MattDitch

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway 17/09/20 Bagnall 0-6-0ST "Princess" approaching Newby Bridge halt. Running alongside the River Leven. The full gallery can be found here

New Youtube video! A look at the now disused tramway that linked Cocklakes works, a Anhydrite & Gypsum mine with Howe & Co sidings on the Settle & Carlisle railway. The video also features Merchant Navy No.35018 “British India Line” hauling the “Dalesman” railtour from Chester to Carlisle. My thanks go to Bill Watson for allowing me to use several of his images in this video.

Afternoon everyone, I've a few new 009 kits and updates to existing models to share. First up, I've been asked if I could produce a version of my Hudswell Clarke diesel without tram skirts. This is still designed to take the Kato 109 chassis. But in theory you could use an alternative chassis. But, that is left up to the modeller and I have no suggestions on what might work. Secondly I have designed another freelance steam tram based on my popular Manning Wardle 0-4-0 kit. Again this designed for the Kato 109. And lastly I've made some design tweeks to my popular Kerr Stuart Skylark trams. Which, I think improves the overall appearance of these models. This includes rounding the edges of the buffer beams, Hollowing out the safety valves and adding handles to the tank filler caps. All these models are currently on sale on my website at £20 instead of £25. These and my other models can be found here

Merchant Navy No.35018 “British India Line” hauling the “Dalesman” railtour from Chester to Carlisle at Howe & Co Sidings. 35018 hauled the train from Hellifield-Carlisle-Carnforth. A short section of track remains on the tramway that linked Howe & Co Sidings with British Gypsum Cocklakes works.

Thanks to a tip off from a volunteer at the North Tyneside Steam railway I was able to catch Bagnall 401 “Vulcan” hauling a number of demonstration freight trains for training purposes. YouTube Video

The video as promised...enjoy!

North Tyneside Steam Railway. 28/08/20. A trip to one of my local lines to see Bagnall 0-60-ST No.401 "Vulcan". The engine has recently been outshopped in its orignal "Steel Company of Wales" livery, and hauled its first train since repaint. The full gallery can be found here. But below are some highlights. I'm working on a video for Youtube which I'll post here when done. Also out was class 08 "08 915"

By now I'd hope everyone would be familiar with my photography. If not here you go. I'm looking into the possibility of producing a 2021 railway Calendar which would focus on steam. There would be a mix of Mainline, Heritage railways, industrial & narrow gauge and it would be available directly from me via my websites online shop. Before I start ordering copies I'd just like to make sure that people are interest in this project, so if you are interested please let me know below. It'll give me some ideas for how many copies to order. Also if anyone has any suggestions for websites that could make a good quality product please let me know. I've got one manufacturer in mind already, but would like to explore alternatives. Thanks!

It's unfortunately came to my attention that the website (highflym.com) is claiming to sell several of my models at a much reduced price. This is a scam website and I have no connection to them at all. The website spoofs currently active eBay listings but with a much lower price to trick people into buying from them instead. As I hope people can understand this bothers me greatly. So for clarity the only places you can purchase my models from are as follows: 1) Direct from me via my website - And for those who want a bargain there is currently a sale on. 2) eBay - Again ran by me, discounts are regularly sent to people who watch my items. 3) Shapeways - Ran on my behalf by Shapeways, I do not handle printing or distribution.

This weeks video is now live (link below). It looks at the various railways of Chopwell Woods, a large Forestry Commission owned woodland located several miles west of Newcastle. The area has many former industrial connections and, if you know where to look it is possible to find traces of these former industries. Remains of both standard and narrow gauge railways can be found within the woods. More information on the area can be found here.

Afternoon everyone! I'm pleased to be able to share with you all my latest video. Taken earlier this month at Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Co.Ltd. The video features steam locomotives "River Esk" & "Northern Rock". As well as look at the now disused "Owd Ratty" terminus of Boot. A gallery of pictures from the same day can be found here I hope that videos will become a regular feature on this page. I hope to release another video next Sunday so be sure to subscribe to my channel so you don't miss anything!

Bassenthwaite Lake station is a disused station on the closed Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway. It is located near the small village of Dubwath just off the A66 near Bassenthwaite Lake. The station is currently been restored to its former glory as a tourist attraction. The locomotive and coaches are the props used during the filming of the 2017 film ”Murder on the Orient Express”. At present the station is closed to the public but can be viewed from the road. The locomotive is based on a SNCF class 241P A few more pictures can be found on my website, here

One of my first kits when I started doing 3D models several years ago was a "Pug Bash" tram skirt. It was designed to take the now discontinued Kato 103 chassis. I was recently approached and asked if I would reintroduce the model. So here is my updates "Pug Bash" tram base. Now designed to take a cut down Kato 109 chassis (not included). Couplings are supplied with the kit. I'd like to point out that the base is aimed at people who wish to build their own bodies from scratch or adapt kits into tram locos, such as the Dapol/Airfix pug. The base can be purchased from the following places My website: https://bit.ly/3iupQJk (Prefered) eBay: https://bit.ly/33IYQkS Shapeways: https://bit.ly/2PIWV7C (Prices vary depending on material selected)

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 06/08/20 The engines in steam were "River Esk" & "Northern Rock"

A video from Sunday's trip to the Tanfield Railway is now available to watch on YouTube.

I've also reuploaded my pictures from Beamish Museums 2016 "Great War Steam Fair. The full gallery can be found here. "Lilla" at the Pockerly end of the Narrow gauge line where the saw mill was located for the event. Portbury departing Rowley McLaren Road Locomotive 1332 "Gigantic" and Foden Steam Wagon No.7768 Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 well tank "104". Works No. 1238 of 1916

Finally had my steam fix for the first time since March today. I learned yesterday evening that my local heritage line, Tanfield. Were running crew familiarisation trains today, so I popped along with my new camera. The engine was Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0 No.2. A few more images from today can be found here

I hope this is ok to share here. I've just written an article on the history of the North Sunderland Railway. Please click the below image if you'd like to read it. A special thanks goes to Armstrong Railway Photographic Trust for allowing me to use several of there images. Please respect their copyright and do not use any of their images without permission.

* New Kit Announcement* Good afternoon everyone I'm very pleased to be able to announce the release of my latest 009 body kit. The freelance Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST, designed for the Tomix Percy chassis. The kit is priced at £25 and can be purchased from My website eBay Shapeways The kit comes with the following items: * 1X Body and separate boiler backhead * 1X driver figure (Figures vary & require some modification to fit) * Detailing pack: Toolbox, Oil Can, Bucket, Vac Pipes * Couplings (Pair) * Real Coal

Another lookback to a past Tanfield "Legends of Industry" gala, this time the 2015 one. Visiting engines were Austerity "Mech Navvies" and Kitson long boiler "A.No.5 Armstrong Whitworth No.2 & Mech Navvies in Marley Hill yard The other No.2 and A.No.5 at Andrews House And departing Marley Hill yard with a coal train

Understood @Adam FW Hmm I know the prototype has unusual wheel spacing and I can't think of anything RTR that has that. Would the Jouef 0-6-0 with the motion removed not work as an alternative?

Sorry if this has already been asked. But is the Kitson likely to be made available to buy as a kit? The real one is local to me and I have quite the soft spot for it!

I've had a lot of requests recently from people asking if I can supply my body kits as fully finished models. So for those who may be interested in commissioning me to build one of my models. I've created the following listing on my website. The price includes the body kit and the painting service. As an introductory offer I've reduced the price from £50 to £45 for the next week. There's also money off on my model kits, see here Lastly I've added some examples of my previous commissions to the page as well.

I've finally completed part 3 looking at the transition from 3 foot to 15inch. It can be found here.

Beamish Great North Steam Fair 2017 Kerr Stuart "Roger" Andrew Barclay "Bon Accord" Fowler Road Locomotive 15649, "Providence" and "River Mite"