A New Item for layout.

For Christmas I received a Diesel Multiple Unit of the type that was around when I was watching trains as a boy. I have decided that to the best of my ability I will set the scene around 1960 on this model. Steam is still around in large numbers but DMUs are also in use. The video shows both in this clip with a general view of the 6 x 4 layout. I also received a number of Metcalfe and other model kits for Christmas and my birthday, so these are being constructed and should appear here soon.

Model railway operations

Just to give me a break from model building I thought I'd run a few trains. I suppose I'll need a timetable soon. The double arch bridge is based on a Whiskas cat food box but is now covered in a mixture of bricks including some from a scalescenes kit that didn't quite fit without an extension piece in the middle. What started of as a rural scene covered in grass is gradually being covered with various items.

Railway Modelling- Naming the Stations

It appears that when you build a model railway layout you have to give the places on it names.

My layout now has two stations, so I have decided to call them Nittingham Central and Woollen Halt. These are mainly Midland Region but may get occasional visitors from other regions, usually with football specials. The names are derived from the other use of the bedroom which is the storeroom for ‘Glytknits’ (Soft scarves and knitted goods) that Glynis has started to make to sell at local flea markets.

Station 2 only has access to platform 2 at the moment and Station 1 has no access at all until I construct an underpass to the planned car park.

The bridge at Station 2 is based on a Scalescenes bridge that did not fit, so it is now heavily cut about and modified for this location. Any amateurism in the build is due to the fact I am a complete novice at kit building and have never tried scratch building before.

Track testing on the model railway

I have now constructed a few more items and had added some ballast in places, so I am running a train round to ensure it does not hit anything or fall off. The scalescenes bridge did not fit, I have told them and they have refunded my money and added a note on the site about where it will and won't fit. I have decided to modify my bridge to make it an access point to a station. The video will show some of these changes.

Model railway buildings.

As the model is looking rather bare I have started to build a few buildings for it. The source of these is a web site called Scalescenes.com (http://www.scalescenes.com/) where you can buy the plans to make your own kits. The two I have started with are free, but they also sell the plans at reasonable prices, and once downloaded you can use the plans as often as you like on your model.

The kit above is a Waiting Room/Shelter, and the unfinished one below is a low relief warehouse. Click on pictures to see a bigger version.

Railways in Photos

Steam Trains by Bob Tame | Make Your Own Book

Not, strictly speaking anything to do with Model railways, but here is a preview of my book of full size railway photos.

Disruption to Model Railway Operations

Model railway operations were disrupted for a while today by a large furry obstruction on the track. The problem was solved by rattling a bowl of catfood in the Kitchen, whereupon Morgan left the scene to investigate.

Father's Day

Now I've started to build a model railway I don't think I will ever run out of things to ask for when I'm asked what I'd like for Christmas, Birthday or Father's day.

Here are a few of the things bought with my Father's day amazon voucher from Heather, thank you Heather.

The model railway in Action

Here it is running fairly well, but watch out for the wobbling coach that tells me the track alignment is not good.

Railway Modelling in 00 Gauge - continued

Well we have added some siding in the middle and can run trains, but it has a few problems with the track not being very level. I also have problems reaching the back when it is down, and if a train is going to de-rail it will do so at the back. One of the points has a dead spot so the train will stall on it and being DCC it then starts again from a standstill. if you go fast enough inertia may get it past the deadspot.
Sidings have beeen added	with goods shed and station

but much more has to be done to make it run properly.

Railway Modelling ..continued

The layout will now fold up and down, and when it is up can be hidden from view as shown, this hides all the wires and the underside of the board. You would hardly know it was there now.

I have built part of a station, and it has to go in the middle of the layout so there will be a terminal station in the middle. There may yet be one on the main loop as well, and I have to find a home for a goods shed, an engine shed and some terraced houses once they are built. Pictures will follow.

Double O gauge modelling - part 4

Well the board is fixed to the wall and can be folded up and down. The supports have been hidden behind plasterboard which just needs painting (one day).

The boards will fold up and down independantly and I have relaid the track approaching the join at the back so it meets up accurately. An electrical feed has been made from the left to the right board, so all the track is live, it just remains to do some live testing with a train before I continue to finish it off.



At the moment I have two circuits and a passing loop, I now need some sidings in the middle but havent yet decided how to lay them out. I have decided to build some model kits and see how they look on the board, this may decide the layout for the middle of the model.


I even got as far as running two trains at once. The track in the middle was just tempoary to run trucks into but may yet be incorporated in the plan.

Double O gauge modelling - part 3

After extensive negotiations, I was told I could put the layout in Bedroom 4, providing that it could be put away for guests to use the room, therefore a fold up layout has been decided on. Because I cannot reach the back when it has been folded down, I am keeping it in two parts for the time being, but hopefully when it is complete I will be able to lift and drop the two parts together to keep the track aligned.

Double O gauge modelling - part 2

Layout has been moved to the Conservatory for more construction, one part of the board at a time.

I am using an old level crossing to get the track centres the right distance apart.

Planning as I go I decided to put all my old track out.

And to get some rolling stock to test how it runs on the track.

The Double O layout - The beginning

Firstly I received a digital starter set for my Birthday, then my son donated his two old sets, as photographed in previous blog. I realised I didn't have much track, so I started looking on Ebay to see if I could get any reasonably priced bits. I found two curved points and some curved track which I got from there.

Next step was to work out how to use the curved points to form a crossover point from third radius to second radius. I want a double track oval as the basic layout, but did not like the track plan that came with the starter set so I decided to create my own plan.

I decided to use a 6x4 baseboard, but to construct it as two 4 x 3 to make it more manageable. Here is an early example of how the points may fit. I've had to buy some short track lengths to go with the points.



I have some old track and points which I am using in the planning stage, although they may be too dirty to use in the layout, unless they clean up. I could use them for effect in unused corners of the layout.

Building a model railway - why?

When I was a lad I had a small model railway which had to be assembled and dis-assembled , and was rather envious of two of my friends. One had a railway layout in his father’s toy shop , which he could play with when the shop was closed and one had a Hornby Dublo layout in his loft that was permanently available. I think mine was sold off to be replaced by a 6 ft. snooker table when I was a teenager.

When I grew up and had children, I had to buy them a railway, and so did my mother and we did get it out in the living room a few times.


I had plans to put it in the spare bedroom of our 4 bedroomed house, but before I had a chance to do so baby three came along and took that bedroom.

My enthusiasm never completely waned and was rekindled last year with two visits, one to Pecorama at Beer where there are several layouts on show and one to the NEC for the Warley Annual Railway Modellers exhibition, with lots of models on display.

PECORAMA:-


NEC:-







Once these had been seen I decided to start a model for myself and put a train set on my Birthday list, much to the surprise of the family.

What happens next will be the next blog.

A beginning in N Gauge

It is too cold to continue work on the 00 layout in the garage so we'll test the 'N' gauge starter set bought recently, on the dining room table. A baseboard has been found for the project and suitably modified for the smaller size. It was to be an 8 x 1 ft OO gauge project but is now a 4 x 2 for the 'N' gauge. A couple of straights and a point have been added to the Starter set, but as there is no plan yet nothing is fixed down. So here we go. Click on the arrow below to start the video.