Review of 2023 - The Work Projects

Time for a quick look at the projects I've built for BRM this year. I'm working on 2023 rather than magazine dates for simplicity. 

March kicked off with the miniature railway build based on the West Hill Wagon Works railway, with lots of Scale Model Scenery bits and a fair bit of kitbashing. 

Spring was Practical Phil free, apart from some layout photography, but I was back in April. 

An Ahern-inspired cardboard goods shed, proving modelling doesn't have to cost a fortune. 

And in the same vein, cheapo display cases for your models. 

June, and I'm building something in 009. 

Yes, a layout under a cake cover! It's proved to be popular at shows, with a nice mix of modelling and cute factor. One couple were inspired to look at running 009 around their wedding cake. 

July saw the start of the redesign for our Practical offerings. My first contribution being an upgraded resin building. 

plus a K6 telephone box and painting people. 

August, and I'm going O gauge with a Wickham railcar shed. 

and a look at Scammell rebodying, which turned into an investigation of the various modelling options in 4mm scale. 

A new technique to me in August, thatching a roof. 

Followed by building a 009 wagon kit. 

October, and I was down to turn a Dapol van body into a scenic grounded body. The trouble is, to look good on the page, it needed scenery. 

So, what I didn't cover on the page, was revealed on BRM TV.I really like this little scene. It's nothing special, but very attractive at the same time. 

There was also a look at the new Tramfabriek 009 couplings, which I think should be causing more of a stir than they seem to be. 

We got newsy in November, with a build of the recently demolished "Crooked House" pub. 

I built it in 4mm scale, David Wright built his in 7mm, and Andy "Yam Yam" York provided the prototype notes for one of our best looking features. 

My first TT:120 project for BRM is this laser-cut yard crane from Osbournes Models. 

With the Cost Of Living Crisis™ on people's minds, I take a 1980s Hornby station in December, and upgrade it. 

This isn't the station I planned to do, but when that idea went bad, a quick root around my local model shop found something very suitable. Fortunatly. 

There's also fattening up an N gauge chapel designed for the backscene. 

We reach the end of the year with a trip outside to build a stile. 

 

And I join the circus, the Kato circus with a micro diorama. 

 

On top of all this lot, there are a few four-step micro projects, lots of video work and quite a bit of layout photography.  Oddly, looking at the list, it doesn't seem that impressive an output. After all, there are a couple of months where I was otherwise engaged, and you won't find a project layout other than the cake cover one. 

I've no idea what 2024 holds (OK, some idea, we do have a planning document), but then I didn't forsee two of our team being made redundant (Ruth and Howard), something I still don't understand, but will have an impact on the time available. 

And there are Garden Rail projects. One of which, if I find the time will be another biggie, but we'll have to wait and see. 

Thanks to all those who have read my witterings on the page and helped pay my wages. It is appreciated, and I hope I've assisted you with enjoying your hobby.

Saturday Film Club: Boxing Day Steam

Well, the Boxing Day steam afternoon was very pleasent. I couldn't resist filming the locos on show. Apologies for the jazz soundtrack, there was a lot of chat, which drowned out the chuffs!

Putting the pressure on Willi

 

If I want to run Willi on our club track at public events, it needs to pass a boiler test, and the problem with that is that the gauge showed around 10psi, even when the boiler was empty and loco cold! It seems that one of the first checks is that the pressure gauge works, and this one didn't. 

A new guage was £22 from Gardenrailways.co.uk and I've finally go around to fitting it. Well, Boxing Day was to see some steam action in Rowington. An event that will sadly mean me missing the annual visit from my cousin. Don't worry, we'll both get over it...

Anyway, fitting the new gauge was simple enough with the aid of a small spanner (6mm I think) and a touch of liquid PTFE on the threads. Somehow, on the final tightening, I managed to get it wonky. I'll fix that later. 

I wanted to make the best of the late afternoon sunshine for a quick test. Very quickly, it became apparent that the gauge worked fine. Winding the gas up a bit, the safety valve fires off at around 3 bar, which seems a little high, although it's slowly venting steam a bar below that. Working pressure is 3 bar apparently, so I'll stop worrying. You have to get the burner to very loud to get that anyway, and I prefer these things to be a whisper. 

The loco steamed well on blocks, and no leaks around the pressure gauge, so I'll call that a success. Not that impressive I grant you, but then I am still new to this live steam tinkering.

Getting muddy with BRM

In February's BRM, I'm getting my hands dirty, building a cattle creep. 

The basic kit was picked up at the 009 Society 50th. It's simple enough, but gives me opportunities to cover some useful scenic techniques too. One of which is making a muddy area, for which I've used Humbrol Smart Mud. 

Since this is new, BRM TV viewers get a demo. 

This was filmed on a Sunday (tight deadline) twice! After the first go, I discovered that setting the camera to manual exposure, I'd also set it to manual focus, so the whole lot was fuzzy! Since the job involved trying to get various materials to dry faster than they really wanted to, so a bit stressful. 

I'm also looking at wiring. 

 Wiring articles are tricky, but hopefully I managed to demistify the worst of all those cables. 

And the camera has been out for Bunkers Lane. Just my sort of layout. 

Well, this one's based on SeaLion, so I was defintly going to take a picture, wasn't I?

Class 58

A random view of a Class 58 in original livery. At a guess, taken in 1984 as the sides look dirty. Always a class I liked the look of. That I remember them being introduced and taken out of service in the uk, makes me feel old...

Somewhere in the stash is a Hornby model, plus the Craftsman detailing kit. A sensible person would replace the pair with a Helajn model, but as I don't actually need it, that's a decision that can be safely put off.

TNT boxes

 

In my Christmas stocking this year, a little kit from Coach & Wagon works, for some crates marked "TNT". Perfect for that point in the afternoon when I'm too full of turkey to go for a jog, but need a little something to occupy my brain. 

The parts are laser-cut, and slot together perfectly. 

I used Deluxe Materials new Laser-Cut Kit Glue, something I'm testing, and just happened to have on the bench. Tp be honest, I'm not sure how different it is to the excellent card glue, other than a fancy precision dispenser. It's very runny, but grabs quickly, and seems to dry without leaving blobs if you are a little more generous than required. 

A finishing touch is to paint the letters red, harder than I expected as they aren't that clearly cut when you are close enough to try poking a brush in there. To be honese, they look pretty good left slone, but I was in the mood to paint things. I did give up on the strapping, as painting it black looked rubbish. 

Boxes are 31 by 19 by 15mm, and a nice fun detail for your G scale or 16mm trains. And all finished in time for tea. Turkey sandwich anyone?

Merry Christmas

 

Model Railway Club Open Day 2023

 

 

 

In the run-up to Christmas, I like to take a trip to London to enjoy the lights and general festive decorations. This year, I was particually keen to see the amazing library St Pancras Christmas tree. The date was a bit up in the air, until I realsied that the MRC were holding an open day one Sunday, and a quick check on the web showed a train to the capital would be possible. 

The tree is amazing, but not as comfortable to sit in as you might think. The cushions on those wooden seats are only printed!

Anyway, it's a short stroll to Keen House, where I was welcomed with open arms. Once I'd paid my entrance fee of course. 

In the main room, with the test tracks and second-hand stall, could be found part of Copenhagen Fields, the newly operational York Road tube station. 

Chatting to Tim Watson, the plan is to automate it using DCC so a series of trains can be operated without someone stuck on the control panel going mad. 

A suitably festive addition could be seen on the roof. Tim wasn't happy with the chunky nature of these reindeer, and so they were destined for some modification to make them more finescale. This work has now been carried out, and written up for the club newsletter. 

 

 

Up in the library, we found "Sandy Shores" and "Canutte Road Quay" operated by Jamie Warne and Graham Muzpratt repectively. It was good to see both layout and enjoy long chats with their operators. 

 

Interesting too, to see the new-look library. Previously a collection of metal cabinets, the new fit-out with folding doors hiding the bookshelves is a lot nicer to look at. I understand that there was to be an opening ceremony with Pete Waterman the next day, and a photo shoot for Hello magazine. 

I'd no idea how long I'd be at the event, a couple of hours was my guess, but this turned out to be an underestimate. The MRC, and it's members, is an interesting place. Well worth the trip if they have an open day. 

After this, there was mooching around Covent Garden and Leicester Square. I can't get over the size of some of the decorations, and the special displays put on by various firms. 

After that, a quick tube back to Marylebone, and a train back home reading my traditional London purchase, a copy of Private Eye. 

An excellent day out. Topped off by the topper on Leamington Station post box...

Saturday Film Club: Banbury level crossing

Quite an innocuous bit of film this one, but all the more interesting because it shows normal life in the now distant year of 1987. I like to kid myself that this wasn't that long ago really...

A selection of Santas

 

While we all know there is only one Santa, I seem to be amassing a collection of them!

The latest, at the front, comes from Motley Miniatures, and was picked up at Rowington a couple of weeks ago. He's useful, because he is sitting down, not standing like the two HGLW versions behind. 

He's even a good fit in the HGLW sleigh I mounted on rail wheels. 

I wonder where I can photograph him over the festive season?

Festive unboxing

I've finally caught up with something passed my way by West Hill Wagon Works a few months ago. It's a festive unboxing of a rather superb Class 37 enginer, in Guage 1!

The Alan Gibson Files: Somersault Signal

This image isn't very large, 5 inches by 3, and the original is pale and indistinct. A little fiddling in Photoshop darkens it and allows a proper look at the signal Alan was photographing. Sadly, no details of the location are available, but it's certainly an interesting angle to look at the mechanism.

Festive Hornby and the WonderWorks

 

This time last week, I was down in "sunny" Margate to visit the good folks at Hornby. Sadly, I can't tell you anything about the things I saw, other than to say the building looks really nice lit up for Christmas. Well, nice except the sun is going down, and I still had the M25 to tackle...

I did manage a tour of WonderWorks, the new-look visitor centre. The old place was looking a bit tired, and the refit has turned it from a bit of a maze, to somewhere that's easy to get around. It's bright and inviting too. The old version was a bit like a museum with some interactive stuff bolted on. This version is much more coherent in that respect. Basically, it's a family-friendly tourist attraction. 

Maybe I lament some of the older material not being on show, but that's because I am old and nerdy. The average 10-year-old would not be interested in cases full of Tri-ang. There are still some, just not as many. 

They will be interested in the info on how kits are made now, with both railway and slot car displays. If you are interested in modern production methods, this is great. 

That's not to say history has been ignored. Fitting 100 years into the space must have been a challenge. 

My favourite exhibit? A wooden motor mockup three times life size, as part of the display showing how Scalextric cars used to be designed. 

Worth a visit? On balance, yes if you are in the area, or can arrange to be so. Take the family too, I think they will enjoy it.

Beatties for live steam!

Mamod has a new owner, we covered this in Garden Rail last month, but by coincidence, I found this Beatties leaflet on the RCTS stand at a show for 50p a few weeks ago. Just think, all these models are still available. You can even get spares for them!

Steam at Rowington 2023

 

Half an hours drive away from me is the village of Rowington, home to a 32mm gauge line I regularily run trains on, and in December "Steam at Rowington" organised by John Sutton. While a village hall show, it's a terrific village hall show. 

Four layouts, two in 16mm scale, one in G, and a 7mm scale Listow and Ballybunion project, were to be seen, plus eight quality traders. This event punches above its weight!

On the stage was a 16mm layout, complete with an "Otter" from the Groudle Glen Railway. My Dad loves this loco, and it would sit very nicely with our 7/8th scale "SeaLion". Based on a Boot Lane Works loco, unavailable in 45mm gauge, it's got us thinking about our own model. Sadly, this tiny Bagnall is a bit odd, and there isn't a plan, to my knowledge. Some dimensions are available from the Groudle book, but I may have to take a tape measure on a future visit to the line...

In the centre of the hall is a 32mm gauge oval with a scenic area representing a TR halt. Lots of lovely steam running here, but clearances had to be checked as they were tight!

Finally, a bit of L&B (not that one). If you know your history, you'll recognise this as the basis of the prototype locomotive. Sadly, my photo of the scenic section didn't come out, but it's looking good. There is even the remote possibility of the best known rolling stock appearing as kits...

The cake situation was excellent. A really light and fluffy chocolate cake with such an airy cream centre. One of the best I've ever tasted. A perfect pre-Christmas event.

Saturday Film Club: A model airport

I'm not too sure what to say about this. The model is impressive, and popular enough to have been shipped around the world for display, but, it's not great, is it? 

I'd love to know more about it. What happened to the display? How did it work? 

Looking online, a fiver buys you a souvenier postcard showing the whole scene. 

There's a mention in the Canberra times, where it appears they hired a female assistant locally. Does that mean the young lady in the film isn't the owners wife? 

Another apperance is hosted on Facebook, although the quality is a bit ropey. 

Whatever, a facinating model. Very much an early Miniature Wunderland.

Aero Windmill

 

Picked up when clearing out a workshop, something novel - a windmill water pump supplied as a kit by Aero Manufacturing Co.LLC of America. 

The model is 48cm tall, and made of galvanised metal, with the exception of some steel rods for the pivots. 

The instructions are with the model, and shows that it would have arrived as a set of metal strips, to be bolted together by the modeller. A plan is included to aid assembly. 

I've always been abivelent about these pumps, they are more a feature of the American west, than the UK, although they certainly were seen in this country. Now I own one, it will have to become parts of the layout. I'll oil the steel bearings, and possibly paint the parts that should be painted looking at the manufacturers models. I won't be trying to replicate the text on the tail though!

January 2024 Garden Rail

 

A garden railway is a long-term project. 18 years after his line was first born, Ian Midgley takes us for a journey along the Silverdale Light Railway (North). Plenty has been learnt along the way, but the moment Ian sees a whisp of steam from an engine trundling down the garden, it's all worthwhile.

On the workbench this month:

• Building a Modeltown steam lorry
• Anglicising an LGB locomotive
• Fitting Regner locos with radio control
• Making ceramic buildings
• Simple, remote point control
• Scratchbuilding a sheep wagon.
• Building a travelling van
• Creating timetables using dice

Plus all the new products for modellers in the larger scales.

The Alan Gibson Files: 76031

The smalled print in the collection, a mere 80 by 54mm, and one of the few with any information. On the back, in pencil, we have "S. Tottenham. BR Cl4 2-6-0". 

A nice workaday shot of what would have been a common sight at the time. 

Frustratingly, I can't read the chalk writing on the tender, even when blowing it up on screen. Anyone fancy a guess?

Narrow gauge coaches

Rummaging around for some 009 stock to pose on a project, I found a pair of coaches bought at the 009 Society 50th Anniversary show. 

The sharp eyed will notice that they are a bit (gasp) foreign. And they would be right. Both are from Lilliput. The orange one is a Zillerfalbahn buffet car, albeit with no interior (replacements are available) and the green is labelled "Steiermärkische Landesbahnen", which Google translate tells me means Syrian State Railways. 

Technically, this means they are Hoe models, but I'm not fussy. They look nice, and didn't cost a fortune. 

Anyway, I added them to the 009 fleet because I don't have much luck with coaching stock. A rake of Dundas 4-wheelers built years ago are steadily falling to pieces. Admitedly, they were assembled in a hurry, but 009 kit built stock never seems to feel as solid as RTR stuff. 

So, I'm thinking these are a bit Welshpool-ish. They run foreign stick, so I don't think this is too horrible. They don't look iconic either - I have some Peco bug-boxes, but they say FR too much for me. I need stock that doesn't shout its location.

A long term dream is to repaint these into blood and custard livery, or at least a pastiche of it so they can be properly freelance models. I think that might look better than the current colours. Or maybe not. Opinions? 

 

C5 disapointment

I was a Sinclair kid at school. 

Starting with the ZX81 (1k and then with the 16k RAM pack), I progressed to a Spectrum with the whopping 48k of memory. How we Sinclair kids looked down on the Commodore lossers in the playground. Yes, they could display more colours in a character. And had proper sound. And a keyboard, not made of dead flesh, but their programming language was rubbish. Sinclairs were for those who would lead the computer revolution. 

Anyway, because of this, part of me has always wanted a Sinclair C5, uncle Clive's first venture into electric vehicles. Yes, it was too low, and the press just laughed at it, but this always happens when inventions are ahead of their time. 

Truth is, the only reason I don't own one is lack of space to easily store it. Prices for a nice example are about a grand, not scary for a classic car, especially one so iconic. 

Then it all went wrong. At the classic car show, someone on the C5 stand kindly let me sit in one. For the first time ever. 

And I don't fit. My feet can get on the pedals, but only just, and I can't turn them. I'm simply too tall. A Sinclair C5 is idea for someone about 6 inches shorter than me, but that's it. 

Another dream shattered. Now, where can I find a nice City-El?

From Twitter:

Person A) Still debating whether to attend The Classic Car Show at the NEC tomorrow. Have always wanted to go, but £38 for a ticket, plus £2.50 admin fee, plus £13 for pre-booked parking does not feel like value. That’s before the cost of fuel, food & drink.

Person B) How much is a brilliant experience worth?

Person A) True, but some are saying the experience isn’t that brilliant.

Person C) At least there should be plenty of great YT content for those of us unable to get there!

Person A) I’m counting on it, as I am quickly talking myself out of going now!   

My feeling? It cost me £40 to get in (it's cheaper at the weekend). Plus my train ticket, so just over 50 for the day. I ate a less-than-brilliant burger and a piece of cake (custard and almond slice, 7/10) which cost an amount I've forgotten. 

And I really, really enjoyed myself. 

The show is massive, got in at 10, left at 5:45. Clocked 12,000 steps and didn't retrace many. 

I appreciate that this is a lot of money, but the show won't be cheap to put on. Seven halls of the NEC cost more than £100 you know. There is more display than trade too, so not so much income. 

Still, you can always sit at home in your pants and watch some wobbly footage on YouTube. I can also do that, but I don't consider video to be the same as going to the show. You don't get to spend 20 minutes discussing the finer points of a vintage Rolls-Royce with its owner for example. Or try a vehicle for size (more of that tomorrow). 

In the meantime, some photos on Flickr. 

Saturday Film Club: The Bridport branch line 1975

One of my favourite books is Stopping Train Britain. It records the last days of what we might call the 'traditional railway' and there is more than a hint of melancholy about the whole thing. I think this video of the last days of the Bridport line does this well too. You have to wonder what those passengers did once the trains stopped running. 

And if you want to know what there is there now...

Does the duck swim?

 

You may remember that my "big" purchase from the model boat club auction, was a radio controled duck. You might even have wondered if the thing worked. After all, I only paid a fiver. 

The answer is - Yes. 

But not until I had worked out how it operated. The duck is a moulded body, which hides a radio control hull underneath. Rechargable batteries are charged from a USB port, and I duly plugged them in. 

Once fitted into the hull, the transmitter was fed some fresh AA's and swtiched on. A green light flashed on the side, but nothing else happened. I tried another battery, with the same result. 

Frustrated, i took the bird down to the boat club to enquire of the seller. At the price, I couldn't complain if this duck turned out to be a pup, but wondered if there was something I was missing. 

There was. I don't know where, but the hull has a liquid sensor. The props won't rotate until the model is on the water. Launch it, and the transmitter light comes on, and stays on. And the duck sails

Stile and micro diorama in BRM

A bit of scenery in January's BRM. We kick off with a 4-step build of a countryside stile. 

And a Kato micro diorama, as mentioned earlier this week: 

The model is based on my "Layout in a Day" from the NGRS.

My camera has been out to record another couple of fantastic layouts: 

Norwich Central in O gauge. 

Henstridge in N.

 

The Alan Gibson Files: Expansion Link

 

Something a little arty from the late Mr Gibson this week, a close up of an expansion link. Something for all you Walschaerts fans.

I joined the circus!

Final Warley mention, I promise.

In th latest issue of BRM, I write up building a micro-diorama as part of the Kato Minidiorama Circus. Basically, there are two standard bases, one with stright track, and one with a curve. People build their model, and then the dioramas are linked up to form a circuit. 

It's great fun, and some of the models are bonkers, but as you can imagine, it appeals to me. 

Entrants have to book their models in in advance, but that's not too painful. Then drop the model off at the stand, and the staff do the rest. 

It's a lot of fun, and I'm tempted to build another, but madder, diorama at some point. Maybe this will just be another dream, but if I can think of a suitably out there idea...

So, what did you buy at Warley then?

 

The thing with working at Warley, is there isn't much time for spending money. I mean, I don't need any more toy trains, but not to leave a show without the odd goodie is just weird. 

We'll ignore the stash of materials from Squires, because piles of Plastikard and paint don't look exciting in photos. Just know there was a bag-full. 

My first buy was a whitemetal kit for a Liverpool class lifeboat. No idea how I'll make it float, or fit the radio control gear, but that's the fun of it! (I've actually got several kits from this range. They don't appear that often, so I grab them when I spot them.)

Next, a door paper from a Scottish train. The seller had many of these, but I've travelled this route, so it's three quids worth of nostalgia. I remember when these were introduced to carriage doors, and know I wasn't the only trainspotter to surreptitiously remove them for our collections. 

Finally, a couple of 32mm guage Swift Sixteen wagons for six quid each from th Ellis Clarke stand. There were a few more, and looking at these, I really should have spent more time digging, and brought a few more home. 

A reasonably restrained haul then. 

Oh, there was one more thing. 

Stuart at Locomotion said he had something I'd like. It turns out this means a "Flying Scotsman" rubber duck. And he was right. It's just the right level of stupid for me!

(And before you ask, yes, they are going to do a blue one called "Mallard")