The Club builds and operates layouts in a variety of scales.
A Freightliner for Minories
Freightliners were a regular feature on the section of railway I overlooked as a child, running down off the WCML through Primrose Hill and Camden Road. The Hornby model is clearly very dated: and I could never quite convince myself to buy the Colin Craig etched kits that I have jealously watched on other layouts, …read more.
Aug 6, 2020
Getting Dirty – The Art of Weathering
I suppose of all the model railways skills I may, or may not have, weathering rolling stock is probably my best and certainly the one I get the most enjoyment and satisfaction from. All set up in my new conservatory! Bill Water’s M7 mentioned in the article gets the air brush treatment with my new …read more.
Jul 30, 2020
Bow Junction – July 2020 Update
We have managed to make some progress on Bow Junction during the lockdown. Here is a photo of the Foundry board and the mainline behind it. We are now fixing the track connection to the Foundry. Progress is also being made in connection with rolling stock. As you can see there are about 25 wagons displayed with …read more.
Jul 26, 2020
York Road – Underground modelling 35 years on
I recently retrieved the cardboard placeholder model of York Road tube station from Keen House, prior to going on holiday in Cornwall. This has enabled me to make a good start on the definitive building. Unbelievably it is approximately 35 years since I made the original Caledonian Road station. I always like to use a …read more.
Jul 25, 2020
Sarum Road – Part 10
Or how I got a new set of legs without surgery… Legs, I like ‘em – apart from the ones I originally designed for Sarum Road (based on an upturned wine glass – now there’s a surprise). I was never happy with them and after two or three years of cogitation decided that aluminium angle …read more.
Jul 16, 2020A Pagoda for Great Shefford
The latest to emerge from the South East Cornwall workshop ( which has been quite productive since summer ended and it has been raining for the last month ) is this 2mm scale “pagoda” for Richard Wilson’s Great Shefford project in 2mm scale. It has home-made corrugated aluminium sheeting over a plasticard shell. The roof …read more.
Jul 11, 2020
Sarum Road – Part 9 – The End?
The Bendy Legs I was never happy with the guttering nuts and bolts used on the legs and eventually found a supply of the binding screws used in bookbinding. For anyone not familiar with them, they consist of two items: a hollow stud, threaded internally and a threaded bolt, both with larger, round slotted ends. …read more.
Jul 9, 2020
Narrow Gauge Baldwin OOn3 kit
I’ve always had a bit of an interest in narrow gauge as being different and some of the layouts I’ve seen over the years. In a rash moment a few years ago I bought a kit for a loco at a model railway exhibition and this describes the build. It’s not a super detailed model, …read more.
Jul 4, 2020
Sarum Road – Part 8 – Nearly There
Scenery II O the joy of it! Finally beginning to fill in the bare bits! I was going to use the sides of cardboard boxes for filling the bits of bare board between the cork underlay. I tried it out first with some scrim and Idenden (see below) and the water content (I think) of …read more.
Jul 2, 2020
Sarum Road – Part 7 – Ballasting
Scenery at last! A bit of the third dimension comes to Sarum Road! But first the ballasting… Oh well… Ballast Ballasting. What is there new to be said about it? Lengthy, tedious and boring are the usual but I had one of my bright ideas to make it quick and easy! Simple. Neat. Easy. And …read more.
Jun 25, 2020
All that glistens is not gold
The dome and chimney on Yeo are rather poor painted affairs, as supplied by Heljan. However the chimney is a brass turning, so easily improved with a few strokes of a file and some polishing. However, the dome is not so easy to remedy. I therefore chopped it out of the boiler, using my milling …read more.
Jun 21, 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