Does anyone have any articles, sites, threads etc. on modelling miniature railways in 4mm scale?

[eldomtom2]

I have seen it done a couple of times at exhibitions, and would be interested to learn more.

[Paul H Vigor]

You might find some here on RMweb??

 

People have adapted n-gauge locos and rolling stock (would be half-scale in 4mm - larger than RHDR). Others have experimented with Z-gauge and T-gauge.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Paul H Vigor
to add information

[St Enodoc]

This is all that turned up from a quick search:

 

In about 1970 the Railway Modeller published an article by Dave Howsam on a layout he had built what combined N gauge trains and the old Britain's Miniature Garden models.

 

Hope that helps.

[eldomtom2]

Are you sure it was Howsam around 1970 in RM? The only stuff I can find from him in RM around then was about an entirely regular N gauge layout.

[St Enodoc]

Pretty sure it was him. It was a simple oval with a Peco Jubilee, which hadn't been out long. The track went round the lawn, there was a greenhouse, and so on.

 

I'll do a bit of digging.

[Nearholmer]

While leafing through a book about the history of Bassett-Lowke the other day, I spotted a very early example of this cross-scaling to represent miniature railways, in the form of a small layout promoting B-L miniature railways. It wasn’t the main subject of the photo, so I couldn’t be certain, but it looked like 0 gauge within a scene at 1:12 scale, so correct for 15” gauge, and it depicted the garden of a decent-sized villa in good detail. The date was probably just before or just after WW1, when their miniature business was at a peak.

 

Blow me! While trying to find it again, I found this later one, which looks as if might be 00 or smaller, within an 0 scale scene. This photo dates from 1950, but it’s meant to encapsulate “a lifetime of models”, so clearly contains much older things.

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Nearholmer

[ISW]

13 hours ago, eldomtom2 said:

I have seen it done a couple of times at exhibitions, and would be interested to learn more.

A search through my 'database' of old railway modelling magazines threw up a number of Articles on the subject of "Miniature Railways". Here's a few:

 

Railway Modeller, September 2002:

St James Park, Scale 1 :30.5 ( 10mm-1') thus Gauge 1 narrow gauge

Featuring miniature railways of 11" and 7¼" gauges.

 

Railway Modeller December 2014:

The Clee Valley Railway

Following on from his 009 layout Cressington Light Railway (see RM March 2011), which was set in the 'preservation' era, PETER LEADLEY stuck to 9mm gauge and the  contemporary period, but moved up from 4mm to 7mm scale, thus representing a 15" gauge  miniature passenger-carrying railway in the scale/gauge combination known as 009.

 

Model Rail July 2016:

HOW TO... BUILD A MINIATURE RAILWAY

PETER MARRIOTT continues his quest to explore every possible railway modelling niche with this  comprehensive guide to creating a miniature railway.

 

If they are of any interest , let me know.

 

Ian

 

[slowsteamer]

The Dave Howsam layout was in Model Railway Constructor, not RM. cannot remember the issue date.

Adrian

[eldomtom2]

54 minutes ago, ISW said:

A search through my 'database' of old railway modelling magazines threw up a number of Articles on the subject of "Miniature Railways". Here's a few:

 

Railway Modeller, September 2002:

St James Park, Scale 1 :30.5 ( 10mm-1') thus Gauge 1 narrow gauge

Featuring miniature railways of 11" and 7¼" gauges.

 

Railway Modeller December 2014:

The Clee Valley Railway

Following on from his 009 layout Cressington Light Railway (see RM March 2011), which was set in the 'preservation' era, PETER LEADLEY stuck to 9mm gauge and the  contemporary period, but moved up from 4mm to 7mm scale, thus representing a 15" gauge  miniature passenger-carrying railway in the scale/gauge combination known as 009.

 

Model Rail July 2016:

HOW TO... BUILD A MINIATURE RAILWAY

PETER MARRIOTT continues his quest to explore every possible railway modelling niche with this  comprehensive guide to creating a miniature railway.

 

If they are of any interest , let me know.

 

Ian

 

Thanks a lot. The St James Park article is particularly interesting.

[phil_sutters]

In the January 2022 Railway Modeller there was an article on Harold Thompson's extensive 4mm Scarborough North Bay Railway in 4mm scale on 9mm gauge track.

I am sure that there was a layout with a holiday camp featuring several railways including an aerial ropeway and a miniature railway, not so long ago.

There's one in G scale on OO track in the March 2022 BRM. Port Eden by Ben Bucki

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by phil_sutters

[eldomtom2]

2 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

In the January 2022 Railway Modeller there was an article on Harold Thompson's extensive 4mm Scarborough North Bay Railway in 4mm scale on 9mm gauge track.

Thanks for that recommendation - an excellent and extremely interesting layout.

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, slowsteamer said:

The Dave Howsam layout was in Model Railway Constructor, not RM. cannot remember the issue date.

Adrian

That's why I couldn't find it in my RM index then!

[St Enodoc]

On 13/02/2022 at 01:23, slowsteamer said:

The Dave Howsam layout was in Model Railway Constructor, not RM. cannot remember the issue date.

Adrian

One of the great things about the MRC was that the December issue carried an index for the full year. So:

 

"Garden of Eden" by Dave Howsam (mis-spelled as Howson) and Ron Prattley, MRC September 1970.

 

Finding that led me down a delightful rabbit hole for an hour or so reading about some favourite layouts of the 1970s, so thanks for putting me on the scent!