Brian gets his loco

 

Now I've fitted the radio control, there was only one job left to do on this loco - fit the correct nameplates. 

As far as I can work out, this was the last loco kit, and possibly the last kit, my father, Brian, ever bought. As expected, I built it, and even managed to show him some photos, which he liked, a few days before he passed away. Obviously, there was only one name it could have. 

Boot Lane Works provided the new plates. Dad always liked them, and their products, probably why he bought this odd-looking loco. 

Anyway, knowing who they were for, Andrew added a little extra detail to the 3D printed design, and handed them over at a show. 

All I had to do was paint. No problem. Whack some brass colour enamel on. Let it dry. Splosh red over it, and wipe the faces clean. 

Which is what I did. But metalics don't behave like normal paint, they don't dry hard in the same way. So, when I wiped, most of the brass came off as well. I let the red dry, and touched in the brass. And then touched in the red. And the brass. And the red. Until I was happy. 

The old plates, which had been attached with Glue'n'glaze peeled off easily enough, but left glue marks. I got these off, mostly, with damp cotton buds and bits of wood to scrape with. I wasn't happy though. To cut a long story short, the sides of the tanks have been resprayed. 

But, the new plates are on, and look great. Little Brian has been installed on the footplate, read to pull the coaches big Brian built a few years ago.  

Radio control for Musketeer

 

Time for a little catch-up job. A couple of months ago, I wrote up my build of the Boot Lane Works kit of "Musketeer" in Garden Rail, but left the job with power controlled by an on/off switch. My aim had always been to fit some radio, I just didn't have any to hand. Besides, the kit was off the market, and I'd run out of space in the magazine. 

"Musketeer" has been rereleased due to demand, for which I take some of the credit. I still needed power and control, so I turned to RC Trains for a simple solution. Their drop-in unit for the Timpdon Railmotor worked well, so a similar setup here appealed. 

A quick email discussion about space for batteries later, and I received a small Jiffy bag containing all I would need.  As promised, it doesn't take much work to fit. The unit it connected to the motor with a chocolate block, and the battery pack just plugs in. A few seconds binding the transmitter to the receiver, and my loco works perfectly. 

The biggest job was making the switch fit into the toolbox on top of the loco. This is designed to fit over a slightly smaller switch, but a few minutes hacking away at the 3D printed part saw it fit snuggly. 

Now, the loco just needs a driver... 

Saturday Film Club: 1979: The Model World of Robert Symes

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...

York 2026

 

An early morning photoshoot saw me into York show nice and early this year. Finishing my work just as the doors opened left me with the whole day to wander around looking at layouts, perusing the trade and chatting to people. Far nicer than my normal rush around. 

I'm not going to try to bring you the whole show, there are plenty of YouTubers out there who make it their mission to do that, I'll just mention a few displays that appealed to me, and I managed to get an acceptable photo of with my 'phone. 

First up, I finally had the chance to see Maggie and Gordon Gravett's Port De Crozon, seen at the top of this post. It really is a lovely layout. The unusual high-quality modelling of an unusual subject in an unusual scale - 1:50. The thing that struck me most was the colour palette - muted but very consistent. Nothing stands out, and the colours suggest a quiet village on a sunny day. I was also pleased to see the tower that I remember watching Gordon build many, many years ago at the Chiltern Assoc. show. I'd always wondered where it would end up. 

Sticking with finescale, Old Parrock by Paul Rhodes looked like a chunk of Pendon had been lifted and brought to the show. OK, it's East Sussex, but the modelling techniques looked like the best of the Oxfordshire team, and Iain Rice. 

 

I'd love to have a go at building something like this in TT:120. Enough stock is available to make it practical, and with a scenic section only 4ft long, it would fit in the space I have available, even if the time required wouldn't. 

Larger, but to my eye, very distinctive, is Coniston, by the Morely Model Railway Group. It's a truism that you should be able to identify the location a model is set in without any trains being seen, and this is very much the case here. One look at the station, and I knew we were in the Lake District. 

Novelty always appeals to me, and the Roundhay team seemed to have decided to model the Lincolnshire Potato railways!

Roundhay is a particular favourite of mine. Regular readers will remember that my NG7 layout for BRM was based on it. 

Finally, the most eye-catching-for-Phil layout had to be Janice and Myles McGregor's Studio Tour. Imagine you were visiting a behind-the-scenes theme park based on the Harry Potter films and books, and this is the model of your day out. 

I'm a big fan of interesting ideas, but, and it's a big but, they need to be matched by the quality of the resulting model. Poor execution is a waste of good ideas. This is not the case here. All the modelling (from someone who is new to the hobby!) is really well done. I'd happily see these snow-covered houses in a mainstream publication, ignoring the Potter angle. 

We also saw Ford Anglias and boats on The Dark Lake, operating smoothly and effectively. Statues spun, and there were other working features. Potter-heads will delight in spotting the scenes, most of which passed me by in the same way as the books and films. I was alone in this, though, judging by the crowds in front of the model all day. 

As I say, there were so many quality layouts to be seen, a days entertainment was assured. I've only covered a few. 

But, what about the cake?  

One of my first stops was the restaurant, and how about a rhubarb and custard eclair? Delicious, even if Little Brian was unimpressed with the addition of yellow stuff to his favourite vegetable! 

Saturday Film Club: Jetex JETCAR - Good old fun, but dangerous?

In the good old days, you could nip down to your local model shop and buy a real rocket engine. Not your Estes sort of safe version, but one made of metal, that you assembled yourself. 

My Dad had a Jetex engine. I don't recall us firing it up, but the idea fascinated me. He always planned to put it in an aeroplane, but this car looks pretty cool. There was a boat too, but I fear it would plough into the bank if I tried it out on the KMBC lake! 

Baldwin Gas Mechanical

 

New, to me, this gas-mechanical loco in 16mm scale. I first saw the model on my late friend Ken's layout a couple of years ago. Produced by AnDell, the locomotive ran superbly and with all those rods flapping around, looked great. 

I wanted one, but AnDell are long since gone, so my only chance was second-hand, but nothing appeared. 

Sadly, Ken passed away, but I know those disposing (that sounds terrible, even though it is the correct term) of his railway and collection. We agreed a sensible price for the model, and last week, I finally picked it up. 

You might wonder why there is a Little Phil on the footplate. Well, when I first saw the model, it looked odd without a driver. There's always a model of me in my bag, so I tried it on the footplate - a perfect fit. So, for Christmas, I gave Ken a driver for his loco, suitably painted into overalls. 

Battery-powered, from cells within the bonnet, the wheels are driven by a conventional gear. However, the rods and jackshaft drive are purely for show, a Delrin chain linking everything up. No wonder the model runs so smoothly!

Control uses an AnDell radio set which works perfectly. I assume, from the short length of the aerial, that it's a 2.4 system. No xtals are visible, which is a relief. The loco is a delight to drive. Only problem is, it's 32mm gauge only, and I don't have a track for this easily available. Never mind, this is a nice reminder of a friend, and I'm sure I'll find somewhere for it to streatch its legs.  

Garden Rail May 2026

We head down to the allotment for some fast vegetable action as Tom Taylor's once modest railway has grown to become a popular attraction with regular open days. 

On the workbench: 

• Ice cream barrow build 
• Instant elevated railway 
• Spring garden tasks 
• Darjeeling Class One locomotive kit

If you fancy a small RTR battery-powered locomotive, we test Woodleigh Engineering's 'Igor'. 

For vintage steam fans, there is a good look at Finescale Engineering's Hunslets. 

And don't miss our essential guide to April's National Garden Railway Show – the UK's biggest event for modellers in larger scales!

Pan down trams

The trickiest part of any tramway model is the overhead. Unless you model a very specific location, such as Wolverhampton with its stud contact, or London with the slots and skate, overhead wires are very much part of the scene. 

From Birmingham, we have another option, at least for modern image modellers. Part of the route in the city requires the trams to operate from batteries, as there isn't any overhead. The thinking was that the line runs through some historic buildings, and no one fancies screwing overhead cables to these, so for a short section, the trams drop their pans, and run on batteries.  

Buffers and couplings

 

Slightly fiddlier big bits this time. A certain carpet-dwelling YouTuber would be delighted to find the buffer are sprung. But you do have to assemble them. 

Here, I found a little work with reamers was needed to ensure the plastic buffer head and shank slid freely in the casings. Nothing more than a couple of twists, but worth it as they won't "wear in" in operation.  Not unless you push the things endlessly anyway, and that's not my idea of a hobby. 

Even with the other collar on the end of the casing, the shaft and spring will go in from the front, being retained by a metal nut on the back. I added a little superglue to this once assembled,  we don't want it unscrewing itself and falling on the track, never to be recovered. 

Coupling hooks just slide through the headstock, the spring goes on the back, and is retained by the split pin. This slides easy though, and is a little bit fiddly to open up so it stays in place. A two-plier job. 

Underframe bits

This is the fun bit. Plenty of big, chunky parts, all of which go together really well. 

Everything was given a coat of Revell 9 the evening before, so it was all nice and dry before I broke the glue out. 

The W-irons have a lump on them, that locates into a hole in the back of the solebar. No messing around, lining things up. They are solid, but having fought Parkside 7mm kit moving (if you keep the glue out of them) axleboxes, I don't have an issue with that. There are some slippery plastic bearings to fit in the back first, which are a tight fit, but I added a little brush-on superglue to be on the safe side.  

A piece of wire is provided for the cross shaft, but it seemed a little anaemic to me, so I replaced it with 0.9mm brass. That might also be a bit thin, but I've never measured one of these parts. A job for another day. Replacing the wire was in no way informed by me losing the supplied length either...

I did have to use a small broach to open out the holes in the V-hangers a touch, but there's plenty of meat for this. 

An hour saw the whole job done, and I wasn't rushing. I need to touch up a few bits of the paint, but the wheels rotate freely, and the wagon sits flat, so I am happy. 

Happy Easter

 

Happy Easter to everyone who reads this blog. Apologies for the AI slop, but I've been busy setting up proper egg-based photos for work. And I've had to eat all the chocolate...

If you are curious, the original photo is this one: 

 

Saturday Film Club: Quirks and Curiosities II

Hat tip to my Mum for this one. It popped up in here YouTube feed, and she spotted Polar Bear from the GGR and forwarded the link to me. 

This looks like a top even at the FR years ago. Loads of weird and wonderful locomotives. Aside from the bear, those compressed air-powered locos look fascinating. I could just build a model of one of those!

The latest Groudle locomotive

 

When I visit the Groudle Glen Railway, I always have to buy something from the shop. The problem is, I already own most of the branded souvenirs they sell. If you are lucky enough to get two visits in during your stay, this makes things worse. 

Last time I was there, in visit one, I finally bought the GGR fleece I'd wanted for a while; previous attempts were stymed by all the chubby enthusiasts beating me to it. 

On the second trip, I spotted something bright orange. It's a sort of steam engine, and best of all, number six, my lucky number! It was also very cheap, being sensibly aimed at kids visiting the line. So, orange, with a six, and cheap, how could I resist? 

The box has been kicking around for a while, and last week, I was just in the mood for some brick building, with the added attraction that I'd clear a medium-sized carton from the pile.  

56 pieces, all looking like Lego, but about 3/4 the size, and not compatible with the Denmark originals. 

Never mind, a few minutes fun was had putting the model together. It's fiddly, but not difficult. The biggest challenge being the wheels. For a start, they need to go on the correct way so the axle doesn't stick out from the middle. Then you apply the sticker, which doesn't. Pity, as they are a nice touch. 

I just hope the tiny contribution pays for a bit of loco coal. 

 

Lettering improvements

 

After letting the transfers dry, I wasn't happy. I'd reduced the silvering as much as I could, but there was still some. Also, between the big letters, you could see that the clear transfer sheet changed the background colour. 

So, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and safe in the knowledge that a healthy dose of weathering could cover all badness, I very lightly cut along the edges of the letters. 

Then, using a damp brush, I removed the clear sheet. Some of it could be lifted by sliding a scalpel blade underneath.  I've not managed to completely remove it, but most has gone, and I think the effort was worth it. 

A quick coat of matt varnish, and I'm pleased with the results. Now to do the other side. I hate picking out the ironwork... 

 

Warehouse Wednesday: Tall finials

Have you ever wondered how tall the finials on top of a gasholder are? 

No, me neither. But on an early Sunday morning stroll at Ally Pally, I found out anyway. Around 7ft since you are asking.