The Club builds and operates layouts in a variety of scales.
York Road – Comparing the model against the mock up and the original
This update starts off with some great images from the LT Museum archive, provided to us by Doug Rose. This next sequence shows the original mock and the model nearing completion from various angles And this is a view the public will get. Dried up algae-containing puddles have been added to the roof. A …read more.
Oct 24, 2020
York Road – the story continues (pt 2)
Following on from the initial post, here are a series of progress updates: The York Road tube frontages are now complete and awaiting detailed painting. The addition of a coat of primer really brings out the various details and motifs, especially the 3D printed dentil courses and window surrounds from Richard. It’s interesting how a …read more.
Oct 18, 2020
Ingatestone resumes modelling at Keen House
Both Ingatestone 00 and Putnam HO have resumed modelling at Keen House from the end of August. Many members have been involved in making Keen House COVID safe and we now have reopening of the club on Thursdays for members from early Aug. There are many members to thank for their efforts here. We had …read more.
Sep 14, 2020
Stayin’ Alive
A closer look at improving running reliability in DCC using capacitors A long-standing irritation in railway modelling is the tendency of powered model rail vehicles to stall owing to a momentary loss of electrical contact between wheel and rail. This is annoying in any circumstances, but is particularly problematic for sound fitted locomotives, exhibition layouts …read more.
Sep 5, 2020
A Freightliner for Minories
Freightliners were a regular feature on the section of railway I overlooked as a child, running down off the WCML through Primrose Hill and Camden Road. The Hornby model is clearly very dated: and I could never quite convince myself to buy the Colin Craig etched kits that I have jealously watched on other layouts, …read more.
Aug 6, 2020
Bow Junction – July 2020 Update
We have managed to make some progress on Bow Junction during the lockdown. Here is a photo of the Foundry board and the mainline behind it. We are now fixing the track connection to the Foundry. Progress is also being made in connection with rolling stock. As you can see there are about 25 wagons displayed with …read more.
Jul 26, 2020
York Road – Underground modelling 35 years on
I recently retrieved the cardboard placeholder model of York Road tube station from Keen House, prior to going on holiday in Cornwall. This has enabled me to make a good start on the definitive building. Unbelievably it is approximately 35 years since I made the original Caledonian Road station. I always like to use a …read more.
Jul 25, 2020
Class 20 conversion to EM – with Gibson wheels
In the latest of the blogs on straight forward conversions of OO to EM gauge, this is a conversion of a Class 20 using the Alan Gibson pack of wheels and new axles -available direct or via the EM Gauge Society. The conversion pack is suitable for the Bachmann Class 20 & 25 and the …read more.
Jul 12, 2020
Bow Junction in Lockdown
Along with everyone else, when lockdown was announced we simply stopped meetings at Keen House, and the layouts were left as they were. For Bow Junction, that meant set up in our lower hall, with the track making good progress as shown here: And here’s the work on the trackwork into the shed And that …read more.
Jul 5, 2020
Regauging a Replica chassis to EM
The Replica Railways powered chassis is a good product, that makes building EMU and DMU kits much easier, with a good motor and drive system picking up from and powering all 8 wheels. It could be used for example on the MLV and Class 455 projects Chris has described. It come as three options, with …read more.
Jun 27, 2020
Minories Fiddle Yard Control Panel
Every layout needs a control panel – well all of mine do because I haven’t progressed from DC control as I find traditional DC control still works perfectly well and I’m not too bothered about lights and loco sound. The extension of the fiddle yard on Minories meant a new fiddle yard control panel …read more.
Jun 20, 2020
Track Building – Part 2
In Part 1, I outlined the plan to build new track and points in EM gauge for Minories for the expanded fiddle yard. Here’s how it went, starting off with how it ended up – the full sized layout up in the library at Keen House. Most of this track building work took place in …read more.
May 31, 2020