A daily updated blog typed by someone with painty hands, oil under his fingernails and the smell of solder in his nostrils who likes making all sort of models and miniatures. And fixing things.
Showing posts with label Nostalgic Modelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nostalgic Modelling. Show all posts
More classic kitbuilding in the Hornby Collectors Club magazine. I'm back in the 80s (which I'm sure is only a few years ago) with the Hornby "Bell Inn" kit, produced for them by Piko.
Unlike a lot of the other buidlings in the range, this isn't a European structure pretending to be British, it really is a UK pub. Looking at the catalogue from 1990, there were half a dozen of these, although this is the most interesting to my mind. Maybe by this point in time, the Margate bean counters had been persuaded of the benefits of proper kits.
One surprise is just how big this model is. 155mm long, 80mm wide. Modern resin buildings tend to exhibit selective compression, some ranges more than others, so this seems oddly big compared to them.
It took me a long while to locate this kit, but once I found it, it appeared in a couple of photo shoots I carried out, including the South Coast MRC's layout, Canalside.
I rather like this model, it has character. The only thing I'd change is the wall coverings. Stickers are provided, but they aren't perfectly cut around the windows, and the finish is very flat. Maybe one day I'll redo them with Redutex, or even scribe the stone myself. It would be a worthwhile upgrade.
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!
A look inside the Rev. Awdry's office, now recreated in the narrow gauge railway museum. I've been in here, and it's an interesting insight into the way he worked.
A pair of 3Fs hauled out of the display case for work, showing how much the hobby has changed over the years.
On the left, a Bachmann model released in 2011. On the right, Tri-ang from 1958.
Both have been worked over a little by me, but nothing massive. The Tri-ang model is my first locomotive, and was painted and detailed when I first joined the model railway club over 40 years ago.
The newer 3F was weathered for a Hornby magazine project when it first came out. While I'm sure there will be plenty of people on forums telling the world that it was time the loco was upgraded to "modern standards", I think it still looks pretty good.
Obviously, both tenders had received a load of real coal, a simple task that really lifts the look of the model in my eyes.
Mind you, I don't think the 1950s model looks too bad. The general shape isn't hopeless, you'd guess the prototype if asked I think. Fortunatly, we no longer have skirts under boilers to hide the chunky cast chassis and X04 motor, nor moulded on handrails (although I liked the improvement when these were replaced).
Out for an early morning stroll, I spotted an unusual tree. At least, to most people it will look unusual, but as a seasoned modelmaker, I recognised it immediately - it's the one in the Tri-ang Modeland hardware store!
I don't think it's made of rubbery plastic though...
"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.
Mystery from a box of (mostly) junk that has arrived in our model railway clubrooms. A couple of O gauge signals of some vintage.
There are no makers marks, but they look commercial rather than home-brewed. The searchlight is 10cm tall, and the two-aspect 9cm.
The searchlight base is fitted with four pins - I guess a pair for each bulb in the head. There are screw terminals on the other one.
Put a 9v battery on the rear pair of terminals, and the signal lights up. The front two don't do anything. I suspect a blown bulb, but don't fancy disturbing the wrapping on the head, which looks like fabric sticking plaster for fingers!
So, a bit of a mystery - can anyone shed a light on these?
Drop into the model railway club often enough, and you see some sights. Recently, one of the madder OO gauge team had a Tri-ang Battlespace Turbo, also known as the best thing ever made for model railways, and alongside it was a set of reproduction stickers.
At least one of my Turbos could do with some sticker help, so I asked about the supplier. Apparently, it's some guy on eBay who posts occasionally. I'll be keeping an eye out, as although these are thicker than the originals, they don't look bad, and certainly better than battered, or missing, decoration.
Under that sleek exterior, this Turbo car hides another secret. It's been fitted with DCC control!
Apparently, this is a reasonably easy task, with no sacrifices required to make the witchcraft work. I'm not convinced, but it does run OK...
Picked up for a couple of quid from a preserved railway, this point is an interesting mystery. Three-rail, and obviously hand-made, it could well be heading toward proper antique status.
I'm wondering if the chairs are Bonds - but I think those tend to be chunkier.
So, over to you. In the grand scheme of things, identifying the components isn't important, but it is a bit of fun. (All the pictures are clickable for a better look).
Another classic kit in the latest issue of The Collector, the house magazine of the Hornby Collectors Club.
This is another reboxed kit from the period - easily spotted because the painting on the box has German text on the garage, and all the cars are from the same country.
Because of this, it's HO scale, and the Tri-ang cars won't fit in the bay, but I don't think this is too much of an issue. The result is a useful building, which was, until recently, in the Gaugemaster Fordhampton range, albeit rebranded as a BP service station.
"An enthusiast? Certainly. A fanatic? Perhaps. An eccentric? Maybe. But this man's complete devotion to one thing - trains - gives him a peace of mind and an independence that most people will never begin to know."
File this under things that I didn't know existed. A set of spare windows and doors for anyone kitbashing cardboard building kits. Back in 1980, when these were made, that was a thing.
Things have changed. In 2025, I picked this up for a couple of quid on the Sunday at York show, after a day of the really keen modellers picking it over. There's obviously not the demand nowadays.
I'm not sure what to do with this pack. For the moment, it sits in the card kits folder, but as there is a Beatties sticker on it, maybe it should move into that collection? The one thing I'm loath to do, is actually use this for the job it's intended for. I've not seen another, so it must be rare, and emblematic of a time now passed.
I was all mysterious about the Lima Western I bought in Monday's post. Well, here's the reason. I bought it for the guts of the model. Inside is a Dyna-Drive unit.
For most people, the first they heard of this system would have been in MRJ No.18, December 1987. Page 275 saw the mag look at the basics. I remember a little later (can't be sure exactly when) seeing it being demonstrated by Formil engineering at York. We were there with our Thomas the Tank layout, and towards the end of the day, I borrowed a loco to try out on the continuous run.
What a revalation. In those days, pancake motors were the order of the day. We'd heard of fancy foreign diesels with their central motors and quality engineering, but we were British godamit, and engineering cost money, so it was many years before such novelties appeared on these shores.
This loco though, it had momentum. It accelerated and slowed smoothly. And with the lid off, we could see honking great big flywheels. I didn't want to give it back...
With the body off, we start working our way along the loco, begining with a motor. In this system, it doesn't need to be a good one, although this is. Smoothness is provides later in the drivetrain.
Next, the black lump is a centrifugal clutch. As the system speeds up, this transfers drive to the big brass flywheel, and then when the motor is off, disconnects.
The flywheel here is a single lump, providing much of the 700g weight. In turn, it's connected to a quality gear tower, albeit still driving 'orrible Lima pizza cutter wheels.
So, when you turn the power on, the clutch slowly kicks in, spinning up the flywheel, and driving the model along. Obviously, it takes time for the flywheel to reach full speed, so the loco gradually speeds up. And when the power is shut off, the flywheel keeps the model moving, gradually slowing down.
I don't have a layout to test this on, and the only one at the club available is evil DCC, so here's it running on a rolling road.
All this from a H&M controller from the 1960s, but that was the point. You didn't need a good controller, the loco took care of the smooth stuff. You might need to throw it into reverse to slow down, but that was part of the fun.
Sadly, Dyna-Drive never really took off. Part of the problem was the price. The clutch alone in 1987 was £14.90, so a complete system would cost at least a couple of Lima diesels, and then you had to assemble it. Some people did try, as this downloadable article from the DOGA website shows.
Nowadays, DCC and better mechanisms in model locomotives, have removed the need for all this equipment. You can programme stuff, and then rely on an electronic stayalive to get you over dirty track, rather than half a killogramme of rotating metal. I suspect I was the only person in the hall at Briston, who knew what the excellent Janes Trains had on their stand, and the only one daft enough to hand over money for it.
But, I am a happy customer. This might have been a technological deadend, but it's a fascinating one.
I love an old modelmaking catalogue, and picked up this gem at York. Can you imagine such a bombastic cover appearing nowadays?
Inside there is a range of what appear to be superb quality fitting for model boats.
The 48 pages showcase photos of a huge range of parts. You can't get anything like this now, at least not from a single source!
As a guide, the top middle ships wheel, S404, cost 20/6 for 1 1/4" diameter, up to 42/- for 2". Is that a lot? I have a feeling these fittings might be for the deeper-pocketed modeller.
Looking online, this catalogue dates from 1966, a bit later than I expected. The firm closed many years ago.
204 High Street, Wood Green, London, N22, is now a dentists.
Another find for the Hornby Collectors Club series - R191 Coaling stage.
As a kid, I actually built this kit. It probably cost a bit less than I paid for the second-hand, but looking complete, version. I doubt I worried too much about the prototype accuracy, just being glad to build a plastic kit for my train set.
Let's be honest, this looks nothing like a UK coaling stage. The little crane (quite a nice set of mouldings) and timber framed brick base says Tyrolean to me, but then I'm no student of German architecture. The smoke deflectors poking into the side of the photo give the game away a bit too.
Does this matter? Well, for my purposes, no. What I'm doing is transporting readers back to a time when Hornby fobbed customers off with random German kits that didn't have any basis in Blighty. Not that this would have worried young Phil much.
The ex-Pola Country Cottage kit is in the Winter 24/25 issue of The Collector - the house magazine of the Hornby Collectors club.
It's a pretty simple kit, and most of the piece covers painting the model. I have issues with the design, from the front, we have a pair of cottages, from the back, we have a single building.
As for that base, well if I was using it on a layout, this would be in the bin...
Incidentally, the Collectors Club is now free to join. OK, you won't be recieving a paper magazine every quarter (Boo), but there is some good stuff in each issue, so it's well worth signing up.
I love a good model shop, especially one where they have built up a healthy pile of "stuff" over the years.
My December trip to the SVR includes a stroll down to Footplate Models, and a long chat with Derek about the world of model railways. I also get to look in the back room, which contains piles of models, and some delights.
Anyway, he knows my interest in historic model railway stuff, and bring out a box. In the box are a couple of hassian bags, full of ballast. Each is the size of a donut, and both were made before I was born.
The bags were full, and sealed, so I couldn't peek to see if the contents were both the same. They weren't for sale either, or I'd have been tempted to add them to my collection!
Date-wise, I'm thinking late 1950s and early 60s, but that's nothing more than a guess. I wonder how many other examples there are out in the model railway community?
So, there I am on the stand at the NEC, and Colin arrives. I know he is interested in ancient modelling materials, so I show him my bag of Dee Ess's ballast. I'd taken it a long to joke with the guys on the Peco stand about - asking if they had any more. The answer was, "a few months ago, possibly, but we've been cleaning up the warehouse."
Anyway, he looks at it and then says, "I'll take this, and raise you these.", plonking a couple of bags of ELK STandard compound down.
A quick search brings up an advert from 1954 for their track, which is what Colin is especially interested in, but the ballast is a good find too.
One bag is dyed sawdust, and the other, ground up cork.
It's probably a good job I didn't spot these for sale. I really don't need any more of this stuff!
Did you really pay a quid for a bag of old scenic material?
Of course I did. Look at that cardboard top - it's wonderful!
I've never heard of Dee Ess, or, to my knowledge, have ever seen any of their products. I'm sure I'd have remembered the flamboyant packing!
While this claims to be ballast, it's a greay scatter material. Feeling through the plastic, I'm thinking a wood based material like early Tri-ang scatters. They might even be produced by the same people. Since Dee Ess were based in Broadstairs, only three miles from the magnificant Margate works, there is a good chance they knew each other.
I note that the sales concession for the UK was held by Peco, so we aren't talking about a firm that was unknown. I suppose I ought to ask the sales manager if they still have any left in stock!
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