5mm gauge Lough Swilly Railway Andrew Barclay 4-6-0T - from a Worsley Works body etch mounted on a Märklin Z gauge 2-6-0 mechanism.  

 

 

Tom Knapp - American Nn3 (1:160 scale, 6.5mm gauge) Baldwin D&RG 48 class 0-6-0ST and Porter 0-6-0T - both built on Märklin Z gauge 0-6-0 mechanisms, converted to DCC and with working headlights.

 

 

Dr. Peter Clark - American Nn3 (1:160 scale, 6.5mm gauge) DSP&P 1880s Cooke Mogul made from a Republic Locomotive Works kit on a Märklin Z gauge 2-6-0 mechanism, built by John Spratley (UK) and painted by Tom Knapp (USA) with a Russia Iron (light blue) boiler wrapper, black boiler fittings and tender, and mahogany cab.

 

 

 

 

And finally, two views of vintage '000' narrow gauge from 1957: A scene from John Penri Griffiths and William Wallace's pioneering 2mm scale, 4mm gauge 'Vale of Penwal Railway' extensive layout of the mid-1950s. Articles appeared in Model Railway News issues for August 1957 (layout), August 1958 (loco construction) and July 1960 (wiring), with further photos in MRN for February 1957 (layout photos) and February 1958 (loco photos). The three locos on the layout were Vale of Rheidol 2-6-2T 'Prince of Wales', Campbeltown & Machrihanish 0-6-2T 'Atlantic', and Leek & Manifold 2-6-4T 'J B Earle'. This layout and the individual models were truly some of the earliest narrow gauge models in any scale, and a pioneer layout depicting full scenic modelling. 

 

There you are. I hope you enjoyed this little exposé of 2mmNG and Nn3 modelling. Some old, some new. A real taster of the diversity of British/Irish, European and North American 2mmNG, Nn3½ and Nn3 narrow gauge modelling. I hope this serves to inspire.

[VanBasten]

Hi Phil,

that's really interesting! And thanks for the FB link, I'll follow your group.

I do like as well modeling narrow gauge in N - a group of Nm fans from many countries (also Britain) has met last year in Stuttgart, at the European N Scale Convention, exhibiting a very large layout consisting of their modules in N narrow gauge...

 

PS fantastic models indeed the ones you posted!

[Dava]

Truly amazing micro-engineering in Phil's photo-post. Good to see these (again in some instances).

 

Dava

[2mmMark]

Here are some photos of Pennington, a 2mm scale 5mm gauge layout constructed by Colin Woolridge. Described in the February 1982 Railway Modeller. Locos & rolling stock are on narrowed Marklin chassis.  The layout is 12" by 33".