Loco fiddling, DCC making and a new layout in BRM

Just in time for the weekend at Peterbotough, the latest issue of BRM appears in the shops. My main feature is the first part of my N gauge layout in a box build.

Much of the work was carried out at TINGS a few weeks ago, and this time I'm covering those two heady days of excitement and mess behind the stand. There's lots of polystyrene and plaster action followed by the heady wiff of hair spray.

Next we have a little locomotive personalisation. For a change I'm not starting with some knackered second hand thing, instead I thought it would be more fun to work over a modern model to show that it is still possible to improve the current batch of RTR. That and I had a Bachmann 1F sitting on the shelf that I'd bought because I liked it so much.

Keeping things simple, there is nothing cut off the loco and no repainting required, just a few simple techniques that make a dramatic difference, which I consider an improvement although I've probably ruined the value to a collector.

Finally, I need some of the evil DCC in my life and since I can't find a controller I really like, I've built one myself. 

OK, I have constructed an MERG controller kit but I still did all the soldering and stuff so I feel that I have rather more investment than if I'd just handed over cash. As it was, I didn't have to fork out as much of that as I would if I'd gone RTR. Despite this, if you concentrate, doing this job is well within the capabilities of anyone who has done a little bit of soldering. 

On the DVD, I'm showing off a rather nice new airbush/compressor/spray booth package we've put together. If I hadn't got sufficient spraying kit already, I'd have made more effort to hang on to it as the equipment really good. As it is, the Editor will be earning his spraying spurs at some time soon.