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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
Sarum Road – Part 10
Or how I got a new set of legs without surgery… Legs, I like ‘em – apart from the ones I originally designed for Sarum Road (based on an upturned wine glass – now there’s a surprise). I was never happy with them and after two or three years of cogitation decided that aluminium angle …read more.
Jul 16, 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, 2020A Pagoda for Great Shefford
The latest to emerge from the South East Cornwall workshop ( which has been quite productive since summer ended and it has been raining for the last month ) is this 2mm scale “pagoda” for Richard Wilson’s Great Shefford project in 2mm scale. It has home-made corrugated aluminium sheeting over a plasticard shell. The roof …read more.
Jul 11, 2020
Sarum Road – Part 9 – The End?
The Bendy Legs I was never happy with the guttering nuts and bolts used on the legs and eventually found a supply of the binding screws used in bookbinding. For anyone not familiar with them, they consist of two items: a hollow stud, threaded internally and a threaded bolt, both with larger, round slotted ends. …read more.
Jul 9, 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
Narrow Gauge Baldwin OOn3 kit
I’ve always had a bit of an interest in narrow gauge as being different and some of the layouts I’ve seen over the years. In a rash moment a few years ago I bought a kit for a loco at a model railway exhibition and this describes the build. It’s not a super detailed model, …read more.
Jul 4, 2020
Sarum Road – Part 8 – Nearly There
Scenery II O the joy of it! Finally beginning to fill in the bare bits! I was going to use the sides of cardboard boxes for filling the bits of bare board between the cork underlay. I tried it out first with some scrim and Idenden (see below) and the water content (I think) of …read more.
Jul 2, 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
Sarum Road – Part 7 – Ballasting
Scenery at last! A bit of the third dimension comes to Sarum Road! But first the ballasting… Oh well… Ballast Ballasting. What is there new to be said about it? Lengthy, tedious and boring are the usual but I had one of my bright ideas to make it quick and easy! Simple. Neat. Easy. And …read more.
Jun 25, 2020
All that glistens is not gold
The dome and chimney on Yeo are rather poor painted affairs, as supplied by Heljan. However the chimney is a brass turning, so easily improved with a few strokes of a file and some polishing. However, the dome is not so easy to remedy. I therefore chopped it out of the boiler, using my milling …read more.
Jun 21, 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