Off to SWAG

Sunday sees the latest meeting of the South West Area Group (SWAG) of RMweb. It's a fun little event that is open to all, and normally features some really good small layouts, plenty of chat, pasties and cake. 

You can read about last year's event here. 

It's a little bit of a mystery exactly what will be there, but dig through the thread on RMweb, and you'll have a better idea. I've already arranged one layout shoot, and strongly suspect that it won't be the only one. I find SWAG a great source of micro layouts for BRM. 

If you enjoy quality modelmaking, and cake, head to Taunton, and all being well, I'll see you there.  

10AM- 4PM , Sunday 19th April 2026 

Staplegrove Village Hall, 214 Staplegrove Road, Taunton. TA2 6AL

 

Dirty and stoned - BRM May 2026

 

May's issue of BRM has landed, and there's a few Phil pieces in there. First up, I've taken the exclusive World of Railways fireless locomotive, and given it a gentle coat of muck. These things wouldn't get too dirty; there's no muck coming out of the top for a start, so the work is all carried out with powders. I'll admit to being very pleased with the end result, although when you read the article, the model had to come to pieces first, which is a story in itself. 

The four-step piece this time involves loading a wagon with stone. 

We had a bit of a discussion about this on RMweb. Contemporary photos show the stone loaded loose, possibly with some straw, so that's what I've done. But first, I had to make the stone itself. 

My camera has been out to shoot: 

Bournemouth East (OO)

Chaddesley Corbett (N)

Jeffrey Lane (OO)

British Railway Modelling magazine is available from all good newsagents, or our online store. 

Warehouse Wednesday: Mill House, York

Opposite my hotel in York, are a couple of attractive buildings.According to Wikipedia, Mill House is a former grain mill which is now the headquarters for the police in York. There's no obvious signs of it's current use, other than a couple of Police vans parked outside at all hours. 

Next door is The Whippet Inn, which is Grade II listed and dates back to 1896. It used to be called The Yorkshire Tavern, The Other Tap and Spile and the Yorkshire Huzzars. The entrance to the back yard (and possibly stables?) is shown on the first large-scale map of the city in 1852.

Visit these buildings on Streetview.  

 

Manvers Main wagon - finished

 

Job done, and very enjoyable and satisfying it was too. The end result is a very pleasingly large model. If you get the chance, have a go at one, just for the fun of it. 

Nothing was difficult, apart from wrangling the transfers for the sides. My efforts aren't perfect, but will do for a wagon that will be part of a train trundling past. 

Only one complaint, it's too wide for the box!. I managed to squeeze the completed model in and slide the lid on, but the sides bow out a bit. That's fine for now, but one day, a stock box will be called for. That can wait until I've sorted out a suitable loco though. 

York haul

 

A big show means lots of money spent? Not this time. 

I didn't deliberately try for a cheap show, but that's just the way it turned out. The biggest item is a second-hand length of Gauge 1 track. While I have lots of 45mm gauge track, I didn't actually own a bit of proper G1. Well, I do now. The sleepers seem very mobile on the rails, so I think I'll take it apart, clean the metal, and then fix everything to a board. 

On the Dart Castings stand, I spotted a new range of model telephone boxes. Both K2 and K6 are available, nicely 3D printed, in 4 and 7mm scales. Since I don't have a K2 in the collection, I bought an O gauge model. And while I was at it, a picked up a bag of 4mm scale cats. Just because. 

I can't resist a bit of railwayana, and having admired the Azuma's at York station the evening before, I was pleased to find a promotional noughts and crosses game, presumably from the launch of the sets. 

While I was at it, a Scotrail sliding block puzzle joined the pile. Both were cheap, don't take up a lot of space, and have play value. 

Strolling around York the day before the show, I dropped in to Monk Bar model shop, and since the law demands a purchase, picked up a couple of pots of Revell Anthracite paint, and restocked the Micro Sol and Micro set bottle, both of which took a hit from the Gauge 1 wagon transfers. 

I did have to resist a pack of 1930s gangster figures, among other temptations. Something for the next visit perhaps...