Andy McV

Not long left to vote, folks, so please follow the link at the top of the page to make your choices. 

I've made mine, although I couldn't possibly say what they were. Meantime, it'd be great to have a few of the top choices at Warley. We'll bring some of ours along, if only to prove the original concept that anyone could have a crack at a cakebox! 

Cheers

Andy

There's no reason why this thread should close down after the competition has finished, especially as there are probably lots of cakeboxes that weren't completed in time. 

The whole challenge has certainly exceeded our initial expectations, so now the challenge is on to think of the next one. We have a couple of vague concepts at present, which may or may not develop into anything. If anyone has any bright ideas in the meantime, I'd certainly be interested to hear them!

Thanks

Andy

If you haven't already noticed, the voting for the BRM Cakebox Challenge has just opened!

Of all the excellent entries posted on these pages, some 49 'boxes have taken the bold step of advancing to the competitive stage. They're all brilliant too, of course, although it seemed that some were only submitted at the last minute and had not been seen on RMweb previously.

I'm sure that 'lurking' is quite within the rules and all models are now subject to the same scrutiny in the court of public opinion. On that note, please head to the link at the top of the page and pick your top three favourite models. In the meantime, we'll get our heads together about the next BRM modelling challenge...

Thanks - to everyone who has taken part

Andy

Love it - get it entered pronto!

These are great, but having also made my own festive  'Crimble Cakebox' I especially like the one featuring Santa - get them all entered, though!

We have just received photos of the Class 156 in its EMT and Provincial 'Sprinter' liveries. These are painted samples, so not representative of the production models. They still look great, however!

Hello all,

BRM October edition, which is out now features some great content this month with the added bonus of the May/June issue of Traction included - the print edition follows on September 13th. Here's what you can look forward to:

Andy,

 

Thanks for your encouragement - and your kind comments.

 

I'd be surprised if any of the materials I used were to cause anyone too many problems in this "department".

 

 

The PVC "Palfoam" / "Palight" is very clean to work with - it offers a bit of resistance to a #11 X-Acto blade, but I've found it very easy to cut. I'd definitely use this stuff again, without hesitation.

 

4D Modelshop sell the stuff - and they've got a guide to working with the stuff on their website:

http://modelshop.co.uk/Content/DynamicMedia/cms-uploaded/files/4D_guide-foamed_PVC(3).pdf

 

I can't remember whether my base is 2mm or 3mm thick - I guess it doesn't really matter, as both hold their shape pretty well - but the 1mm stuff would almost certainly flop around a bit.

 

 

The floral foam generates a bit of dust (actually less than I might have expected) - the green stuff having a smaller "grain" than the grey - but, as supplied, this foam wants to break up a bit. Both are very soft and a bit brittle, really (especially the green stuff, which seems to cut like butter) - this was why I was able to shape these foams using a sanding sponge. For example, when I shaped the ballast / trackbed, it started off with a rectangular cross section - and took 1 or 2 passes with the sanding sponge to give a clean bevelled edge.

 

You might be wondering why I even considered using these foams - and why I painted on some water based PVA craft glue (using a flat #12 craft brush).

 

Well, I don't know if you're aware of some of our friends from the USA talking in terms of "chainsaw layouts" - layouts or modules that are so cheap that, after completion, they wouldn't be worried about introducing them to the "business end" of a chainsaw. That's right - I'm treating this exercise as a "chainsaw diorama".

 

This might also explain why I was happy to use a Tri-ang signal here - for once, it doesn't need to be realistic - it's not as if I'm planning on holding on to my entry after this challenge finishes.

 

Scenery's never really been "my thing", so I don't have a reputation to maintain or lose. I just wanted stuff that would be cheap and easy to work with. For example, I've recently seen Hobbycraft selling housebrick sized blocks of both types of branded ("Oasis") foam at £1.50 a pop - with their "own brand" equivalents at £1 a pop. At prices like these, experimentation becomes affordable.

 

 

A number of years back, I came across another phenolic foam marketed as "Lexathane MFP-5". This stuff came in packs of 2 sheets - about A5 size - with some instructions suggesting the use of epoxy adhesive to glue it and seal it against light knocks. (I'm not sure, but I seem to recall there might also have been some mention of thinning the epoxy using something like acetone - but please don't quote me on that!)

 

Right now, I don't have any epoxy adhesive at home - so I decided to try bonding the stuff with some contact adhesive I got from Lidl a few years back. This stuff worked extremely well. As for sealing the foam, I tried PVA, which seems better than nothing - but the PVA doesn't seem brilliant for bonding.

 

 

I don't know how well the floral foams would stand up to being carried around on a baseboard - certainly as manufactured (or sold in places like Hobbycraft), they are susceptible to knocks and fingernail damage. When I pressed the piece of track into a strip of the grey foam, it offered a bit of resistance but not very much. I suspect the green stuff would have offered even less - in the past, I've been able to press objects into the stuff and get clean impressions.

 

OK - I don't have a layout (though I've seriously considered building a depot-based "novelty" switching microlayout, with all switching done using a turntable and a traverser). I don't know if I'd risk using any phenolic foams on a "proper" layout - as I haven't got a clue whether any of the foams might react with anything else - but I might be tempted to give it a go, as long as there's nothing there that I'd be worried about damaging.

 

 

Huw.

Thanks for the explanation, Huw. I considered using Oasis on my 'Crimble Cakebox', but watched a wargame modeller making good use of spray can expanding foam. On balance, and given the proper mess I created, I should have stuck with my first thought. 'Chainsaw layouts' is a new term on me, but that has given me an idea that I will explore with the team!

Best regards

Andy

Andy with me being a new member to the forum i was looking forward to having a go at the CBC but I did think it would be an ongoing part of the forum. Will you be planning another challenge for forum members.

 

Mark

The Cakebox Challenge is open to anybody, but RMWeb is where it largely resides. It's been a success, as you'll have seen from the many pages of top-notch entries, so we'll certainly find something to replace. We're concocting a couple of ideas at the moment - no details yet, but it'll be something you'll be able to have fun with.

Regards

Andy

Another amazing model Kevin - the derelict barn ticks a big box for me!

Entry received with thanks, Shaun. Nice work, and I'm already singing the theme tune!

Amazing work - so much going on and a trio of boats for good measure. That'll please a few people at this end!

This is shaping up very nicely, Andrew. I really like the painted backscene too - like we're trying to peer through an industrial smog, but it conveys a sense of distance well. Has anyone else built as many cakebox projects, I wonder...

There's nothing in the rules to say that a model has to sit square on the floor of the cakebox, just as long as it fits within the 8" x 8" x 6" parameters. A really nice looking model otherwise, and looking forward to seeing it with figures and lots more muck, dirt and grime!

Interesting to watch this one as it develops, and I really like that you're exploring different materials. Are they particularly messy to work with?

I'm not sure it's quite as dainty as advertised, but really looking forward to seeing this in motion. Any chance of posting a video when it's finished?

Some fine scenic work here. As above, I particularly like the stone wall, but the scene works well as a whole. It's great to see that new cakeboxes are still being built too - if you're still making yours let's see them before it's too late, and don't forget to send all entries to me at cakeboxchallenge@warnersgroup.co.uk. Competition rules, dates and prize info in my post pinned at the top of this forum.

Cheers

Andy

Hello again all,

Apologies for the lack of clarity on a couple of points. Just to confirm - October 12th is the absolute cut-off date for entries to submitted, and you can submit as many cakeboxes as you like.

The 200 word limit is just to aid the judging process. You don't have to write that number exactly, and we'll probably forgive a few over the limit. However, you won't be penalised if you don't make the wordcount.

I hope that helps, but let me know if you have any further questions.

Regards

Andy

Hello everybody,

Time marches on, and our Cakebox Challenge will soon be coming to an end - a shame, as we've seen some brilliant entries, but all good things must end at some point.

With that in mind, we now come to the competitive element of the challenge - put simply, which is the best box? At stake is a £75 prize courtesy of our friends at Humbrol. This comprises a pack of Palpo detail brushes, a pack of Stipple brushes, ten acrylic paints, five washes and five weathering powders. Not only that, we'll also be putting a prize pot together of at least equal value, which will be tailored to the needs of the winning entrant. 

For your chance to win this bumper bundle, I'm asking cakebox engineers for up to 200 words describing the model and three photos to be emailed to ‘cakeboxchallenge@warnersgroup.co.uk’.

The competition itself closes on October 12, whereupon the judging takes place and the winning entry will be roundly celebrated in our January edition.

That's really all there is to it. Well, I say that, but given the high quality of entries on RMweb, picking an outright winner might be a bit of a challenge!

Either way, let's start getting those entries in please.

Many thanks

Andy

https://pocketmags.com/british-railway-modelling-magazine/august-2018

Digital edition on sale from 13/07/18, print copies in stores from 19/07/18

As if last month's digital edition wasn't already massive, this month we've excelled ourselves with:

A FREE copy of Garden Rail

A FREE copy of Traction too

And there's much more besides:

EIGHT extra videos. Here's just a sample:

Andy York looks at the new wagons from Cavalex and Accurascale

We unbox Heljan's Class 07

And Oxford Rail's new Janus

And we attend the opening of the Bristol Line at the Pendon Museum

ONE bonus scenic layout: Penmaenpool

Plus TWO extra practical projects

Full BRM DVD footage included:

- New BRM Project layout

- Refresh tired track 

- Fit a photo backscene, and more

INSIDE THE AUGUST ISSUE...

Empire Mills (EM)

Deeping Lane (00)

Elmfield (N)

Kensington Addison Road, part two (0)

Make a stream diorama

Build a dockyard cakebox

Refresh and weather track

Make a pre-fab hut

Improve off-the-shelf telegraph poles

The latest news from Dapol, Accurascale, Heljan, Hatton's, Kernow, Bachmann and more

New models and the latest gear in stores

Reviews including the Heljan Class 07, the Rails Dynanometer, Accurascale's  HUO hoppers and RevolutioN's Class B Wagons

An EXCLUSIVE preview of Cavalex's brilliant new aggregate wagons

See how Peter Smith brought a much-loved former Birmingham station back to life

Learn about cast concrete huts

Read about the Class 07 prototype history

Tail Lamp: Join Kevin Phare as he rambles through the scenery

All of the above, plus bonus image galleries and a downloadable tea towel to hang on your scale washing lines!

That's 314 pages in total - enjoy!

https://pocketmags.com/british-railway-modelling-magazine/august-2018

Andy McV

On a related note, I've just returned from annual leave to find that the digital edition of our August issue is going to be even bigger than our blockbusting July digital edition, with 314 pages of enhanced magazine content, free copies of both Traction and Garden Rail magazines, a downloadable tea towel to hang on your scale washing lines (this will make sense when you see the magazine) and much more besides. More details shortly, but a small 'blimey' is most definitely in order!

Yep, Mick Nicholson, above, supplies our other signalling article in this month's edition. In his four-page feature he explains real-world signalling practices, and how you might apply them to your layout. It's good stuff, so do check it out at https://pocketmags.com/british-railway-modelling-magazine, and prepare to be dazzled by all the extra content we've managed to cram into the digital magazine.

And Addison Road, and Sidmouth, and, and, and

Our chum Paul Marshall Potter took far more pictures of Shelfie than we could possibly use in the print edition. Happily, they're all included in the digital version of the magazine - https://pocketmags.com/british-railway-modelling-magazine. Part two of our Addison Road coverage to follow in our August issue, out July 19th. 

After mucking about with a spray-can of expanded foam for my cakebox, I only wish that I'd thought of using ceiling tiles instead! This is coming along very well, though, and I look forward to seeing the finished result. 

Hello all,

It's Andy, the Editor of BRM here.

I have to admit to a mistake made in the June edition. As some of you may have already spotted, the caption to the image of the APT-E in the crowd-funding article was entirely incorrect. I'm afraid that in my rush to push the article through I completely misinterpreted a piece of information found online and thus wrong-headedly suggested that the APT-E had been crowd-funded by the Locomotion museum. It hadn’t. Rather, Rapido Trains was commissioned to produce the model on behalf of Locomotion. 

It appears that Revolution Trains is now thinking about an N Gauge equivalent, though. Theirs is a crowd-funded business model, of course, so fingers crossed that they develop the idea soon. Anyway, my error has been amended in our digital edition – email me for a PDF of the pages affected – but it was too late to change the article in the magazine.
 

Otherwise, my earnest apologies to all concerned, especially to all at Locomotion and Andy York who worked hard on the feature.

Thanks

Andy