The Club builds and operates layouts in a variety of scales.
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, 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
Point Rodding
We have been doing quite a bit of work behind the scenes in the last few weeks to make CF easier to shift and exhibit – especially as we have Ally Pally coming up in less than a fortnight. We have a truly massive fiddle yard board at the back that has undergone a weight …read more.
Mar 14, 2017
Putnam – October update
Following Putnam’s last showing at the London Festival of Railway Modelling in March, work has commenced on expanding the side of the layout away from public view. The storage sidings, now shared with the clubs a-building modern image OO gauge layout Ingatestone, are being increased from 8 to 13 lines. The Club’s carpentry whizz has …read more.
Oct 19, 2016
Empire Mills gets a turntable
Following our last blog in May, we have unpacked the layout from its hibernation and a group of members gathered to go through the list of stuff that we thought needed doing. Now as we know, there is no ‘right way’ to build a model railway. There are certainly some wrong ways but most of us have a …read more.
Jun 26, 2016
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.
May 30, 2016
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.
May 29, 2016
Ingatestone turns the corner !
After a lot of wiring, testing of the track power on Ingatestone has started – here we have Bachmann Class 37/4 37421 on the up line on board 6 powering round the corner – next Thursday we will be testing the boards that will be attending London Festival of Railway Modelling at Alexandra Palace. Come …read more.
Feb 28, 2016
Ingatestone powers ahead !
This weekend saw Lawrence. Mo and Tom make progress with the power wiring for the layout, as well as on the woodworking. Protector boards to avoid track damage on board ends are being fabricated, and the covers for the trolleys that will be home to the corner boards 5 and 6 took more steps forward. …read more.
Feb 8, 2016
Off our trolleys?
It is often said that rail fans are off their trolleys! But the guys working on Ingatestone 00 are now firmly on and in control of their trolley’s. We have been putting in some painstaking work (gold star for Mo for his skill and guidance) to build some trolleys so the layout can be …read more.
Nov 16, 2015
Empire Mills – Getting ready for Portsmouth
I haven’t posted for a while – this doesn’t mean we haven’t been doing anything we have – well I haven’t but the team has. However, with an exhibition looming we have had a burst of activity that quite frankly puts our gentle summer progress to shame. The show – its all about the show …read more.
Oct 14, 2015
Baseboard Joints
Baseboard joints are a necessary evil if you ever have to move your layout. Scenically they create what is often an obvious rift line across our otherwise beautiful handiwork, but operationally they can be a major cause of unreliability. So I try to make the joints as unobvious as I can, but robust enough to …read more.
May 19, 2015