Friday, February 14, 2025

As British as Bratwurst

 

R191

Another find for the Hornby Collectors Club series - R191 Coaling stage. 

As a kid, I actually built this kit. It probably cost a bit less than I paid for the second-hand, but looking complete, version. I doubt I worried too much about the prototype accuracy, just being glad to build a plastic kit for my train set. 

Let's be honest, this looks nothing like a UK coaling stage. The little crane (quite a nice set of mouldings) and timber framed brick base says Tyrolean to me, but then I'm no student of German architecture. The smoke deflectors poking into the side of the photo give the game away a bit too.

Does this matter? Well, for my purposes, no. What I'm doing is transporting readers back to a time when Hornby fobbed customers off with random German kits that didn't have any basis in Blighty. Not that this would have worried young Phil much.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Turtles (not tin ones) in March Garden Rail

Garden Rail March 2025
 

Garden lines have to contend with a lot, but as the name suggests, The Turtle Creek Line has a few unique challenges. Rabbits, horses, giant tortoises, and of course, an Australian Snake-necked turtle, are all part of the scenery for this G scale line.

We take a look at Archangel's first coal fired steamer, 'Jack' and renovate a Locobox 'Isabel' steam loco.

On the workbench, we build an electric Harrods delivery van, and take you step-by-step through designing your first wagon for 3D printing. If you fancy some heavyweight building, our team reviews Model Engineer's Laser kit for a Talyllyn flat wagon.

Finally, we include a FREE showguide for the Midlands Garden Rail show.

All this and more, including all the latest product news, in the March issue of Garden Rail

Garden Rail is available from all good newsagents, and online: www.world-of-railways.co.uk

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Warehouse Wednesday: Kyle of Lochalsh station in 2008

Kyle of Lochalsh station

A trio of photos from my visit to the famous Scottish station back in 2008. The top view replicates the classic photos that we've all seen with sidings where that big pile of wood is.

Kyle of Lochalsh station

The sidings were where I'm standing to take the photo.

Kyle of Lochalsh station

In the blue diesel days, this would have been a Class 26 on a couple of coaches.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Weid resin reaction

 

I need a spare locomotive for the NG7 layout, and in the cabinet, I have this model, built from a Smallbrook studio kit many years ago. A quick wheelclean and lubrication, and she's good to go. 

But, the tank sides both exhibit a weird bubbling under the paint. 

Does anyone have any idea why? The rest of the model is fine. If I've followed my normal practise, the resin body will have been primed with Halfords primer, then the the top coat is enamel. 

For the moment, I'm going to pretend it's a clever weathering technique.


Monday, February 10, 2025

7mm Narrow Gauge Association book haul

 

It's no good. I can't resist a second-hand stall. At the 7mm NG event, I was good enough not to aquire more projects, but the book box called to me. Well, it's for a good cause. 

Anyway, I skip the big fat hardbacks generally. Either I've already got a copy, or can't justify getting rid of something already in the library to free up space. More to the point, you see the big books all the time. Little pamphlets though - they tend to come and go, never to be seen again. 

And these were cheap, mostly 50p each. Bargain!

A quick list: 

Shire Album 167 - Steamboats. A nice potted history of the steamboat, with some interesting pictures including a few Puffers. Lots of river launches, a type of boat I always think looks so elegant. My dad built one years ago, and in the stash, are bits for at least one more. 

The Groudle Glen Railway, Its history and restoration. From 1993 I think, I already have a copy somewhere, and it has been superseeded by the much fuller, hardback history, but a spare copy is always handy. 

Amberley Chalk Pits Museum guide and stock list. A first edition from 1987 no less - and it's got a picture of "Polar Bear" on the front cover, so of course I was going to buy it. While the text shows its typewriter origins, the photos inside are nicely reproduced, and cover just my sort of prototypes. 

Climax Patent Geared Locomotive reproduction catalogue "L". Interesting stuff with lots of geared loco pictures, including versions with an all-over cab I've not seen before. 

Vale of Rheidol Railway guide. I don't know why, but I keep aquiring VoR stuff. Anything with big narrow gauge steam locos in matt BR blue appeals to me. It's many years since I visited, time to go back I think. 

On the Trail of the Titfield Thunderbot by Simon Castens. This pamphlet, published in 2000, has long been replaced by the authors superb hardback book on the subject, but there are some interesting pictures, and it's a far more potted history, and very handy. I'm not saying I have a project in my head, but if I did, this would be what I'd take to shows. 

The Wainwright P Tanks by Klaus Marx. I've just bought a P Class, and have a couple of kit built versions as well, and this book has some interesting photos. Even if I ignore the locos, the backgrounds are facinating. The only questions, is do I have this already? 

Glyn Valley Goods 16mm scale drawings by Vernard Rockett. Another that I might have somewhere, but as it's a superb collection of drawings, I wasn't going to take the risk. 

Train Shed Cyclopedia No.9. War and Standard Locomotives and cars (1919). This one isn't for me, I'll be passing it on to my make Chris "Overlord" Mead as he's into this wartime stuff. Probably a bit early for him, but I know he'll enjoy it, or know someone who will. Chock full of plans and photos, so a useful resource. 

Transport Age 20. Published in 1962, this is an internal publication from the days when railways looked to the future with optimism. Full of stuff most people don't care about, such as an article on the telephone and teleprinter services the railwasy used, and transit for the Woolworth empire in the UK. Lovely picture on the cover too. 

Is this all rubbish? Is it just me who can't resist the leaflet boxes?