Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all the readers of this blog. 

Now, get off the interweb, and go eat the turkey!

Winter Holiday Train

 

It's Christmas Eve, so I'm allowed to bring a toy in - and this year, it's some festive Lego. I've been adding to the collection over the year, and so even though it's discontinued, I have set 30584 Winter Holiday Train. 

It's a fun little set. The complete train is only 15cm long, and building isn't exactly an arduous process. That's handy, as I can't even find my usual enthusiasm for Lego building this year, and putting little bricks together is normally something I look forward to. 

 

Never mind, the set is built, and sitting in front of my computer to make me feel festive.  Could it be motorised? Doubt it. Conversion to P4? Not far off already, I reckon it's 20mm gauge now! Would a 3D printed set of giant-sized bricks be fun for a 16mm scale project? Very much so! I wonder if anyone is doing some? Hmmmm. 

Double planking

 

Laser cutting is wonderful. It results in easy-to-assemble kits, where all the parts fit properly. 

But, the surface engraving is normally only on one side. The other is plain.  

For the WC, I wanted to be able to look inside, and that means we need planks on both sides of the bits of wood. 

I started by scribing the lines with a heavy craft knife, but while neat, they were less distinct than the laser-cut lines. I pondered this for a while, and decided to experiment with the same tool I use to do this job on Plastikard - an Olfa Cutter. 

The result isn't pretty, but once the surface is lightly sanded, the results are pretty good. Easily OK for the inside of a slightly rough'n'ready structure like this! 

Framed and seat fitted

 

Once I'd persuaded the cat to vacate my modelling board out came the PVA, so construction could start on the wooden WC. 

Everything slots together perfectly, with no sanding or fettling required.  The only odd bit, for which I wanted to consult the instructions, is the double-thickness top board with holes in. It slots in place easily enough, and with a bit of thought, the position is pretty obvious. 

That seat doesn't look comfy, but then I suppose it's functional! 

Rowington 2025

 

Jingle Bells! It's nearly Christmas, so it's time for the Rowington garden railway show. A festive chance to snap up a few projects for when you are fed up of eating turkey. Handy for members of your family to grab a few special presents for the modeller. He/she just has to point at something, then wander away, looking surprised under the tree later in the month. 

For a village hall show, the trade selection is impressive. Organiser John Sutton must be twisting a few arms, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. 

There were three layouts on display, two 16mm scale, and a G-scale line. The 16mm lines were running steam too. 

Obviously, there was cake to be consumed. A sausage bap too, for medicinal reaons as the day before I'd been drinking beer in London...

This is John Sutton's last show as organiser - let's hope someone steps in, as this would be quite a loss for the calendar. Best of all, £428 was raised for the British Heart Foundation. 

Saturday Film Club: Buying a Steam Locomotive - Marcia The Pocket Peckett

Is anyone contemplating a last-minute Christmas present in the form of a full-sized, real steam loco? 

If you are, it's time for Andy Hardy to explain what is involved. It would look good running around the tree...

Paper tickets

 

When I travel by train, I like to buy my tickets from the ticket office. Partly this is in an effort to ensure they see enough business to avoid another attempt to close them down, but also, because the machines have such dreadful usability, that it annoys the part of me that spent years trying to make websites operate for people, rather than for the organisation providing them. 

But, the last couple of times, I've no longer left clutching a cardboard ticket, but a flimsy paper one.  

My first thought was that the makers of Izal toilet paper, had found a new outlet for their stocks. The thickness and shiny surface are about the same. Absorbancy too I suspect, but I haven't tested this. 

Then I find that you no longer feed your ticket into the barrier to pass through. Instead, it's time to use the QR scanning device - the one I'd previously laughed at those with electronic tickets on their phones struggle with.  

As it happens, pushing the graphic in the scanner works much better than the phone version - I have a friend with a theory that the phone goes super-bright when asked to do this, and blinds the scanner.  No such problem with paper. 

This I realise, means that I get to keep my ticket. Card tickets are swallowed up by the barrier, something that annoys me as I like to write on the back of the ticket what it was for (meeting for beer, visiting, an exhibition, giving blood etc.) and put it in a box. Yes, I'm a bit wierd like that, but I bet I'm not the only one. (Go on, admit it in the comments)

Paper tickets get to come home with me, so I have my souvenier of my trip. Oddly then, this change is a win for me! OK, it's no Edmondson ticket, but not such a bad second-best. 

You're not helping cat...

 

There I am, happily cutting out the toilet parts, and sticking them together, and our cat, Stampy, decides that my modelling board would be the perfect place for a snooze. 

Now, he does sleep there during the day sometimes, but he's never marched on when I'm using it, and curled up for a kip. 

I wouldn't mind, there is a bit of spare space, but he was lying in the instructions! 

Does anyone else "enjoy" feline assistance?  

Warehouse Wednesday: Birstall Social Club

Out on a photo shoot last week, the parking was in front of Birstall Social Club. 

What a fantastic frontage. Very modelable, although I think I'd reinstate the old flagpole, between the numbers, in a miniature version. 

Handily, for those who want to take a closer look at this building, which I'm assured is massive when you get inside, there is a model railway show in January.   

Leek and Manifold WC

 

I'm in one of those states where I have no enthusiasm for my hobby. Regular readers might have spotted the lack of me actually making things, other than for work projects. 

To be honest, by the time I've finished another day in front of a computer screen, my enthusiasm for doing anything than slumping isn't there. Things I love doing don't appeal. I've hundreds of potential projects knocking around. Most are ready to go, but what isn't in the box is the zeal to sit down and do them. Pity this can't be bottled and sold, I'd buy some!

Anyway, in an effort to find my mojo, I'm trying a simple kit - a Leek & Manifold Railway Outside WC from Bole Laser Craft. Spotted at a show last weekend for a tenner, it appealed to my sense of fun. Better still, construction should be quick, and painting doesn't need to be amazing. I will not be digging out the airbrush for this one! 

A simple home made wheel pusher to adjust tight B2B's simply and easily.

A guest post from Terry Smith, with details of a useful device to move wheels on axles. 

I've made a wheel pusher from a plumbing fitting. 

Basically, I've have removed the olives from a compression ring union fitting (8mm pipe), done up the nuts tight and then cut a 3mm slot straight through one side with a small angle grinder. This allows me to use the fitting without having to take the wheel sets out of the truck.

I then undo one nut so that it gently holds the fitting between the wheels, allowing me to centralise the nuts on the wheels. I can then use spanners to hold one part while gently turning the nuts and pushing the wheels apart. 

Simply by chance, one full turn of the nut gives a back-to-back setting of 1.132" which is a figure I settled on a few years back as an aim for re-working wheel sets that needed it, for my operating circumstances. 

This fitting works much better with more and finer control than my previous method of removing the wheel sets from the trucks and using a NWSL HO sized wheel puller/pusher. It is much quicker as well.

The Marvellous(?) Miniature Workshop

 

Can I be a little controversial? There is a TV show called The Marvellous Miniature Workshop. It should be right up my street - and I really don't like it. 

The basic premise is that a skilled modelmaker produces a miniature scene, or building, that brings to life a memory for a member of the public. We watch the skilled (and they are very skilled) modelmaker create something wonderful.

If this was how it worked, I'd be all over the show. After all, there is the excellent Repair Shop, and I'm also keen on Car SOS and Wheeler Dealers, especially the Ed China episodes. But it doesn't. 

The producers are obviously keen to invent another Repair Shop, but because they work in tellyland, completely missed the point that makes that show work. Put simply, they fall for the fallacy that a TV show needs a STAR. In The Repair Shop, pretty much everyone involved was unknown at the start. A few series in, all the people working on it (we'll not mention Jay Blades) is a star - because of the wonderful skills they have.  

For MMW, there was a budget, so we get SARA COX. Now, I think she is brilliant on the radio, but here, I think shes woefully miscast. The BBC has favourites of the month, and they are shoe-horned into everything. Presumably, SARA COX got the gig because Romesh Ranganathan wasn't available. 

Worse, because we have a STAR, she has to be the main focus of the programme. So, we have SARA COX  introducing things, talking to the ordinary members of the public over a contrived cup of tea, where they meet the modelmaker. Then, to tell the story, the ordinary members of the public are shown talking to the camera with SARA COX providing voiceover. Cut to the modelmaker with more, slightly patronising SARA COX voiceover. Everything is "made to perfection". Next, SARA COX goes and does some "research" for all of two minutes. Back to a bit of construction, then SARA COX unveils the finished model. 

In The Repair Shop, and other shows I mentioned, we follow, and get some understanding of the work being done. Most of the time, it is fascinating. Here, we have a STAR, so the modelmaking is almost an afterthought. The people building models seem perfectly personable, so why not give them more screen time so they can tell us what they are doing? 

One reason might be that a lot of processes take a very long time. If it takes five hours to make a floor, then the camera team can't be kept hanging around while someone cuts out bits of wood. In the same episode, the maker produced half-a-dozen tubular steel hospital beds from plastic strip, which will have taken hours, but was covered in a single voiceover line from SARA COX.  

Worse, the focus is on the "human interest" story. So, there is a lot of reminiscing, and not a little crying. To me, it's very mawkish, something The Repair Shop keeps to a minimum. But then they know we've come to see skilled people at work. The backstory is kept short. 

But these producers don't like skilled people doing interesting work. They have a STAR, who has cost a loads of money, and needs to be used a lot. They also believe that blubbering ordinary members of the public are TV gold. 

What the show needs is a spinoff - no SARA COX, no ordinary members of the public, just skilled modelmakers talking us through the work they are doing. OK, it's a harder edit, and you'd probably need them to film themselves, but that's not impossible. It's would be a better representation of the effort that goes into what are real masterpieces. 

Maybe I'm just grumpy. Very probably, but I look at the modelmaking, and want to know more. I don't care about the "research" which isn't, and I never want to see people so upset by the current state of the house they loved, and the subject of the model, that they are crying on camera. 

Not for me. 

Saturday Film Club: Why DO we love model trains?

Why do we love model railways? Tim Dunn asked people at The National Festival of Railway Modelling. 

Airfix flick motor

 

"Would this fit in your Beatties collection?" asked someone generous at the weekend. I took one look at the price label, and said, "Oh yes. Thank you". Of course, I completely forgot to get a name, and even if I had, it would have slipped my mind in the chaos of the event. So thank you, random stranger. 

What we have is a "flick motor", a one-pole motor that will run, but not start on its own. You fit the motor into the nose of your 1:24 aeroplane, and wire it up. Then, to start the prop spinning, flick it with your finger. To stop it, just stick your finger in the way. According to the box back, this won't hurt. 

It's a very neat solution. No switches required, just some clever motor design. Presumably, Airfix felt there would be enough of a demand to justify manufacturing these. It's not like there was an alternative use in the real world - unless anyone knows better. 

Anyway, into the collection it goes. 

 

My 100th issue of Garden Rail!

 

In my 100th issue as Editor, 

Did you know? The Lynton & Barnstaple line, once nicknamed the “toy train”, has its very own 16mm scale model railway! Pete Chandler takes us behind the scenes, and shows how you can get involved.

On the workbench this month:

• Building a 5-inch gauge loco
• Chassis for our 16mm Planet diesel
• Scratch-building a Gauge 3 steeple cab
• Welsh slate wagons
• A micro layout for your office corner
• Repairing an LGB point

We visit the Wernigerode model village, a G-scale stunner. 

Out in the garden, we’re exploring lineside planting ideas and sharing tips to encourage youngsters into our hobby.

Plus: All the latest news for large-scale modellers!

Available from all good newsagents, or our online store.  

Warehouse Wednesday: Oxford roofs

I found myself the other day, looking out over Oxford, from the top of the Sheldonian Theatre. As I admired the dreaming spires, I pondered how I'd model them if called to. 

And it occurred to me that there were two options. Carefully make one, with a great deal of skill and fiddling, and cast it in resin, or more likely, 3D print the thing as many times as required.  

As a fan of traditional modelling, I'll have to admit that this is one area where printing will score well above carving things out of plastic. That pains me a bit, as I'd like my modelling to take place somewhere other than on a screen - I spend more than enough time staring into one as it is! 

However, this fits my idea that this is another technology that is a useful tool, an addition to the modellers toolbox as it were. Fortunately, I'm not likely to modelling central Oxford in the near future, so I don't have to worry too much right now...

Incidentally, while in the Theatre, I tried on a mortarboard.

All the ones on offer were too small. So, it turns out it was a good job I was too thick to go to university - I'd not be able to graduate, because I couldn't fit in the hat!
 

Heat and hammering

 

Last week, I mentioned a nice four-wheel wagon I've picked up. The wheels were set to 32mm gauge, but I felt it would be more use to me in 45mm. 

Well, a couple of days ago, I decided to do something about it.

As discussed last time, moving the wheels on the axles was likely to require heat, and that wasn't going to be good for the whitemetal axleboxes. With a bit of levering, the track pins holding these in place were pulled out, and then with a waggle, the axleboxes on one side came away. Fortunately, the glue had aged, and the joints broke. 

Popping the first axle in a vice, and giving the end a tap with a small hammer, the wheel moved. So did the second one, and soon they were set to the correct (41mm) back-to-back. A little superglue run around the wheel/axle joint, and they seemed pretty good. 

The second set were harder work. In the end, I had to heat up the joint with a small blowtorch to get anything to move, even with many, many whacks. Eventually, though, the joint gave up, and they were set as required. 

I refitted the axleboxes with pins, but no glue, and all seems good. The wagon has had a trip around our club track as part of the train, and seems to behave itself. Sadly, it won't fit in the goods train box, so I'm not sure how much use it will get. I do need a small wagons box for the skips. Perhaps it will find a home in there. 

Anyway, a fiver and half-an-hour well spent. 

Book Review: Between the lines. My Life at Hornby by Simon Kohler

OK, this is an interesting one to review. Obviously, I know Simon, and have done for many years. When he left Hornby for the second time, I nagged him to write this book. I'm interested in the history of model railways, and no one has been at the centre of things for a longer period, than Simon. With that in mind, as soon as it came out, I paid my £34.99 for a copy. 

TLDR: It's a good read, and if you are like me, very interesting. 

The book traces Simon's working career from his earliest days at The Model Shop, in Northampton, through H&M and then the many, many years at Hornby. Over this period, the hobby changes quite dramatically. 

However, the single overriding question I think most people will take out of this is: How is Hornby still in business?  

Simon charts the various changes behind the scenes, both in management, and more importantly, in attitude to the hobby. We have the firm focusing its efforts away from their core activities of model railways and slot racing, to toys, and souvenir items, almost at random, and certainly with little understanding of the market at times.  

Now, this is one person's view, and it's only natural that if you write a book like this, you portray yourself as the hero, and to be fair, there are many times when Simon admits he made mistakes, or simply didn't speak up to try and stop others making them. That said, I've known him a long while, and also some of the other personalities involved, and it's, as far as I can tell, a pretty fair account. 

One of the most interesting areas is the move of manufacturing to China. We tend to think that this was purely based on keeping costs down, but it was heavily driven by a desire to produce models with high-levels of accuracy and detail. We couldn't do this in the UK, often as much due to attitude as ability. This ties in with Jason Shron, of Rapido Trains comments when considering moving manufacturing to Canada. Only the Chinese have the ability to produce the quality that modellers now demand. 

There are certainly plenty of interesting stories along the way. One of them saw me present Simon with a 3DS system to talk about at the NEC. This was classic Hornby management devising something that is a bit rubbish - and thinking it would be a major part of the company's output. At the time, they felt threatened by computer games, but the result didn't set the world alight. 

At 336 pages, this is a pretty big read, and it took me quite a while to go through. As I say, I found it interesting and enlightening. Some of the activities that caused Simon to leave for the first time are well-remembered by those of us trying to keep a lid on ranting modellers determined that Hornby was evil. Finding out exactly who was to blame wasn't a surprise...

If I have a complaint, it's that the later stages of Simon's career, mainly the second stint at the firm, feel a little rushed. I could have happily read another 30 pages to allow the story to breathe a little. Of course, there is the TT:120 book covering this, so that will have extracted a chunk of story. I wonder if it's too close at the moment, and while people mentioned in earlier parts of the text are long gone, those from the recent past are still around, so discretion plays a part. 

Whatever, as I'd hoped this does cover a lot of ground. If you want to know how the model railway business has evolved, that alone makes this worth a read. I could also see it being interesting to those interested in business generally. Hornby has never been afraid to try things, and some simply sink without trace. 

Which brings me to the biggest issue. Having read this, I know some of the items that didn't sell - and now I want to add them to my collection, along with the 3DS. A velodrome to start with, and then a Hornby livery HST. The last one was a surprise to me. Just proving that all the experience in the world doesn't mean you get all your guesses right! 

Gwen's Cafe

 

Shockingly, I've managed a weekend without a show to attend, so instead, you will have to made do with a rather nice 4mm scale model I spotted while out on a layout shoot a couple of months ago. This wasn't in the layout I was photographing, and the layout it is on is a long way from being camera-ready, but I loved it, so grabbed a mobile phone shot. 

Saturday Film Club: Design the SPV

How do you turn a classic vehicle from Captain Scarlet, into a slot car? Scalextric's designer explains. 

Phil's wagon

 

This was not my idea.

I think that the chaps at Rapido Trains are somehow responsible. 

Anyway, you can now pre-order yourself a P.Parker Patisseries wagon from the World of Railways shop.  One of only 90 to be made I'm told. 

If you prefer, there is a three-pack too: 

 

This includes a wagon to celebrate RMweb, and my late friend and colleague, Andy York. Proceeds from the Andy wagon will be donated to The Royal British Legion, a charity he supported. 

Being Rapido wagons, they are of the highest quality, and will look amazing on your OO layout. If you have an N gauge layout, then you have plenty of time to build a OO one, as the wagons will be delivered late 2026. 

So, get over to the shop and get your order in now 

(Note: I don't receive any money for this, but it will be a bit embarrassing if no one buys one! Even though THIS ISN'T MY IDEA)

4-wheel wagon

 

Would you believe I picked this lovely little wagon up at a model boat event? No one knows how it ended up there, but I'm glad it did. A fiver well spent. 

A well-made scratchbuilt (unless anyone can identify a kit) wooden model. It's fitted with 30mm diameter, uninsulated steel wheels. Currently set to 32mm gauge, there is plenty of space to move these out to 45mm, which is what I plan to do. 

Mind you, they don't seem very keen on moving on their axles. I'm wondering if I dare try a bit of heat to break any glue joints. Trouble is, it's such a lovely model, I don't want to risk damaging it. The axleboxes are metal, I'm suspecting whitemetal which rather precludes warming things up. Suggestions welcomed. 

Length, over buffers: 160mm. Width, over axleboxes, 82mm. 

The hole in the floor is a mystery. Was this a tender for a steam loco, and the holes is to allow a pipe through to the loco? Maybe a battery cart for an electric model. We'll never know, but it's fun to speculate. 

Warehouse Wednesday: Staines Mustard Mill

Hat tip to Duncan Young for this photo, which he had to get wet to take!

He says, "It’s been boarded up for some time and is adjacent to a path to the railway station. The central part must be for roasting or grinding the seed? It might make a nice low relief model?"

I can't disagree. This is a pretty typical structure, but being modular, it would be perfect as a backdrop to a layout. You could even stick a few sidings in front; they wouldn't look out of place.  

 

 

Model shop carrier bags

 Some people have greatness thrust upon them. I have old carrier bags from long-defunct model shops. 

Trains and Transport of Preston

Modelzone

A paper bag from G&I Models, Wigan or Warrington

A little Beatties bag

St Helens Model Centre

CDS Models, Warrington

 TAG Models, Doncaster 

 Finally, an Ian Allan bag from Waterloo

What a collection! Thanks very much, John J on RMweb. These are now carefully folded in the box with all the Beatties stuff. When I looked through these at the NEC, with members of the trade panel, there were some who remembered these shops - wonderful nostalgia!

NFRM - The Haul

 

Obviously, even though I was busy, I managed to buy a few bits to add to the stash. When you go to a toy train show, the obvious thing to come back with is a Russian space shuttle. A fiver from the MRC stand. They wouldn't let me try it on their test tracks though. 

I did manage to find some train stuff. First up, a couple of additions to the G-scale circus train, thanks to a deal with Richard at Footplate models. 

 

I also added to the old Hornby kit pile with some shops. 

Not sure if I have this one already, but for a fiver towards the end of Sunday, I'll take the risk. In the back of my head is an idea to build a street scene with a tramway running along it, so some shop kits will be useful. 

Some brushes from Burshes4U. I think these are brilliant, so it's time to stock up.  

Another job on the agenda, where it has been for years, is to ruthlessly sort out the brush pots, and bin all the ones not good enough even for dry-brushing. Then I'll put some good brushes in to replace them, which will make painting much more pleasant. 

Finally, a late buy from the MRC second-hand stall for a couple of quid. 

 

All the animals are off their sprues, and some have damaged legs. That's why it's a lot cheaper than the example on the Kitmaster collectors club stand, which is still in its cellophane. 

Playing the "If I was a millionaire" game, I'm not sure, with my limited time, how much else I'd come away with. The £100 Edwardian "Dribbler" on the MRC stand, perhaps. Interesting, but not that interesting to me. I'd probably order an LNER Garratt, and TT:120 DMU bubble car. But in terms of stuff to walk home with, not that much. Maybe I'm mellowing, and realising I have enough toy trains. Well, nearly.