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A Shay in 1:160 scale
Tom Knapp writes from Hawaii: I’ve just completed construction of an interesting 1:160 narrow gauge locomotive kit from Showcase Miniatures. It is designed to run on 6.5mm gauge track, simulating 3-foot narrow gauge. The model is West Side Lumber Company’s three-truck Shay No. 12. West Side Lumber Company (and its predecessor the West Side Flume …read more.
Sep 18, 2021
Would you like ice with it?
Bert and the horses have a quick nap and food break, whilst Will, the lad, has headed off to find where exactly the next ice delivery is to be made, on Copenhagen Fields Quite amazing to consider that the horses, wagon, driver & street lamp top were all 3D printed. Mike has recently designed and printed …read more.
Aug 28, 2021
Five Go To “Bembridge” – Replay
David Woodcock, one of the original five, tells the story behind the pioneering Protofour model railway layout “Bembridge” which was built at Keen House and which was first exhibited at the Club’s Central Hall Easter show exactly fifty years ago. Recorded 13/5/21.
Aug 25, 2021
Etched Canopies for Copenhagen Fields
The latest development is some etches for the canopy to go across the end of the goods sheds. These made up very well and are quite remarkably rigid, considering the fineness of the etches. The canopy has had six legs made for it, which will be magnetically retained on the layout, as I suspect this …read more.
Aug 18, 2021
Copenhagen Fields – a summer retreat for some detail work
After fairly frenetic activity over the last few months I did a bit of grotty modelling in the camper van in Cornwall. The hut under the arch really was a grade 1 bodge! It really shows off the clean lines of Jim’s steps and Matthew‘s signal box. There are a whole load of point rodding covers to place around …read more.
Aug 6, 2021
Raising a road, and lowering a roof
This was the state of play with the KX goods sheds up until two weeks ago. However, I have been in correspondence with Malcolm Tucker, who knows a great deal about the KX Goods Yards. A little bit of knowledge can be a bad thing for some, i.e. me, and one of the comments he made was that the …read more.
Jun 18, 2021
Making Use of a Garden
Introduction For a number of years, I have contemplated building a railway in my back garden so that I could run by small collection of Gauge 1 and G scale models. I undertook a lot of planning work on the CAD programme on my computer. Some of the ideas were unnecessarily complicated, but I eventually …read more.
May 18, 2021
Casting Columns for a Copenhagen Fields canopy
The Handyside cast iron columns for the cart road canopy at the new potato market were originally 3D printed by Tom Everitt. These were then used as patterns for CoCr castings – that is the particularly tough alloy that partial dentures and artificial hips are made of. Locating them was going to be a bit …read more.
May 3, 2021
Potato Market – cart road canopies for Copenhagen Fields
The Potato Market cart road canopies in the KX Goods Yard have been progressing, albeit a little slowly. The frontage is quite tricky in the way it interacts with the warehouse behind. Nothing is simple on Copenhagen Fields A jig has been invaluable for assembling the roof, which consists of a remarkably complex set of …read more.
Apr 9, 2021
Ingatestone presents – playbacks from our recent Layout Focus evening
In February, the team building our OO gauge model of Ingatestone Station hosted a Zoom meeting to show the wider membership what they have been up to. Here are a series of videos from the evening. If you would like to get involved, you can Join Us today, sign up to our newsletter at the …read more.
Apr 5, 2021
Rydes Vale – the rewiring concludes
I have been busy under the boards of the Rydes Vale. After removing all the lineside accessories to protect them from damage and also allow easier access I have turned to the wiring. I have removed all the old wiring and am currently installing tag strips in place of the brass screws used as solder …read more.
Apr 2, 2021
DCC installation – 4mm scale Heljan Class 15
I have been DCC fitting one of the Heljan class 15s that arrived to-day and that I had ordered for our late 1960s period Orchard Wharf, locomotive D8242, as depicted in real life here and here. Photographs of the finished article can be seen above and here: I have made some modifications to the …read more.
Mar 28, 2021