The Club builds and operates layouts in a variety of scales.
1950’s overhead 25kv line project nears the end
Ingatestone received its overhead line equipment in the 1950’s which is mostly still in situ today. Our OO layout has reached a milestone after the completion and installation of our brass replicas, scratch built by Tony Rees. Board One was moved out of Keen House to Tony’s home so he could continue the work …read more.
Nov 22, 2020
Class 455/9 EMU
The Class 455 four car multiple unit has for many of our members been the workhorse of their commutes and trips on the suburban ‘southern’ region. Here Chris outlines the prototype history and how he’s constructed the Bratchell Models kit to represent a South West Trains unit in OO gauge, with its colourful but tricky …read more.
Jun 6, 2020
Class 419 “MLV” – Prototype history and a kit built model in OO Gauge
The Class 419 Motor Luggage Van was once a familiar sight on southern region boat trains at Platforms 1 and 2 at Victoria station. Here Chris outlines the prototype history and how he’s constructed the Replica kit in its later striking Royal Mail red livery. The Prototype In the decades before the advent of the …read more.
May 30, 2020
Laser cut coaches
Like many Railway Modelling addicts I was born sometime in the middle of the last Century. At that time The Hobby (my capitals) was pursued in a cultural climate where television was monochrome if available and heavy industry was commonplace. Being a master craftsman was a mark of distinction. Computers were unknown to the general …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
Corridor Connections – improve the appearance of coaches
Hornby and other manufacturer put in a great deal of effort to ensure that an appropriate model is as accurate as possible within the tooling process, and produced at a price that we can afford. But there are extra touches that make a real difference – including closing up the corridor connections so there is …read more.
May 16, 2020
Renumbering a Hornby Bulleid Light Pacific – from Bude to Yeovil
On the 75th anniversary of the first Bulleid Light Pacific rolling out of Brighton, here’s an article from our Bulletin archive about renumbering and detailing the Hornby model. Some time ago fellow MRC member Ian Lamb and I discussed the possibility of converting the then new Hornby Bulleid Light Pacific into one that replicated how …read more.
May 8, 2020
Exchange Sidings – A start in EM gauge
In Bulletin 416, I outlined the plans for a small shunting EM gauge layout that we would try to build in a weekend. So did we do it? The 21 and 22 February 2004 were the days chosen for the project. Despite a number of offers of assistance, I was slightly concerned on whether the …read more.
May 8, 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
Quintart Build – Part 2
The bodies all follow the same principle for construction and just to confuse things these pictures aren’t all of the same coach. A reminder, this is how they come: As well as sanding off the pips where the elements are joined in the printing, there was a small amount of filing of some window frames. …read more.
Apr 23, 2020
Quintart Build – Part 1
Our new club EM gauge layout “Orchard Wharf” is in need of some stock, and one of the items asked for the peak hour passenger service is a Gresley Quintart set. Why and what is a Quintart – because they are rakes of 5 coach bodies, with only 6 bogies with the coaches articulating and …read more.
Apr 19, 2020Orchard Wharf July 2018 update
In June Empire Mills was sold. Following its departure the space it occupied was cleared out and the baseboards for Orchard Wharf moved in. Thanks to the Lacey Dale team we now have a space for both groups to work in. NB look out for the writeup of Empire Mills in the August 2018 BRM …read more.
Jul 23, 2018