The Club builds and operates layouts in a variety of scales.
Class 20 conversion to EM – with Gibson wheels
In the latest of the blogs on straight forward conversions of OO to EM gauge, this is a conversion of a Class 20 using the Alan Gibson pack of wheels and new axles -available direct or via the EM Gauge Society. The conversion pack is suitable for the Bachmann Class 20 & 25 and the …read more.
Jul 12, 2020
Bow Junction in Lockdown
Along with everyone else, when lockdown was announced we simply stopped meetings at Keen House, and the layouts were left as they were. For Bow Junction, that meant set up in our lower hall, with the track making good progress as shown here: And here’s the work on the trackwork into the shed And that …read more.
Jul 5, 2020
Regauging a Replica chassis to EM
The Replica Railways powered chassis is a good product, that makes building EMU and DMU kits much easier, with a good motor and drive system picking up from and powering all 8 wheels. It could be used for example on the MLV and Class 455 projects Chris has described. It come as three options, with …read more.
Jun 27, 2020
Minories Fiddle Yard Control Panel
Every layout needs a control panel – well all of mine do because I haven’t progressed from DC control as I find traditional DC control still works perfectly well and I’m not too bothered about lights and loco sound. The extension of the fiddle yard on Minories meant a new fiddle yard control panel …read more.
Jun 20, 2020
Track Building – Part 2
In Part 1, I outlined the plan to build new track and points in EM gauge for Minories for the expanded fiddle yard. Here’s how it went, starting off with how it ended up – the full sized layout up in the library at Keen House. Most of this track building work took place in …read more.
May 31, 2020
Young MRC – Wagon Workshop
Although Young MRC meetings have had to be suspended, here’s an update from one of our regular attendees Ali and his dad Andy on some work they have had a chance to do at home. One of the projects I have been working on during lockdown and beyond was to sort out all of the …read more.
May 31, 2020
Constructing an Ian Kirk ‘O’ gauge Siphon H – the hard way!
I decided to do things the hard way when building a Siphon H, instead of choosing the quick and easy (and more sensible) option. I soon nicknamed the project ‘Monty Siphon’ as at times it was almost like a Monty Python sketch, where I stumbled from one problem to the next. First a little bit …read more.
May 24, 2020
Building Trapezium Baseboards for Minories
The classic Minories layout is a terminus to fiddle yard design – and that is what we built back in 2007 and how the layout has operated for many years. With a good team of operators we’ve presented a slick service of peak hour trains running in and out of the station’s three platforms at …read more.
May 23, 2020
Lynton and Barnstable – an embryonic “OO8” project
I have always had a soft spot for the Lynton & Barnstable railway: a narrow gauge railway but with standard gauge style. Over the last couple of years we have holidayed a few times in North Devon, visited the area and, of course, the preserved railway itself. A grand little line, that is becoming a …read more.
May 22, 2020
The Etymology of Copenhagen Fields – Part 1
This article was first published in Bulletin 423 – available to download in the members’ section of the website. The observant amongst you will have noticed that there are many shops, factories and vehicles on Copenhagen Fields, some of which carry names. Quite a few of you will realise that many of these names have …read more.
May 9, 2020
A Tale of Two Signal Boxes in 2mm Scale for Copenhagen Fields
The Model Railway Club’s 2FS “Copenhagen Fields” layout requires no less than six signal boxes. Some years ago I made one of them, “Belle Isle Up” [ “BIU” ], and I was asked to then build its opposite number “Belle Isle Down” [ “BID” ]. Well, what with one thing and another proper 2mm modelling …read more.
May 7, 2020
Signalling Orchard Wharf – Updated
Here’s work in progress on a signal controlling the ramp track between the upper and lower levels of our new EM gauge layout “Orchard Wharf”. It’s my first attempt at a signal in brass. This signal is a MSE kit with a 20ft height. I have gone away from prototypical a couple of times for …read more.
May 1, 2020