Saturday Film Club: Static Grass - The shocking difference!

Some wise advice from my good self, all hidden behind a thumbnail chosen by one of my rotten colleagues! I will get my own back...

Remembering the Little Chef

 

I loved visiting a Little Chef restaurant. 

An Olympic Breakfast was a thing of beauty, especially if you were heading back home after an exhibition. Obviously, this wasn't always prefect; it was in the car park of one of these establishments that someone broke into our van and stole my stockbox, toolbox and camera bag thirty years ago.  The story of dealing with the insurance claim formed the basis of my first ever paid for article though, so silver linings etc. 

For The Collector, my latest project is turning Hornby's 1990 "Roadside Restaurant" into my favourite eating establishment (OK, favourite while on the road. Nothing much beats the cafe as Sea Lion rocks). 

Presumably, for licensing reasons, the kit isn't branded with the LC logos, but that wasn't going to stop me, and I made up my own sheets to cover the awnings and brand the walls. 

If you prefer not to remember Little Chef, other businesses have taken over their premises on the A1.  

And if you can't find an original kit, the model is still available from Gaugemaster, now called the Fordhampton Happy Chef Roadside Diner  

My first coach

 

I've never been fussed by model coaching stock. Wagons are much more interesting, and far more interesting to build too. The paintwork is easier for a start. 

Recently, I found my first coach model. It's a Lima MK1 in my favourite blood'n'custard livery. 

The thing has been through the wars. Almost certainly operated on our very first layouts, even before The Cawood Wistow and Selby line. 

At some point, the couplings have been removed, but not replaced by Sprat & Winkles. I seem to remember this is the point where I discovered that you had to fit S&W's to the body, but this limited the curve radius the model would than traverse 

Window glazing is from Wills vac-formed units, and looks pretty good to my eye, even today, 

I'm not sure what to do with the model next. I'm not going to throw it away, too much history there! Maybe a quick tidy up, but then I find myself wondering about those roof vents. Replacing them would make a difference, and the roof is cracked anyway. 

What about the handrails? Fiddly to do, and the paint will need touching up. Can I match the shade? 

 

Carrying model road vehicles

 

I've never been a fan of fixing road vehicles to model railways. For a start, it allows me to use the models on more than one layout. 

Then, it means that the models will "move around" between shows, so the display looks slightly different each time. I've usually got too many models anyway, so the changes can be rung. We don't want visitors to see the same thing each time. 

Finally, I quite like the process of placing each model. It's a sort of ritual, an indication that the set-up is nearly done. Quite therapeutic. At least if we aren't in a rush because of traffic delays...

But the models need a home off the layout, and for the Melbridge Dock set, this is a figure carrying case from Games Workshop. Sadly, this is so old, I can't find it for sale, but there are lots of options on eBay, for a lot less money than buying through the shops.

The foam holds each model securely, but without damage, even after a lot of miles. OK, the catch that holds it shut has broken, but a luggage strap (useful things these) does that job perfectly well. 

My Dad used to have the job of putting vehicles back in the box at the end of a show. He always managed to pack them in really neatly, a trait I didn't appear to inherit!

Covrail haul

 

A rather more useful selection of goodies from Covrail than normal. No weird kits, although I looked hard at a Roundhouse HO scale loco that would have been interesting to put together, but decided I really don't need any more loco kits...

I started with a servo from Amazing Little Trains. Andy assures me that this will be much better than the frazzled one operating (sometimes) the regulator in Ragleth. I'm fed up with taking the body off this loco, so let's hope he is right. 

Then, a pile of products from Model Railway Bits. New to me, I liked the look of the curved and pointy sanding sticks, and very soft round brush. The latter is sold for dry-brushing, but looks more suited to weathering powder application. 

A quid's worth of 6-12V LEDS, some 9v battery snaps and those useful push-chocolate block connectors. 

Then some Army Painter washes. I've noticed a lot more MiG and Ammo paint appearing at shows, especially the rather nice paint pens. Perhaps the trade is spreading its net wider, and railway modellers are more open to buying non-model railway products. Whatever the reason, a greater range of materials is always good. 

The inlaid track came from a second-hand stall (thanks Earl) and finally, I stocked up on model filler, something I'm inexplicably out of.  

Coal, steam and Deltics in the August BRM

 

There's more practical Phil in August's issue of BRM than we've seen in the last few months. I start by showing how to add coal to a coaling stage. It's the same process as adding coal to a locomotive tender, something anyone can do to produce an immediate upgrade to their models. 

Diesel fans aren't forgotten, with a quick detailing article based on the Hornby Railroad Deltic. 

 I'm not going to claim this is anything other than a beginner-friendly quick fix. Whatever you do, this model, dating from 1977, is too small in many dimensions. However, it's ideal for anyone who just fancies a good-looking loco to head up an express train. Fitted with sound, the price of around £130 is very appealing, so much so that I can't find one for sale right now!

Finally, I've been looking at fireless locos. 

 If you run one of these appealing beasts, your layout should include a charging point to fill it full of steam (and superheated water), so I did a lot of digging and tried to create something easy to build and authentic. 

The camera has been out again, this time for the 009 layout Bryn Coeden.

 

Remembering Thomas the Tank engine

 

Back in the 1980s, the L&WMRS built a Thomas the Tank engine layout. It was a simple track plan, a couple of ovals with loops in the station, and fiddle yard. Some sidings existed, but were never used. 

Control was by a couple of old (even then) H&M controllers at the front, feeding through some panel mount ones at the back. Thus, we could let kids drive the trains, but limit their top speed. 

We had all the trains. In an era when Hornby made Thomas and Gordon, keen, and often finescale, modellers in the club, produced the rest. Even the relatively obscure ones like the Twins and BoCo. 

The 8 by 4, later 10 by 4, layout went out to the lot of shows. At one, we met Chris Awdry, the boy for whom the books were written, and had him sign the fascia board. After this, he actually came out with the layout a few times. 

My Dad and I were heavily involved in all this, and Dad loved it. He was an entertainer, and we certainly brought the fun to a few model railway shows.  

Eventually, taking the layout out became a bit of a chore, and we sold it to Banbury MRC. But, we kept the fascia. 

Obviously, a 10-foot-long board is a bit of a nuisance kicking around. Not a problem for many years as it could live in the club loft, but when we turned that loft into workspace, something had to be done. 

In time for the open weekend, Mike Collins turned the long board into something more manageable. He rescued the number plates used for the layout name, and Chris's signature. We now have a panel that can be displayed, so one of our most successful layouts can be remembered, even if it is only by a few of us now. My Dad would be very pleased. 

Titch

 

I'm pretty sure that if you'd asked my Dad which was his favourite of the Melbridge Dock locomotives, he'd have plumped for "Titch". 

Not really a serious loco, as far as operating the layout goes, Titch is a petrol-powered LNER shunter.  

Built from a Branchlines etched brass kit, because it looked interesting, I think there is definitely something attractive about this little model. Unlike the GWR version, modelled on a shed, the LNER had these nice curved ends - whitemetal lumps on the model that add valuable weight. 

Only powered by a single-axle drive, this isn't a powerful model, but it can haul the odd wagon around, usually out of the permanent way siding at the front of the board. It's quite handy for testing to see if electricity is reaching all the rails as the wheelbase is so short. 

One issue is that the unpowered axle, despite being compensated, sometimes is reluctant to rotate. If it didn't have to have pickups on it, I'm sure this would be less of a problem, but we need all the electricity-gathering we can get!

Not sure why Dad loved this model so much. I suspect novelty value, but it doesn't matter. On his celebration day, Titch did a turn around the layout in his memory.  

I like big bolts and I cannot lie

 

Melbridge Dock is held together by bolts. 

Eight are used to fix packing boards on to the end of the baseboards, to turn the modelling into a box for transport. 

When the model is set up, four of these hold the boards together, in addition to the loose pin hinges. The other four hold the information boards to the front. 

These bolts are big, chunky things. I know that something about 4BA would do the job, strength isn't an issue. The threads on these are around 1cm wide. Far more metal than is really required. But, my overengineering has a big advantage at the end of the day. Coarse threads are much easier for tired hands to thread. 

So, today's lesson - go for the big bolts. You won't regret it. 

The missing seagull

 

Written in permanent marker on the back of Melbridge Dock, are the words "7 seagulls". 

Pretty soon after the layout appeared at shows, people took to counting how many of the birds were on the model, and so I jotted it down so we didn't have to remember. Later, when the information boards were added to the front, seagulls became part of the spotting list. 

Remembering this, I checked how many gulls were on show, and there were six. 

Disaster!

Fortunately, in the bolt box, there is a little jar of details. I keep these handy in case something is damaged, and we need to stick a box or pallet over it. In there was a seagull, who was quickly superglued to a rooftop. 

I'm not sure if anyone counted over the weekend, but at least if they didn't, the numbers were correct. 

Oh, and if you are interested, the 4mm scale birds are whitemetal models from the Springside range.  

Not in the stock box

Not all my loco fleet made it to the weekend. A week of testing at home persuaded me that there were a couple of models that would be more trouble than they would be worth, So, they stayed at home, and also missed out on a proper photo, having to make do with mobile phone shots. 

First up, the Garratt. No great surprise here, it's always been a problem child. We have shunted with it in the past, just so I could say I had, but the front power unit seemed to have an aversion to some of the points, and there is still a stick spot in the mechanicals. With more time, and more shows lined it, I'd have it on the bench and work out if the running maladies are mechanical or electrical. I suspect a bit of pickup tweaking would help, but that's for another day. Let's face it, this isn't exactly the perfect shunter for a 6-foot layout!

The other was the Lewin shunter. 

To be fair, this has never been part of the Dock loco fleet, but as it's a very appropriate model, I decided to try it out. 

There are a couple of reasons it wasn't practical. The first is that the model runs on Gibson wheels, and these are a little finer than the Romfords the track is built for. Matching track and wheel standards are a must for reliable running, and this wasn't happy with a couple of the points. 

A bigger problem though, is that massive dumb buffers. The gap between them is a pretty small target for the Sprat and Winkle hook to find, and coupling up was more miss then hit. I'm not sure what I could do about this, those buffers are a bit part of this model's look, replacing them with something more conventional would ruin it. 

Fortunately, I'm not short of rolling stock, so this isn't a problem, but it shows that you have to make hard decisions sometimes in the name of reliable operation. 

Locomotive stars of the show

 

Among my worries about hauling Melbridge Dock out for a weekend, was how well the locomotive fleet would work. After all, they had been in store for a decade, and maybe my memories of their operation were rose-tinted after all this time? 

I shouldn't have worried, in the stock box, I still have a selection of reliable workhorses, four of which I feature here. 

Starting with the 02 diesel. My model pre-dates the RTR version by many years. It's a Craftsman etched brass kit with a Mashima motor inside, and probably Romford gears. The class is a favourite of mine, I've built this kit at least three times, plus my original DJH version, and the same companies O gauge model. There is a TT:120 loco sitting awaiting building too!

Moving up a number, we have the ever-reliable Mainline 03 diesel. 

By tradition, this always works the first train of the day, retiring to the display cabinet after this so the kit-built models can show off. My reasoning being that people haven't paid good money to come into a show just to see things running that have come out of boxes. I'm a bit old-fashioned in that thinking, but when the layout was in its prime in the 1990s, you didn't buy a shunter that worked, you built it. 

Yes, I know that the Bachmann model is more realistic, the bonnet is narrower for a start, but I don't think this looks bad. It resembles the 03 enough for me. At the time, it was a huge leap forward in model shunters after all. 

Talking of shunters you still can't buy RTR, the 06 diesel. 

Hornby make one, but it's pretty terrible, and no amount of detail can make it worthy of a place on my layout. This version, from a Judith Edge etched brass kit, is pretty perfect, though. It runs a lot better than I recall, but then it's a late addition to the fleet, so perhaps it never enjoyed the chance to impress me in the same way other models did. 

Finally, some steam. A Y8. 

The Y8 is our passenger locomotive, and so modelled reasonably clean. It's a K's whitemetal kit on an etched brass chassis (sorry, I can't remember the maker, but I doubt they exist now). The train is based on the Davenport Dockyard set of coaches, and photos showed it hauled by a small loco, and this is as small as they get!

Each of these models behaved impeccably for me and my operators all weekend. Running locos that I've built myself, reminded me just how much pleasure there is from seeing a model I've built with my own hands working properly. If you've not done it yourself, I heartily recommend having a go. 

Celebration day haul, with a mystery

 

There was a small second-hand stall at the open day, and of course, it liberated a fiver from my pocket towards club funds. 

The Hobby's model light set is a fascinating bit of vintage. I suspect it's not that old, as Hobby's (not Hobbies) tend to keep stuff in the range for a very long while. This has incandescent bulbs and holders, none of your LED stuff, and I dream it will be used in a vintage boat project. 

Memory Wire used to be very fashionable in the more serious end of the model railway hobby, but you hardly hear of it now. Has it all been replaced by servos?  For those new to this product, it's wire that gains in length when you pass a current through it. Use a spring to pull it back when the current is removed, and you have a useful(?) device to move signals and points. Or at least that was the idea. I've never played with it, so for a quid, I'll satisfy my curiosity. 

Tongue depressors - I stick people to lolly sticks or chip forks for painting, and I've run out. These will be perfect, and I don't need to stuff my face to acquire some tools. 

And finally, a mystery. 

I've no idea what this clamp is for, but it's so well made, and so useless to anyone other than an idiot like me, I had to buy it. 

7.5cm long and 2cm wide, it splits into two parts, which are accurately aligned with four pegs and a pair of brass corners. 

 

Inside, there is a V shape, but that's not helping me work out what this rather well-made device is for. I am stumped, and so is everyone else I know. The clamp arrived in an estate clearance, so we can't ask the maker. 

Any ideas?  

Dad's celebration day

 

What a wonderful day!

My Dad didn't want a funeral, but we felt that there ought to be some sort of celebration of his life - a chance for people to say goodbye properly, but in a fun way. 

My plan was that we'd jump onto the L&WMRS open weekend Sunday. That way the clubrooms would be open, with all the layouts working anyway. In the social area, I'd install Melbridge Dock, the layout that Dad and I built and exhibited for years. Next to it. would be a slide show with some old photos. 

On the water, we'd have three of the boats he'd built. 

"Puffin", a scratchbuilt tug, "Isobella" a Victorian steam launch, and "Felix", a ferry. 

Finally, on the outdoor track, the set of coaches he built would be doing a few circuits. 

Beside the track, which he loved, there would be a barbecue, which he'd be less keen on. 

I'll admit that putting all this together kept me busy, and a little concerned in the run up - but it all went brilliantly.  

Obviously, this is all down to the people. For a start, Mark, Duncan and their wives who ran, with the aid of my mum and sister, the burnt food and salad end of the day. No one went hungry!

Then the guys from the model boat club who sailed for me. They didn't have a special weekend, but a few came along to help out anyway. 

Chris and Andy ran the layout in the clubrooms, keeping things moving all day (all weekend in Chris's case as he was there on the Saturday). No, I wasn't being lazy, I needed to be walking around talking to people, so I recruited a few assistants to help out.  

Then there were those who just came along. Too many to mention, and several I didn't expect. The grapevine worked well!

One special guest was Earl King. A long-term friend of my parents, and arguably the person who got me involved in railway modelling. Yes, it's his fault, and now you know what he looks like. 

Thank you to everyone who joined the party, or simply thought of us on the day. We gave him a terrific send-off. One he would have enjoyed, even if he'd been slightly embarrassed at the whole thing.  

I miss my Dad. At the end of the day, when things had wound down, I sat on his bench at the boat club for a few minutes, looking out over the water as we had done so often in the past. It was lovely and peaceful. 

Then I headed back inside to run a couple of trains on Melbridge Dock, remembering some of the shows we'd done this at in the past. A proper connection. And that's what it's all about.  

Saturday Film Club: Buying second-hand railway models

My most recent video for World of Railways, covering a few things to look for when buying second-hand locomotives. 

Beatties track and rolling stock

 

The Beatties collection continues to grow, more by accident than design. A couple more vans joined the pile from eBay, where it seemed no one else wanted them. Odd that the yellow Tri-ang open wagons still go for proper(ish) money, but the OO gauge Graham Farish vans don't attract the same attention. I've enough for a modest train now. 

They are sitting on genuine Beatties track. 

This arrived in a box of other stuff from work, with a note "To Phil from Nick Smith for the Beatties Collection" - thanks Nick, it's much appreciated. Mind you, the people I work with don't quite understand!

From Railex, a proper find, more Grafar wagons, with Beatties price tags on them. 

This pack cost a miserable 75p! I'm guessing this was in the 1970s, so inflation has taken hold, I paid £9.

As well as being a valuable addition to the collection, these wagons mean something to me. My first electric trainset was a Tri-ang 3F and a mixed bag of wagons, one of which was a SC Pritchard Grafar vehicle.

An odd find at a finescale show. All the wagons have been relieved of their couplings with a saw. Why? Unless there is a wagon diagram I'm not familiar with (feel free to educate me), they aren't particularly accurate. Something from the Airfix range would have been a better starting point, even if you didn't want to have a go at a kit. 

I've been pondering how to make best use of the collection. An online museum seems like a good idea, and I've been playing around with an AI-based website design tool from Ionos, my ISP. I have a pretty good idea how I'd like it set up. A database with an entry for each "exhibit", and a searchable front end. It's well over 20 years since I've done any development work, but in the old days I wouldn't have found it too much of a streatch. 

Sadly, AI turned out to be rubbish. Or at least the early results are. I'm using this as a learning exercise, and maybe it will continue to be rubbish, and I'll have to relearn some proper developer skills, or persuade a mate to have a go for me. Another "one day" project. 

 

Death of a track rubber

 

I've always been a big fan of the Double O Gauge Association track rubbers. For decades, they have been my favoured way of keeping the railhead clean, and trains running. Unlike the otherwise perfectly good Peco version, they don't drop "bits" on the track. A few years of cleaning with the Devon products, and you can see sparkles in your tracks!

I'm not a fan of this one though. Somehow, I have cleaned up something greasy, and now all it does is smear grease on the rails. 

Doubting that there is a way to clean it up, this one has gone in the bin. I can't understand why I've kept it around so long, and more than once I've picked it up and realised my mistake!

Fortunately, I have a couple of non-greasy rubbers, so my track is clean! 

Railex haul

 

Combine me feeling reasonably flush (not loco buying flush, but not bad) and an excellent second-hand stall, and you won't be surprised that my rucksack was pretty full. 

Like any proper modeller, my first stop was the stand, and I pretty quickly worked out that stuff was priced to sell. A Bachrus rolling road for a fiver? That has got to be the bargain of the year. I already have one, but it only has three supports. Add these three, and I can test bogie locos properly. 

An 80s Hornby Post Office kit - you'll see that one in The Collector at some point. Kenline chassis? Cheap, and a little nostalgic. There is also the possibility of a project that might make use of it...

Grass and flower tufts are handy scenic standbys, a 7mm scale whitemetal fitter kit likewise. 

Grafar wagons can wait for another post, there is a bit of a Beatties backlog to get through. 

Petite Properties barge kit? I wanted one as soon as they announced it, but they don't normally take dolls house stuff to toy train shows. Unless you ask nicely, which I did. 

Rolls of silicone-covered tool wire at a fiver a pop save me buying the stuff elsewhere, as I've nearly run out. Mind you, they certainly weighed my bag down for the rest of the day!

And then, possibly the most Phil thing I could buy. 

Yes. It is an S gauge wooden kit for an American "reefer" to carry watermelons. Someone was selling a collection, and I decided, for a tenner, I wanted to know more. My colleague Steven thought I'd lost my mind. He may be right. 

I've had a look and still can't work out if I've just bought a box of random wooden bits, or a proper kit. As far as I can tell, the complicated bits for the chassis are there, as is the roof. All the metal bits (trucks, wheels etc.) are present, but I can't see all of the sides. Maybe they only paint the ends, and the rest is left to the modeller. Not to worry, I think there will be enough material there to build a wagon. One day. 

Railex 2026

 

Phew, what a scorcher!

On the hottest weekend of the year so far, I jumped on a train to enjoy a proper finescale model railway exhibition. And boy, it was warm in the hall! I felt for the exhibitors as I felt under the weather the following morning, even though I'd made an effort to take plenty of liquid on board. There's nothing the organisers could do either - that's the weather for you.

The show itself was as good as ever. High-quality layouts, and trade you don't find at other events. As I write, it's too hot to knock out a detailed review, so this is going to be a photo dump. I forgot to buy a programme too, which makes things even tricker.

Looking back through my photos, I don't seem to have taken much of the S gauge island. Some cracking layouts, but I've photographed most of them for work. One of the picture even made it's way into MRJ as part of the show advert. I had to buy a copy because of this. Finescale fame at last! 

The trade here is interesting. Lots of bits for making things, much like you would have found at a show 30 years ago, when kitbuilding in 4mm scale was more popular. I'm pleased to see this, but wonder how much gets sold. Sadly, most of these guys wouldn't be able to justify financially, appearing at a general show, but then that's what makes this event worth the trip. My colleague Steven drove four hours to visit, and it's not the first time!

I wish I had more time available for loco building, this new model from Judith Edge really appeals, but I don't need another kit sat on the shelf. And with the death of Romford wheels, combined with my inability to build a chassis without taking it apart several times, I'm not sure what I'd sit it on. 

There was spending of course, but I'll cover this tomorrow. You have been warned, some very Phil items came home with me.  

Catering isn't bad here. Lunch was a nice tuna sandwich, and morning tea came with cake. 

Of course, on a hot day, the walk back to the bus stop needed an ice cream. 

Talking of the bus, this is my only complaint. We were told to look out for a vintage bus for the ride from station to show. This is what we found. 

According to a poster on board, this vehicle was built in 1995. OK, it's now out of service and preserved, but 1995 isn't really old, never mind vintage! I mean, you'll be telling me the 1980s was more than a couple of years ago next...