James Hilton

Today our ‘ready to run’ models are often dressed in painstakingly researched and carefully checked clothes - to the extent there is little point in repainting if your chosen livery is available out of the box… Sadly, whilst many of Dapol’s N gauge models are nicely proportioned representations of their prototypes (the 22, 26/27/33 and 121/122 in particular) the shade they use on their rail blue often seems a long way from how we all remember it, you could joke it’s rail turquoise! I have lived with this for as long as I can, the model is so lovely I overlooked the colour and would adjust photographs I took to either be black-and-white or certainly reduce saturation. The time had come to do something more drastic! The only problem in this case was the fact I had already detailed and weathered the model. I wondered if it would be possible to preserve as much of this as I could, be careful masking. Carefully removing the body from the chassis, removing the cab side handrails and body side glazing, I figured I’d be able to mask the yellow ends without further dismantling. However, since I was repainting, I wanted to address one detail discrepancy on the Dapol body. They have represented a seal on the side windows Which the unrefurbished example certainly didn’t have, and not all of the refurbished ones received this modification. Careful work with a craft knife removed these without damage to the rest of the finish. I use Humbrol masking tape to protect the yellow ends and around the cabside windows. Precision ‘rail blue’ Was sprayed using an airbrush. I used a gloss lacquer where I needed to add the Fox N gauge decals which are specifically for the Scottish locomotives as they feature larger body side numbers. At this point, I masked the glazing individually before applying a satin lacquer across the whole body, tying the two paint finishes together. At this stage I was a little disappointed, the rail blue almost seemed to vibrant and without relief. I used a dirty black to pick out the roof cantrail grills (as above) and later the same shade on the body side grilles. This helped, and encouraged I moved onto weathering. My usual mix of Humbrol 98 and 33 were applied wet on wet to the roof and relief on the side. A wide flat brush moistened with thinners was used to remove much of this leaving a work stained finish (as below). Seeing the character of this distinctive Scottish locomotive emerge a second time was a great relief. The weathering really bringing out that personality we are all so familiar with from period photography (or maybe if you are lucky first hand experience). Whilst I share these photos with you today, there is just one stage of the finish I have not completed, adding the exhaust deposits to the centre of the roof. This project has only fanned the flame of my longing to create a larger N scale scenic layout, certainly with a Scottish flavour. Between times I have been busying myself in research again, enjoying photographs on printed page, the smell of an old book, the muscle memory in flicking pages, pausing on one favourite photograph and imagining being part of the scene before my eyes. In recent times I have settled upon the summer of 1984, to allow mixing 26s and 37/0 in blue and large logo, even an excuse to run oddballs like a class 27. When I started work in British N gauge I saw it as an excuse to play trains with out of the box, lightly modified and weathered stock in the colourful liveries I remembered from childhood. As things have evolved I’ve now taken to kit builds and full repaints. I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing, if anything it is a commitment and comfort with the scale. If you’ve not got space for the OO gauge layout you desire, or OO gauge feels too much of a scale compromise do consider N. Yes, it’s still narrower than scale but visually feels a good balance, especially when using the track from British Finescale. Until next time, more soon…

Keith, I do wonder if you have considered writing on a blog site rather than just on here - because I think people would enjoy finding your writing, and journey, and it’s a long form style that works well. Just an idea. Thank you for the kind words RE the books, third on the way shortly (in print as I type this)… but your quote made me think about my original intent… I think you’ve slightly misquoted me - because I think I’d also say that I totally see the draw of a trainset. I even bought another one this year… but the books subject is beyond that, that is all…. But thank you, because you made me think again about the book, the subject and my intention. Best of luck in the new place!

Thanks all - your kind words and reflections do help us to reflect on how rewarding the project has been. One polite request though, please can we not turn this thread into a wish list. Steve and I will choose a prototype we like, influenced by what information is available. Wish lists for industrials are often so varied, driven by personal favourites that we could never please everyone!

It has been several months since Stephen and I shared an update on Planet Industrials so let us bring things up to date and share our thoughts on the future... As a number of you noticed, we are now 'sold out' of Victory at Light Railway Stores, with the remaining stock now at Rails of Sheffield. They've done a great job of shifting these models - I believe they are down to just the last of the green examples so if you haven't got one yet, be quick! https://railsofsheffield.com/collections/planet-industrials A heartfelt thank you to each and everyone of you who has bought a Victory - it has been a pleasure to hear such warm words and praise from so many and we were honoured to achieve bronze in the British Railway Modelling Awards 'Steam Locomotive of the Year 2022'. We have learnt an incredible amount about creating and selling a ready to run model and whilst it would be a lie to say we have loved every minute we are certainly proud of what we have achieved and would do it all again. So to the future? Victory has been the first step on a journey but as a small part-time business, and just the two of us behind the scenes, we are cautious before committing to our next project. Busy personal lives and the financial health of the UK economy made us think twice before proceeding with our next model; we would only want to move forward in a sustainable way that doesn't put risk on you - our customers. As soon as we're ready to announce our next move, you will find it here! In the meantime a streamlined range of PI kits and parts will continue to be available through Light Railway Stores. James continues to operate his custom model making business, write modelling books and make videos. Stephen keeps the cogs turning behind the scenes at Light Railway Stores whilst balancing a busy 'day job' and family life. You will find us both out and about at exhibitions and preserved railways as often as we can - if you do see us, feel free to say hello!

For travellers arriving at Lochdubh heading for the isles there has always been a modal change. Even before the bridge the Highland coach loaded at the station before heading across to Skye on the ferry… Highland Scottish Omnibuses operated a variety of services to Portree and Inverness from Lochdubh. An empty looking Ford is parked on the ramp to the station whilst 26040 idles beyond, having drawn forwards from the mid morning arrival from Inverness, the second (rear) platform still being in use in the early 1980s. Lochdubh, my slice of the Scottish Highlands in British N scale is a wonderful muse. The layout is entirely scratch built but the bus (a BT Models example) is a ready to plant example simply repainted to suit its new setting (it still needs some ‘Highland’ decals and a destination board - perhaps a driver too) as is the wonderful Dapol Class 26. In our modern homes where space is at a premium can you think of a better way to enjoy your imagination in a small space? British N gives us accurate and characterful models of our memories - we just need to provide the model making to give them a home. Remember N isn’t about true scale as such, even fidelity. I’d say it’s mostly about neatness, if you can practice one thing, that is the key to realism, no gaps where there shouldn’t be, bricks aligned on corners, short static grass fibres, subdued cohesive colours. In short, the hi-fi micro could find a place in many of our homes, what is stopping you scratch that itch?

Before the smelter at Strathcarron closed the Lochdubh branch saw daily trains of the distinctive 2-axle hoppers from Blyth but today’s photo is a rare one for the train rarely ran as far as the terminus… 37418 is pictured here in the loop, quite a nice composition actually, it’s as if the crew set the photo up on purpose, my friend Andy is checking something in his notebook, kindly adding a human element whilst including the station name not only adds a nice framing to the right but also places us with no doubt at the ‘gateway to the Isles’. The model is a detailed and lowered Graham Farish model, the alumina hoppers from kits by Coventry Railworks. Posed on my HiFi-micro cameo ‘Lochdubh’ as featured in the March 2024 BRM magazine and also covered in more detail in my third book, due out. later this year. Until next time, more soon…

The history of the Lochdubh branch remains a little fluid at present but one of the long held ideas was not the clichéd whisky distillery, instead an aluminium smelter fuelled by a hydro power scheme... On the West Highland alumina imported at Blyth in the North East found its way to the smelter via train in a variety of wagon types - one of which were a rake of refurbished ex Whisky blues. These wagons were given pedestal suspension, revised top loading arrangements and airbrakes. Whilst the aging Peco wagon outwardly looks similar, it runs on a vacuum under frame. On the Lochdubh branch I would envisage a mixed rake of alumina hoppers, including these and some of the Procor replacements - more on that shortly. A few months ago I was approached by Will at Coventry Rail Works about giving him a hand promoting his a range of new N gauge wagons developed around his personal interest in the West Highland. Rather than a 'paid promotion' I offered to design the decals in return for a short rake of pre-production kits - and the results are shown here. The Peco wagons are still crisply moulded and Will's parts offer a direct replacement of the top moulding (with better roof walkways and 4 circular loading hatches in place of the longitudinal doors), chassis moulding and a new piece, under the frames representing the bottom of the hopper. On my examples I have removed the Peco moulded 'advertising' hoarding using a sharp blade and file. I have also fitted Mosskito 6.2mm diameter 3 hole disc wheels and DG couplings - which are a direct fit onto the Peco end inserts that poke through the under frame. I used Humbrol 25 for the blue which I think is a good match to the prototype and they have been fitted with the pre-production samples of the decals I designed. These are all from photos on Paul Bartlett's excellent website, so the numbers match the body and under frame style. The prototype weathered a little curiously, the framing seeming to be lighter than the panels between. I pre-shaded the primed models with a white spray to the framing. After the decals were sealed with lacquer I used my usual washes of Humbrol 98 and 33 to bring some depth and life to the finish. The most visible improvement to the un-initiated is the hopper door that plugs into two holes in the chassis - and theoretically could be offered as a spare part for retrofitting to existing Peco wagons, that are all deficient in this area! If you would like to purchase your own examples, the conversion kits (excluding the Peco donor model, DG couplings and Mosskito wheels used here) are available on eBay. Will has done a great job of these, his skill as a designer and manufacturer of kits shouldn't be any surprise as this is a side hustle to the day job of Beacon Models, specialising in small scale aviation models. I enjoyed collaborating here, and I hope we can work together again on the Procor hoppers in the coming months. In the meantime, I'm enjoying seeing this short rake on Lochdubh and day dreaming of the 'one day' project to build a larger scenic model of somewhere between the terminus and the Far North line at Dingwall.

I’d suggest that if you’re really heading down a path as simple and distilled as Paxton Road the location / prototype is somewhat irrelevant. General architecture and structure will set the period, keep things neat and simple and let the locomotive and stock tell the story. For a layout without turnouts, I find Paxton Road incredibly fulfilling, and still play with it most weeks. The Farish 08s are wonderful, I’ve got 5!

Keith, everyone of us is an artist, for an artist takes something and makes something that means something. I sincerely hope the books help, the first is more practical the second hopefully more thought provoking. The third, in hand, something else again. Best of luck, and enjoy the journey.

Lovely - a 121 will always feel at home on Traeth Hafren!

That is a mistake on the video - it’s not an operational layout as such, although it could be - my intention was to build some fiddle sticks that would fit on this, and an identically sized 009 cameo, but as yet these haven’t been built. As it stands, I didn’t cut through the backscene as I enjoyed it as a 3D picture more - it’s still for sale too…

Whilst today’s Class 158s on the Far North will surely be facing the same fate, it is the Class 26 that will always, for me, be the most sorely missed… The autumn of 1984 proved to be the last chance to catch Sulzer type 2 power on the Kyle branch with the commissioning of the RETB (Radio Electric Token Block) system and introduction of the Class 37. As a child at the time I was blissfully unaware of that loss, instead stuck in my library book time lag where the plucky BoBos plied the route with their short Mk1 coach trains. The Dapol N gauge model is a wonderful capture of the character of the prototype. A few errors, which I live with - the shade of blue being the worst offender! Sat on Lochdubh, today I have created my own time machine. As the tardis, bigger on the inside my little slice of Scotland proves time and again to be a wonderful tonic and balm to a busy and stressful world. Until next time, more soon…

Funny you mention that. I’ve got a cameo scheme drawn up for Cameron Bridge, and it would fit in about 1m in N, I think.

This week has seen a re-focus on the Speedlink story - and especially 'Scottish' flavoured traffic. As well as some N gauge Society tank wagons (which will become Molasses tank wagons, as used on the Menstrie branch) I sourced a couple of carbon dioxide 'Distillers' tank wagons (as used on the Cameron Bridge branch). These are from Shapeways and printed in their new high resolution clear material which seems ok, but no better than the old 'Frosted Ultra Detail' really - certainly I'm not sure it's worth the price over the tan material. I am looking forward to bringing these all to life - but alongside you can see more Scottish flavoured projects providing some framing to the scene! The Tullis Russell PAA was a fun project I've written about previously. On the right is one of a quartet of re-worked Peco grain hoppers with parts designed by Will at Coventry Railworks - I have road-tested these kits, and I hope he is able to release them soon as they're lovely things!

The childhood railway experiences of mine were two contrasts. The full fat bright colours of British Rail sectorisation on hand at Chester station with the desaturated black-and-white imagery found in books at the library… I have found myself expanding my model collection with less attention, perhaps intention to specific modelling projects. This ‘scope creep’ goes beyond existing layouts to dreams of new ones, attracted by images in books, videos on YouTube or snatches of long forgotten memories. A refocus brings what is important more clearly into sharp relief. This morning I put out a few of my Scottish models, enjoying their small form, the work of Chinese toolmakers and my hand in artful weathering. These feel welcome, calming, I feel at home amongst them. Lochdubh continues to delight, and whilst dreams of a larger exhibition style project based upon my imaginary branch line linger I continue to feel very much in love with this incredibly small slice of the Scottish Highlands. I opened with a reflection on ‘de-saturation’ in terms of experience of the prototype. I continued with the idea that through refocusing our modelling we can feel a lifting of the weight. The weight of expectation that all these items will one day require a layout! De-saturation if you like, space to breathe… Until next time, more soon…