A G-scale commission – Part 4 – The Django Express Arrives

The owner of the venue was persuaded to allow us to put removable brackets up along the way to support the layout, which was a major relief, as we were worried that if supported only on the legs if someone grabbed it and fell over, they could bring the layout with it. The brackets not …read more.

A G-scale Commission -Part 3

Work continued, with more track laid, and the wiring following closely behind. The connectors are 3-pin XLRs, with wires linking directly between the sockets on the boards and then to each section of rail. There are separate jumpers between each of the boards. The wire is thicker than we’d normally use, to make sure it …read more.

A G-scale commission – Part 2

Work has continued over the weekend, with all 15 boards now made. The picture here shows 12 of them with some of the underside cross-bracing. What’s more, they all fit together, but our work-room is only about 10m long, so it’s not possible to erect the full length at one time, even if we didn’t …read more.

A G-scale commission – Part 1

As you can imagine, we get a fairly steady stream of requests to help others make bespoke model railways, from a huge range of people – private individuals, TV and film productions and fixed installations in  commercial premises. We aren’t in a position to help with most for all sorts of reasons (normally unrealistic budgets and timescales), …read more.

“Blacklade” in Hornby Magazine

MRC member Stephen Siddle’s OO gauge layout “Blacklade” is featured in the June 2016 edition of Hornby Magazine – which is on sale now. You can get a taster for the layout on our Blog, but there is more about it including some lovely pictures in the magzine.

Ingatestone goes to the Palace !

A very successful weekend for Ingatestone at the London Festival Of Railway Modelling held last weekend at Alexandra Palace. After the safe delivery of the three boards (numbers 4 to 6), the “in progress” demo drew a lot of attention and positive comment from the show-goers. Over the weekend, all of the group took their …read more.

3 Red Panniers Project – Blog 2: It’s ‘EM’ Easy

Progress on L96 continues as I make preparations for detailing on the tank body. Meanwhile, I have started work on the second Pannier ‘L90’ which will be converted to EM (18.2 mm) gauge. For this, I have bought a Gibson conversion package which includes the following: OO/EM Wheel set + Axles Crankpins Coupling Rod Bushes …read more.

3 Red Panniers Project – Blog 1: Farewell GWR

Red Pannier Tanks became a standard feature on the London Transport Network until the 70’s. Their small size was ideal for transporting goods across the Sub-surface network, many were seen trundling across the Metropolitan Line in the final years of Steam on the Underground. There has always been something about Panniers that I have found …read more.

Manatee Bay

“Manatee Bay” is Eddie Thompson’s winning entry in the MRC’s 2015 layout challenge. It’s a fictitious H0 marine terminal (part of a larger layout) located on a river estuary on the Florida Panhandle operated by Seaboard Air Line Railroad.   The inspiration for the layout came from the March 2014 edition of Model Railroader which …read more.

Old Head

  “Old Head – County Mayo” is Nestor Middleton’s entry into the MRC 2015 layout challenge. The Location The railway came to this remote little part of County Mayo when the Midland Great Western railway of Ireland opened its line to Westport in 1866. Not before long, a short extension was opened to Westport Quay …read more.

Newton Peverill

“Newton Peverill” is Mike Lloyd’s entry in the MRC’s 2015 Layout Challenge.  It’s an N-gauge Great Western terminus, that whilst meeting the criteria of the challenge has been designed to be extended to 8’x1′ to make it more operationally interesting.    

“Narrow Gorge” – OOn3 microlayout

“Narrow Gorge” is Tom Cunnington’s entry in the MRC’s 2015 layout challenge.

Although not his first layout,, it is a first attempt at a number of techniques, including narrow gauge (all the kit-built stock is new for the layout), modelling cliffs and water, and trying to give depth in a very small footprint. It was also a bit of a rush, having previously decided (several times) that it would be a distraction from other projects.

It’s built at 1:76 scale, the same as OO, but with narrower 3′  gauge track – normally called “OOn3”

Here’s the diary of how it was built over 18 days, mostly an hour or two later in the evening (with apologies for viewers on some mobile devices – the photos keep rotating back)