Andrew D

VERY inspirational! I'd love O gauge but I don't have the r.... oh, maybe I have! 😆 The traverser thingy looks interesting, with the window catch wotsit. Does that line up the tracks perfectly? Please tell us more about this and the baseboard when you can - and bear in mind that some of us are not very bright (especially when it comes to the technical stuff) so do write slowly and draw pictures where necessary ;) Cheers, Andrew

Thanks Rob. Not sure my wit is up to the high level of top-class banter on this thread, but I shall do my best. And if you ever feel like you’re in need of a sheep fix, do come visit us here in the Outer Hebrides. We don’t have trains, but we do have sheep. Thousands and thousands of sheep. I don’t actually have any pictures of such, as I might get questioned by my neighbours regarding my wellbeing if I started taking snaps of them 🤪

Hello Rob, after being on RMWeb for a couple of years I finally bit the bullet and read the last 100 pages or so of your post - its sheer size and the amount of banter can be a bit overwhelming for the newcomer. I was inspired to check in after seeing Ewe in BRM and loving what I saw. It’s a shame about the lack of pictures in previous posts as there is so much good info and knowledge that has been lost in the ether. But I’ve learned a lot in the last 100 pages and want to say a massive THANK YOU for your generosity with your time and your knowledge. In BRM they say you’ve had your other layouts featured but they don’t say which issues. Do you know which issues your features appear in? Once I can access the archive again (World of Railways is having a bit of a tizzy at the moment on my iPadule) I look forward to seeing your other layouts and tutorials - with pictures! Thanks again and please keep doing what you do. Cheers 👍

Nice pics Peter. I’m with you, I enjoy the operating (ie playing trains) more than anything.

Finally, a day off to tinker with the layout. One job that has been waiting over two years is weathering my Hornby Class 29, or Class 21 and a half, or Class 21/29 Hybrid... Here it is over two years ago bringing an Excursion from Perth to the Yorkshire Dales on my friend Lewis's layout, whom many of you might know from the small screen under his fruity pseudonym. It looks way too much like the 1980s plastic model that it is, and not enough like an actual working locomotive: Another job that had been waiting for years is a pick-up tender for the Hornby Caley Pug. Who remembers the heady days just a few years ago when you could pick these little locos up brand new for under £15? This boxfile layout is very much a skill-builder, and I built a home-made controller which controls my Mainline locos beautifully, but it broke in transit. I've not had the motivation to repair it, and have realised that while I CAN do electronics if need be, I much prefer the scenic and operational side of things. The Mainline locos don't run terribly well at slow speed with the Gaugemaster Combi, so I have a Morley Zero Three Crawler on order (as it's for my next layout anyway). The Hornby Caley Pug does quite well at low speeds with the Gaugemaster Combi BUT stalls on the points. Hence wanting to build a pick-up tender. I sourced an appropriately cheap and shabby wagon for the job last year: Using a Pick-Up Kit from Eileen's Emporium and loco/tender connectors from DMG Electrotech, I did the necessary soldering etc: There was a LOT of trial and error, mostly because those connectors are so fiddly. However, I did not want to hard wire the loco to the tender. As the Caley Pug is hardly the last word in realism, I wasn't going to tie myself in knots with the tender. I looked at the 4mm handrail holders I'd bought and thought 'nah'. My eyes aren't up to that. I simply chopped up a coffee stirrer to make the partition, painted it up with craft shop acrylics, and weighted it down with liquid lead under the coal. Then it was the fun bit, the weathering - without an airbrush. This was done using cheapo acrylic paints and chalk pastels from The Works, held together with a misting of Testors Dull Cote. Here it is having just brought in an ECS from Tobhar an Athair: The Caley Pug now runs beautifully, but the connector is a bit of an eyesore. I can't put it under the couplings as the wires then foul the track. Then it was time to work on the Class 21/29 hybrid using the same weathering methods, only this time with the addition of Humbrol gloss black paint. I am indebted to a kind gentleman called Derek J Jones who uploaded a superb picture to flickr of a Class 29 at Dundee in 1970, which I used as my guide image: I'm very pleased with how it turned out, just a couple of specks of rust to add to the front still. Caran Leisg is now running with the Caley Pug on the passenger service, and the Class 29 on the freight. In the spirit of keeping the costs down, the weathering cost next to nothing, and the tender to the Caley Pug cost about a tenner, but the latter has improved running (and enjoyment) immeasurably. Still a lot more work to do on the scenics, but that will have to wait a while as work gets in the way once again. As always, thanks for reading.

Thanguverymuch. I’d like to think I’m creative, but I think it’s more true to say I’m a cheapskate 😉 Never thought my amateur muddling would win anything, let alone a coveted Blue Peter Badge!

Beautiful modelling Jack, I’m in awe!

Utterly delightful! And very impressive. I wonder how many of us are going ‘Pssh-ti-gof, pssh-ti-gof, pssh-ti-gof, pssh-ti-gof…’ in our heads now 😃

Thanks! I was aiming for utter filth! :)

It’s been the usual case of two steps forwards, two steps backwards… I went away for a few weeks so I took the main two parts with me and the home made controller… which, being housed in a margarine tub, didn’t take kindly to the travelling, parts became loose, and it short circuited. Now I have to start again, this time in a proper enclosure. It also meant I took the layout away with me then couldn’t use it. Now I’m home I’m using a Gaugemaster Combi with more modern locos but am getting nowhere near the stunning performance I was getting with the homemade controller and the old Mainline locos. The travelling also takes its toll on the fixtures and fittings like the goods platform which is now a few mm off the ground… However, I have had a bash at cinders ballasting, using the DAS clay over ballast technique, and for a first attempt I’m quite pleased. I’ve yet to get the weathering powders onto it, but so far so good. Next job is to try and make a tender with pick-ups for the Hornby Caley Pug to improve performance on the less than even trackwork and insulfrog points, As always, thanks for reading.

Stunning as always Karl. I particularly like the fact that the slate is the only scenic medium, adding a soothing monotone to the scene. 👍

That wall looks excellent, Jerry 👍It’s all coming together really well.

I like it Jerry. Once you've broken it up with a few trees etc it'll look even better - and it does not detract from the foreground. 👍

Excuse the unashamed self-promotion, but I detail how I paint and weather my laser cut kits on the cheap here (foot of page 3): No idea about the roof I’m afraid, other than making tiles from strips of paper. Good luck! 👍

A fascinating read, thank you Graham. I was amazed at the 'finger test'! While I recognise that you are talking about 'ex works' wagons, and SR probably kept its fleet in a good state, one thing I've noticed when looking at colour images of BR stock in the 60s is the effect of sun bleaching etc. Not to mention the less stable pigments in paint back in those times. These are my excuses for differing shades of brown on my BR stock ;) But wouldn't it be great if all the manufacturers could use the correct colour to start with? Cheers.

Super little layout! 👍

So satisfying to see the evils of Dr Beeching being reversed! 👍

Continuing the Low Budget theme, I’ve been finishing off the station and making a coaling stage with the aid of coffee stirrers. The coaling stage is leftover LCut Creative platform edging, coffee stirrers, matchsticks (for the posts) and LCut steps. The station fencing is made with matchstick posts and coffee stirrers cut into strips, again with LCut steps. As mentioned before, the grounded coach was picked up for £2 at an exhibition and fitted with an LCut door. For both the fencing and the coaling stage, the wood was painted Matt black, dry brushed with leftover magnolia emulsion, and weathered with chalk pastels. I also weathered the platform surface with pastels. Materials for both the station and coaling stage came in at under £5. Next job is the track/ballast, then hopefully I can start adding some weeds. As always, thanks for reading. Andrew

Spring issue - absolutely brilliant once again thanks Ian. So much inspiration there, and Bleak Moor certainly did not disappoint. Many thanks 👍

Brilliant little project! Good idea to strengthen the cassette with balsa. I made a similar cassette for my boxfile layout but it warped and kept causing derailments - hope you get better luck. I think you will as you seem to know what you're doing far better than I do! 🤪

Hi folks, my sympathies to all at RMWeb for the catastrophic failure of their previous service provider. I’ve re-uploaded the images from July 21. I’m going to hang fire to see if previous images spring back to life. Fingers crossed I’ll get some time to work on the layout again soon. Cheers! 👍

VERY impressed with the great service from Rainbow Railways at Model Rail Scotland. While some of the vendors seemed to want to just shift boxes, Mark at Rainbow Railways spent a lot of his time sharing his knowledge with me to help me look out for the right kind of stock I wanted to go with the loco I had just bought. It wasn't sales talk, but a genuine desire to help and a depth of knowledge of the market you'd only get from a true enthusiast. Really decent and knowledgeable people, and an absolute pleasure to deal with.

I've been searching for a topic about Scale Model Scenery but cannot find one. I'm wondering if this is because they are so well known and possibly their level of service goes before them? But I wanted to sing their praises about the service I have just received from them. On Sunday at the Glasgow show I was after a baseboard, but it was sold out. Trouble was, if I ordered online, I'd have to pay a huge shipping supplement to get it delivered to my home in the Outer Hebrides, and I was only going to be on mainland for another couple of days before heading home. I took a chance and ordered and paid at the show on Sunday. On Tuesday my baseboard kit turned up at my Mum's place before I headed home. Scale Model Scenery had rushed the order through and upgraded the delivery at no cost to me to minimise any inconvenience on my part. They now have a new lifelong loyal customer. I am beyond impressed with this level of service.

@sb67Cheers Steve! I'm not going to get TOO wound up about it as it's hardly the last word in realism...

Woot woot! Great video