detheridge

Hi folks, Good news for anyone looking for new 5.5mm products. Johnny Laing of 2A models https://www.shapeways.com/shops/jl-design is now offering his 009 range scaled up for 5.5mm scale. Here's a listing of his 009 range to show the potential. 5point5mm locos special order listing.pdf

For those who'd like to see 5.5mm in action, here's a spiffing little snippet of Pen-y-Craig at the Bala Narrow Gauge exhibition (even tough it's listed as 009): https://www.facebook.com/1473460022924653/videos/2077733415830641/

Go on Laurence - you know you want to! Come on in to 5.5mm - the water's lovely!

Sorry, missed out on this one!

More work by George Williamson for his 55thstudios display stand. Look for it coming to an exhibition near you in the future! www.55thstudios.co.uk

A primitive form of inertia control?

Yes, and the tributes to him not only as an influential and inspirational modeller flowed from a great number of people, and was a joy to behold. George's acquisition of the range means that the MSM name will not be forgotten and will continue Malcolm's legacy. (I wrote the tribute in RM, by the way) Remember that all the latest happenings are on the 5.5mm modellers Facebook page, and the new website with latest developments is 55ng.co.uk David.

And here are some of the etched brass 5.5mm kits shown on George's '55thStudios' Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/55thstudios-2034733416852922/

And that's what you get for not pressing the 'attach this file' button!

George has already got into his considerable stride with the MSM range, and here are two labels for the packaging on his 55thstudios kits. More info as it comes in! David.

The 5.5mm Association is delighted to announce that George Williamson has acquired Malcolm Savage's MSM range of 5.5mm scale kits. George will be trading under the name of 55thstudios, with a website www.55thstudios.co.uk under development. George's acquisition is with the full co-operation and assistance of Carol Savage, for which, many thanks go to her. George wil be reintroducing the range and adding new models in the future - exciting times for all 5.5mm scale fans! Best wishes, David.

Hi folks, The new website now has a member's page where signed up members can access pdfs of past issues of the 55 News. We plan to make as many back issues as possible available, so members can print them up to add tto their collections. This will provide a complete archive of the history of the Association. If you're not a member, you won't be able to access them, so why not sign up and get the back issues for free? Only £10 per year from www.55ng.co.uk Dave.

Doh! Many thanks. The speed of my typing fingers sometimes defeats the brain...

Hi folks, here's the link to the new 5.5mm Association webpage: www.55ng.co.uk. Lots of new links, and a celebration of the life and work of our founder Malcolm Savage. Lots more to come! Best wishes, David. Edit: you may have to enter the url manually as the site is so new. Apologies to anyone having problems. In addition, we're adding under the members menu back issues of the 55 News so you can see our history and approaches.

Hi folks, A post today on the Yahoo 00n3 forum states that Backwoods Miniatures has been sold to Neville Kent of N-Drive productions. It'll probably take some time for them to come back into production but at least the range is secure. Regards, David.

That's what it says on 3SMR.....

Er, have you forgotten Berlinerbhan/Tillig and Piko TT? 3SMR's website lists interesting motive power from them, and I remember at least one article in the 3mm society mag about using Tillig lcos as the basis of something interesting. The Piko Taurus chassis is easily convertible for a Class 73 according to the site. To b sure, there's currently no British outline RTR, but TT modellers are nothing if not inventive!

Malcolm Savage - the pioneer of a revived 5.5mm scale- passed away on March 19th. Malcolm’s modelling will be well known to readers through his articles on his two pivotal layouts, Gwynant Valley (RM Oct 84) and Llugwy Valley (RM May 1995), which singlehandedly re-established 5.5mm scale (originally developed by George Mellor in 1963) as a credible approach once again in narrow gauge modelling. As a result of interest in his articles on his modelling, he founded the 5.5mm Association in the late 80s. Working with Roy Dock at Gem, they produced in 190 a limited re-run of Gem’s original kit for ‘Linda’. In 1996 Malcolm purchased the 5.5mm masters from Gem, which were updated and relaunched. Malcolm subsequently developed a range of new kits for 5.5mm scale. In addition to working in 5.5mm, he also developed chassis components (in conjunction with FR stalwart Mike Chinery) and kits for 009, 00n3 and 7mm. His reputation for the quality and fidelity of in his products is held in the highest esteem and his models and layouts proved influential and inspirational across the narrow gauge modelling community. He was regarded not only as a modeller par excellence, but also one of the nicest people in the hobby. He was quiet and unassuming, but an authority on all aspects of railways and railway modelling. Malcolm worked in the Veterinary Pathology Department at Liverpool University. He was involved with a great number of other activities including narrow boating, vintage clock repair and the ability to fix just about anything. The hobby has lost a key figure. Without the Association that Malcolm founded, 5.5mm modellers would not know each other and without his practical support modelling in the scale would probably no longer exist. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Hi folks, Sad news - Malcolm Savage passed away on Sunday night. He had be ill with cancer for some time. Without him, 5.5mm scale would not exist in the form it is today. A wonderful man, a modeller of unassailable quality, and his kits are the state of the art. A full obituary will appear in the obituaries section soon. David.

This is a long shot, but if memory serves Bob Denny of Long Eaton, Notts (who used to advertise in RM) was offering bodies built for proprietary chassis (Triang, H/D etc). I haven't got one of his ads to hand, but might he have done anything in TT?

Hi folks, mods please remove this post if its in the wrong place, but: I've just seen elsewhere that Gem/Lychett Manor models has creased trading. Anyone know any more? Update: It seems that it's through illness. Big opportunity for someone to take the Gem range over? David.

Two more pics of Alan Catlow's Blackpool trams in 5.5mm scale. Many thanks to Andrew Wilson for forwarding the pics.

More 5.5mm trams from Alan Catlow, and with the exception of the IOM tram, these are definitely standard gauge! :-)

Only if you want to be like everyone else :-) 5.5mm scale is one for individualists....

Although they're not strictly speaking narrow gauge, here's more fun in 5.5mm scale. Every so often someone asks if anyone has modelled standard gauge in 5.5mm scale, and the answer is yes: Alan Catlow, and his astounding trams. I believe that the gauge is somwehere in the region of 22.5mm. Alan describes them thus: The engineering car is from the Blackpool fleet and was rebuilt in this condition in 1958 from a 1924 Blackpool Standard. At the present time it is being rebuilt and returned to its original condition in their Heritage fleet. The Nelson car dates from 1903 and was to be found until 1970 on an allotment as a shed. Sadly it is no longer there but my model is!