Doncaster 2019

Another Vlog - but this one's a bit longer and a little more polished because I made it for work. If you are signed up for the BRM Express newsletter, you'd have seen it a couple of days ago. Don't miss out, sign up now!

Anyway, lots of exciting footage behind the scenes at last weekends show.

Saturday Film Club: Boats, trains and firefighting in the Morris Gazette

Hat tip to Tim Dunn for highlighting this amazing film from the internalMorris engines film unit. 

We kick off with a couple of beautiful speedboats destined for export. Then an engineer who has converted an old Morris bullnose car into a locomotive. Then on to fire fighting with loads of industrial building shot. Next, a tiny shunting tractor operating in a wood yard. We finish with a welding barge in a dockyard. 

19 minutes well spent, I'll even put up with the adverts in the middle (you can click through these after 5 seconds) for saving and bringing this fascinating film to us.

Hanging on to old rolling stock

Last week, Chris Ford suggested that I'd never find a use for my O gauge rolling stock that had once worked Clayhanger Yard - and that I ought to follow him and de-clutter by disposing of some of it.

He's wrong. You see the stock wasn't built for Clayhanger, it was built because I like building little engines, and I really like building little engines in O gauge. In fact, I really like building O gauge models.

On this basis, I'm convinced that there is another O gauge layout in my future. Since I only like building the sort of layouts that are home to diminutive locos, then there is a very strong possibility that this is the type of model I'll be building. I really can't see myself going for anything involving big locos.

However, in my cupboard, I do have quite a bit of stock for our layout Melbridge Town. The one we never finished because both my Dad and I got bored building it.

All of this was designed for a secondary mainline. There are big(ish) locomotives and even some bogie coaches including a twin-art set. What should I do with these?

I certainly can't see me building anything that could make use of them. I learnt a lesson with this layout, no big roundy-roundys for me. To be honest, I'm not even that fussed watching the things at a show, regular readers will have spotted that I'm normally to be found at the smaller and more interesting area of any event, pouring over a model small enough for the back seat of a car.

Heck, as Mr Ford was writing, I was standing behind his old layout The Art of Compromise and singing the praises of modest layout modelling.

The trouble is, what do I do with the stock? Much of it is detailed RTR from the 1990s. No-one wants this stuff now, they have newer and shinier boxes of more detailed models.

Take my Class 24 above. Converted from a Hornby Class 25 and fitted with Ultrascale wheels, it was OK for its day, but you can now buy better RTR. The reasons I care about this model are nothing to do with prototype fidelity, and everything to do with having several hours of my life invested in it.

So, I do have many models with no real purpose. I suppose I should just chuck them in the bin and declutter, but I'm stupidly attached to them.

The Springfield Line in the March Garden Rail

It's a real joy for any editor to receive an article with so many superb photos that it's a case of grudgingly having to leave some out rather than losing the out of focus or badly exposed ones.

David Mercer's Springfield Line ticked all the right boxes. Superb locos and rolling stock inspired by the owner's travels around the world. Photos were taken on a summers day. Some intriguing views such as under a station canopy. It's a really good looking piece.

There's plenty of building too - including a canal system. Well, railways and canals often appear together in real life, so why not in the garden? 

Full content listing and extra photos of the Springfierld Line on RMweb. 

Warehouse Wednesday: Bandstand restoration

Work progresses on the bandstand in the middle of the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa. 

This fine, cast-iron structure has looked very much the worse for wear over the last few years but is now recieving the care and attention is needs. 

Of course, I don't really think many people want to build a bandstand, nor that this picture will be of much help to them. I just thought it was a good chance to show this interesting video of some of the work being carried out. Got to love all that hot metal being splashed around!