Howard Smith
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Posts posted by Howard Smith
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On 20/03/2019 at 13:41, RedgateModels said:
I have an article with BRM waiting for publication with this very conversion done to a 21 pin Bachmann class 37, also switchable and directional cab lighting too!
@Howard Smith might be able to give an idea of when it will surface?
That'll be the September issue...
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10 minutes ago, stonetown said:
Do I see prototypical coal railings for Rolvenden? Nice!
Yes, both models are very well observed and a credit to Hornby.
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NEWS: Hornby 'Terrier' First look
A new model, symbolic with a turning point in Hornby's direction. Does it match the TV hype? Howard Smith finds out...
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Pete - fantastic work, keep the updates coming, following with interest...
H
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Some great ideas here - please keep them coming! Best suggestion wins a selection of useful diorama goodies from the cupboard for your next project, which'll hopefully be located in a Billy bookcase.
Howard
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On 06/03/2019 at 13:21, John M Upton said:
By curious coincidence my Mother the other day dropped off some boxes of model railway bits and bobs that I had left behind some twenty years ago now.
Amongst the wreckage most of which was quickly Ebayed as spares or repairs was one of those Playcraft open wagons.
I think I might see what I can do with it having seen the article!
John - excellent. Please share your transformations - perhaps you could send me a PM with a few images of the finished model?
Howard
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On 03/03/2019 at 11:56, NickBrad said:
I'm really keen to see this progress, not being a fan of steam, the other projects hold little appeal. Hopefully this hasn't been shelved now the car is presumably finished.
Hi Nick, the car has been a mamoth undertaking - a full nut and bolt restoration. Didn't want to do half a job. I'm in the final throws of completing it and it's now booked in at the trimmers (always a good sign). I'll be back on the 47 soon! This was before the bodyshell went back down... a lot of work to get it exactly as it left the factory...
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On 01/03/2019 at 20:41, Cornholio said:
As Jason has correctly summised above, I was suggesting that the entry question for this competition is a bit of a cock-up.
The question as written is:
Q. In which year was Hornby Hobbies Ltd. founded?
The factually correct answer to this question is 17 October 1986.
That isn't one of the multiple choice options though, suggesting that whoever set the question either relied upon Wikipedia for their research or meant to ask a different question.
1986 is the date the company was floated on the stock market, hence isn't in the list of options...
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2 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:
Definitely tempted - a logical next step from stand-alone kits via a cakebox towards a full layout.
Is there a deadline for ideas?
Is this developing into a challenge in its own right? (ie: with an end deadline too - I'm not worried about trying to win anything, but am finding the cakebox deadline helpful, though I might regret saying that at the end of this month)
March 15 for a chance to get a slot in the May issue...
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So.... who's tempted to build a bookcase layout? What would you build in a 76cm x 26cm footprint? Perhaps some of you are brave enough to sketch a rough plan of your proposed layout for the May issue of BRM? Share your thoughts below...
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2 hours ago, Cornholio said:
The real question is, who has the correct answer, Companies House or Wikipedia?
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02065081
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornby_Railways
;-)
Andrew
Would it depend on when filing records became electronic?
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20 hours ago, spamcan61 said:
Still taken out a sub. to BRM mind you, having recently returned to this toy train lark and bought a few of each mainstream title.
Glad to hear it and welcome onboard. Would you consider writing a few words on what got you back into the hobby, why BRM and what your projects are/might be, please? A PM or email to howards@warnersgroup.co.uk would be appreciated. Feel free to attach a few photographs of your projects, too.
Best,
Howard
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20 hours ago, spamcan61 said:
I get that every single time with those 'bitly' links, irrespective of Browser, OS or hardware I'm using. Jolly confusing and I don't understand their purpose. Still taken out a sub. to BRM mind you, having recently returned to this toy train lark and bought a few of each mainstream title.
Here's a link to the competition. The purpose of a branded url like those we use with BRM are to make it easier to type into your browser... brmm.ag/Competition is easier than https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/brm/competitions/win-big-this-month-with-brm
It's great when it works, (which it does, most of the time) but it's prone to throwing a wobbler if lowercase/uppercase isn't respected. We generate the links as the magazine is put together, then try to check all links before it goes to press... the odd one might slip through, however...
Howard
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17 hours ago, RedgateModels said:
Last night I tested out the ability of the new bedroom TV to receive "cast" video from my phone, worked great, opened vid in Youtube then cast to the TV. Sound seemed a bit quiet and muffled in places, not sure if it was the casting or an issue with the original recording. I kept wanting to shout "speak up Howard!"
Yes, the volume can be 'up and down' at times - something I regularly raise with the guys...
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And in this episode of BRM TV...
- 'Wickwar' - an N gauge layout from this issue of the magazine.
- Waltham Wharf - a 16mm gauge layout, also from this issue.
- Behind the scenes at Great Eastern Models' DCC demonstration day.
- EXTRAS: A look at live locomotives in action at the London Model Engineering Show.
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Welcome readers of RMweb to the Spring issue of BRM - on sale from midnight today as a digital edition or available to pick up in stores from February 28. Packed with extra content in the digital edition, this issue is sure to please fans of standard gauge, narrow gauge, modern image and steam traction. Get yours from www.pocketmags.com/BRM
EXCLUSIVE TO THE DIGITAL EDITION
- Free issue of Narrow Gauge World magazine (March-April 2019)
- 38 extra layout images
- 83 minutes of quality video on model railways and practical modelling projects
FOUR GREAT MODEL RAILWAYS
- Wickwar (N). Researching in great detail this former station on the main line from Bristol to Birmingham led to this magnificent creation by Farnham and District Model Railway Club.
- Ealing Road (OO). The team captain of ‘Missenden Modellers’ from Channel 5’s Great Model Railway Challenge, recalls the efforts made during the filming of the programme.
- Heybridge Wharf (3mmFS). If you've an interest in light railways, you'll love this tribute to the lines skirting the coast of East Anglia.
- Waltham Wharf (16mm). What happens when you model in a large scale, but haven't the space? Steve Bell found a solution in this ultra-compact layout.
BRM
- How to create a Spring scene. Modelling the seasons is made easier with these simple techniques, starting with Spring - it's the Spring issue of BRM, after all...
- The Billy Bookcase Layouts: Part 1. Our new series of project layouts is introduced. Their commonality? They all reside in a bookcase!
- How to upcycle your wagons. Looking to upgrade your old RTR wagons and given them a new lease of life? We show you how...
- How to model... Heckington Station Building. This Prototype Models card kit available from Freestone Model Accessories is a great way to progress your modelling techniques.
- 3D-print at home. Part two of Phil's adventures in 3D printing concludes with a selection of useful modelling projects.
PLUS...
- Layout Planning: Machynlleth DMU Depot. Why settle for a standard MPD when you can stand out from the crowd? Plan and 3D illustration inside...
- Prototype Inspiration: Colas Class 67s. Looking for formations to run behind Hornby's latest livery on its Class 67? We have a few ideas...
- Show Preview: London Festival of Railway Modelling - we highlight our favourite layouts to appear at this year's show on March 23 and 24.
- Tail Lamp: Bachmann's David Haarhaus seeks industry-wide collaboration to increase new entrants to our hobby.
PRODUCTS
- New Products
- BMRA Results
- New Books
- Review: Heljan O gauge 43XX
Get yours from www.pocketmags.com/BRM Happy reading, watching and commenting below!
Howard
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20 hours ago, ruggedpeak said:
At the risk of not moaning I really like this month's issue - lots of good articles to read across a wider range of topic areas than normal. Prototype inspiration is a good addition. Keep it going, 154 pages is about right.
Thanks for the good feedback - trying to give a little something for everyone and (spoiler alert) if you're in to prototype articles, sit tight, there's a new series coming soon which is looking really good (but then I would say that...)
H
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On 10/02/2019 at 10:52, Hroth said:
I was browsing through back issues of BRM when I came across the October 2016 issue...
Headline Snap!
(Eco-friendly recycling, I suppose...)
Ahhh - well, please forgive me on that occasion! It was a few years ago and there are many headlines to remember. You have a good memory, though.
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On 09/02/2019 at 20:48, Penlan said:
I'm sure I will be proven wrong, but...
The free kit available via Newsagents of a couple of Terraced houses, and has within the magazine a recommendation on how to add variety to them.
One item as supplied is the (left hand) chimney as shown in the attached photo.
I believe this to be wrong. The chimney should be the outlet for the fire in the front room and presumably the kitchen stove/range etc., at the back of the house, and the first floor bedrooms. The chimney in a position as supplied would be for something behind the front door where the hall and staircase up to the first floor are, no fireplaces on that wall.
The chimney twixt the brick and stone fronted house is in the 'correct' position. Further.....
It would also have been useful if the window/door fret had included sash windows,
as I believe the style shown, top hung, are relatively modern.
And perhaps on the back of the brickwork, there could have been an outline to allow the occasional small window above the front door to be added, and a lintel overlay onto the brickwork, but, the fret is, what it is.
That's why the image says 'Chimney supplied in the middle on this prototype kit' so readers know it's an early prototype of the kit and not the one supplied.
Windows/doors and fascias for that matter can be altered easily with a bit of 'modelling', as Phil has demonstrated.
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On 04/04/2018 at 20:21, polybear said:
I've now located a copy of the 2006 edition, but was there a 2014 edition? They never appear on Ebay, and a Google search finds no results......
2014 didn't have an annual - we produced The BRM Guide to Trackplans and Layout Design Vol. 1 instead. It would return again the following year for the last time, before we produced more bookazines.
Post-2013 bookazines and specials can be found here
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The benefits of subscription are guaranteed availability of the magazine through your door, a lower overall price which is guaranteed at a time when paper prices are increasing, dicounted tickets to any three of our shows, a copy of BRM TV each month and very often (certainly as long as I've been on the mag) a free gift which you receive when the subscription is taken out.
Our current subscription deals offer great value for money - perhaps we'll see some of you at our Doncaster show this weekend? A special offer awaits...
Howard
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Here's what you can expect on the March 2019 episode of BRM TV, exclusive to BRM digital or print subscribers:
Experience what it would have been like lineside at Little Bytham in 1958. In the studio, Phil Parker assembles an etched-brass telephone box, whilst Howard Smith chats with DCCconcepts' Richard Brighton before installing its new working point-rodding system to our project layout.
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28 minutes ago, Daniel W said:
Picked up a copy yesterday but not had the chance to read it yet, looks like an interesting issue though. I believe there was some mention in 'Wright Writes' of the Little Bytham film being put on the Youtube channel at some point, is this still planned?
Hi Daniel,
The content of BRMTV is exclusive to BRM subscribers and is one of the benefits of subscribing to the magazine, via print or digital. It won't be set live on Youtube free of charge by us.
Howard
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Just looking at the list of contents you have added for your excellent magazine - it looks like this month's theme is goods wagons?
Sam
Hi Sam,
Yes, largely influenced by Jubilee Road Wagon Works. Readers will find a cracking trackplan and artists' impression of a completed wagon repair centre, based on Langwith inside goods wagon, courtesy of an Ian Wilson/Stephen Rabone collaboration, whilst Michael Russell builds an MXA 'Lobster' from a Bachmann BDA. It's a 'loose' theme however, at the risk of putting off non-wagon aficionados, so not every feature is all about wagons! Worry not, if express locomotives are your thing, Little Bytham should please, if it's diesel locomotives, Wormhill is a worthy read and if it's smaller narrow gauge rolling stock that floats your boat, Campbell's Quarry with its working rustic dragline and excavator is firm favourite with exhibition punters.
Happy reading,
H
APRIL 2019 BRM
in BRM Magazine
Posted
Welcome RMwebbers to the April 2019 issue of BRM, now available from www.pocketmags.com/BRM as a digital edition with bonus features, or in stores from March 28.
Inside, you'll find a tempting selection of articles and projects to give you ideas, modelling inspiration and perhaps even encouragement for your next modelling project.
On this episode of BRM TV:
Layout: Byway MPD (OO). A DCC layout controlled by cutting-edge technology.
Practical BRM: Add weight to your rolling stock to improve running
Practical BRM: An introduction to basic soldering techniques
Plus: Watch our layout of the month 'Stoke Courtenay' in action
IN THIS ISSUE
Layouts
- STOKE COURTENAY (OO): The time clocks are wound back to the 1930s for this tour of John Condon's OO gauge GWR masterpiece.
- TODMORDEN MIDLAND (N): A clever interpretation of the landscape and architecture of this former milltown, supported by a 'what might have been' storyline.
- STOKE BY NAYLAND (P4): Previous design, operation and reliability issues were ironed out in this eastern region-themed exhibition-tourer, set in Suffolk.
FIRST (009) Stephen Clulow’s aptly-named narrow gauge modelling debut is a three-dimensional canvas, portraying a now forgotten, slower-paced way of life.
Practical BRM
- ENHANCE AN RTR LOCOMOTIVE: Struggling to differentiate your RTR locomotive from the crowd? Michael Russell shares tips to improve your fleet.
- OPTIMISE YOUR DIGITAL LAYOUT EXPERIENCE: How computer control can make the operation of your DCC layout easier.
- MODEL A DECIDUOUS TREE: Michael Russell experiments with military modelling techniques to make highly-detailed deciduous trees.
- THE BILLY BOOKCASE LAYOUTS: PART 2: Do you need a baseboard for your next modelling project? Here’s a selection of options for you to consider.
Products, features and reviews
THE BRM GUIDE TO: COLOUR LIGHT SIGNALS: Many companies offer a range of colour light signals. Simon Bendall distils the facts on each to make your choice easier.
BRM MEETS: DIGITRAINS We sent Phil Parker to DCC specialist, Digitrains, for a crash course at learning the technology.
GOODS INWARDS: Four pages of all the latest models, kits and accessories to arrive for your model railway.
REVIEW: GRAHAM FARISH WESTERN PULLMAN: Andy York examines this latest release with re-tooled ends from the N gauge manufacturer.
PROTOTYPE INSPIRATION: CLASS 251 'PULLMANS': Stephen Rabone charters the rise and fall of BR's mid-century flagship diesel multiple unit passenger train.
REVIEW: ACCURASCALE HUO HOPPER: After critical acclaim in OO gauge, this versatile model is now available in O gauge. How does it look?
NEW BOOKS: For facts, photographs or research, here are the latest...
TAIL LAMP: NEIL MORRLLE: Dapol's Marketing Manager on the importance of home-grown manufacturing in the British model railway market.
Available from www.pocketmags.com/BRM as a digital edition with bonus features, or in stores from March 28.
Enjoy the issue,
Howard