Bournville 2026

Last Saturday, I needed a day out. A day out by train. Handily, I promised Andy Christie some time ago, that I'd pay a visit to his show in Bournville. 

The event, as I understand it, is to raise funds to cosmetically restore a Cadbury locomotive, so we were in a church, in the shadow of the famous chocolate works.  

And a very enjoyable show it was too. There were several layouts on my photo list (past, present and future) plus others I just enjoyed. 

Smallwood from the Reditch club is grimy blue diesel territory. There's some nice modelling, especially this shopping centre, complete with nostalgic brands. I have a feeling this might be a future shoot. Lots of angles for a variety of pictures. 

I can't find the name of this layout, but it's French narrow gauge, so by rights, I shouldn't have liked it as much as I do. Some nice atmospheric modelling on show. Apparently it's been around a long while, but this is the first time I've spotted it. 

Todmorden is known to me, and still looks great. I wish the depth of field my phone offers could do justice to this shot. 

 

I've talked to the owner of the Barrel before, and it was originally to be an Andy shoot. Obviously, I'm going to get the chance to have a go in the future with a bit of luck, and I think it will be an interesting challenge. 

How about this? A 1:12 scale carriage, complete with scenery passing by the windows. This is the work of Esha Bijutkar, an incredibly talented young artist. Check her out on Instagram. 

Finally, there was a temporary G gauge railway, with live steam locos running. The church has great faith in the loco owners, as the line was laid directly on the parquet floor!

And cake, of course. 

Victoria sponge or tiny scone? I think both...

All this, plus plenty of good chats, including a couple with people who knew him, about my Dad. 

Best of all, there was a train ride, and a stroll through Bournville, which is fascinating. Just the day out I needed.  

Saturday Film Club: Shock Closure! The UK Model Shop Directory Closes its Doors

Last week, the model railway world was shocked to discover UK Modelshops website had closed down. In this interview, Adrian Hall explains what has happened. 

There is a valuable lesson here. So many hobby websites rely on a single person to operate them. Often, it's a thankless job as disgruntled users will let you know how unhappy they are, without once contributing to keeping the service going. Even Facebook groups suffer this way, with people unable to understand that the moderators aren't offering a 24/7/365 service, for no money. 

Adrian devoted huge chunks of his life to keeping the very useful (I'll certainly miss it) service going. I got to know him while running MREmag, another unpaid (for most of the time) occupation. 

This is relevant, because I, and before me, Andy, find myself defending RMweb becoming a commercial entity. Truth is, Andy sold the forum to Warners because otherwise it would also have disappeared. Costs were rising dramatically, and the work to keep the doors open was more than a spare-time person could handle. 

So, if you use any hobby website maintained by volunteers,  be nice to them. If they say they need donations to keep it running, donate. And please don't give them grief. They are giving up their hobby time to entertain you. 

Off to Doncaster

 
I'm off to sunny Donny today, for The Festival of British Railway Modelling. 

I'll be loitering on the World of Railways stand most of the time, with a few old projects on a table to talk about. 

Please drop in for a chat. If you want to say something nice about my Dad, then that's lovely, but not too much. While I'm not china, and handling it very well (I think), I'm there to talk about model railways and making things. 

And that is what I like to do. 

Looking forward to seeing you at the show! 

Brian Parker - RIP

 

On Wednesday night, my dad, Brian Parker, passed away peacefully. 

It's very difficult to know what to write in this blog post. He was my father, friend, helper and the person, who more than anyone else, made me who I am today (well, it had to be someone's fault). 

Some of my earliest memories are of him building a balsa and tissue aeroplane. He would also help me with my more complicated Lego - there is a photo somewhere of him putting together an oil rig I'd received for Christmas. 

Dad supplied me with my first train - a Tri-ang 3F he'd repainted into maroon with a golden dome. He didn't think I'd like a plain black engine! Sadly, in a fit of realism, I repainted it black again years later. 

I'd always been a kid who enjoyed making things, and one day, he presented me with a bag of balswood offcuts, a knife, and some glue. And that was it, I was allowed to get on with it, hacking away at the wood. The idea was that I would learn about sharp knives, and to be fair, I still have a full complement of fingers.

There were also many plastic kits from his stash that I was allowed to build, not always brilliantly, but I learned a lot in the process. Some of those have become collectables, but this didn't bother him. I was taught that plastic kits were for building. 

Dad had an interest in aircraft, and assisted at the local air cadets. Somehow, this involved us in visiting an air museum, where I saw a Sunderland Flying Boat. I was smitten by this, and so a few months later, I came downstairs to find he had assembled and painted an Airfix model. Sadly, this didn't survive, but I still have a couple of figures from it. I've promised myself that I will one day build another, and include these people in it. 

Years later, he accompanied me to the Leamington & Warwick MRS every Thursday evening. Trains were my thing, but he was happy to come along and help out. On our first night, he saw track being made using SMP parts. "I'll never be able to do that.", he said. Three layouts later, he seemed to have the hang of it. 

Of course, we exhibited layouts together for many years. Dad never learned to drive, so this side fell to me, but he was always happy with his supporting role. I made the rolling stock, he, the buildings and boats. We trekked up and down the country with Melbridge, Flockburgh and Hellingly and really enjoyed ourselves.

We also visited a lot of shows. Much of this was by train, and we enjoyed many lovely days out. 

Back at the L&WMRS, he took on organising the annual show for several years, successful events that helped boost club funds, leading to the success the club undoubtedly is now - something Brian was always very proud of.  

There is so much I should write, and maybe I'll continue with a few stories in the future, but right now, I'm not in the best place to put together a complete history. 

Suffice to say, I'm going to miss my Dad. Of course, like any good modeller, he has bequeathed a pile of unbuilt kits, and half finished project to add to my own collection.  

Thanks for everything Dad. 

Note: There will be a brief hiatus in blogging for a few days.

Time for a new loco cradle

 

I think it's really time to deposit this Peco loco cradle in the bin. It's performed admirably for many years, but the foam has really lost its spring. 

To be fair, I bought a replacement some time ago, and this has just been kicking around on a shelf and gradually degrading. The foam has gone brittle, and bits keep falling off. As you can see, it's more pancake than U-shape. It just goes to show that some things simply fall apart over time. 

And before someone shouts "inbuilt obselecance" - I think that well over a decade (possibly two) of use isn't bad for a foam cradle. I know, in the old days, we had cradles made from granite...