Category Archives: Hints and tips

An N-gauge micro-layout

Came across this little N-gauge micro-layout by Mike Holly on the Model Railroad Hobbyist forum.  It’s only 43.5 cm x 17.5 cm in size (I guess about 18″ x 7″.)  Operation is made possible by two short traversers at either … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Layout design, Out and about | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Finding your vocation

Forty years ago or so, I studied engineering with a nutter good friend called Tony Knight.  It’s taken the whole of that forty years for him to find his true vocation.  The intervening years were spent doing things like time in the … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Out and about, Weird and wonderful | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Odd modelling ideas #23

Last Thursday was spent just outside Glasgow, in a site two-storey Portakabin on a water treatment works site.  A long day, flying up from Gatwick, 6am to 11pm in the end.  Fortunately, our flights missed the worse of the storm … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Out and about, Weird and wonderful | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Odd modelling ideas #2916

A variety of photographs culled from the Model Railroad Hobbyist forum.  Some are reasonable enough, but some are real ‘believe it or not’ moments. We’ll start with a shared rail – to fit both tracks under a crane span.  Not quite … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Out and about, Weird and wonderful | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

ESNG 2015 in review

We’ll this is an easy blog to get the new year under way!!! The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog. Here’s some excerpts: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This … Continue reading

Posted in ESNG, Hints and tips, Inspiration, Weird and wonderful | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book review – ‘Planning your model railroad’

Of all the writers and ex-writers in Model Railroader, Tony Koester has always been a good read.  High quality modelling, interesting and sometimes unconventional ideas, and an occasional whimsical look at our hobby makes him someone worth listening to.  His latest … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Layout design, The trade | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Model Railway Journal no. 243

The Model Railway Journal was once a regular read for me.  Nowadays, as I am less a scratchbuilder, I just pick up the occasional copy when it looks interesting.  Issue 243 was one such issue, with a lot of interest … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Layout design, The trade | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Odd modelling idea #2748

Here are a few more, “Believe it or not” scenes to add to your layout. We’ve all seen strange animals on layouts, such as dinosaurs and alien landings.  Definitely a case of Rule 1 – it’s my railway.  But how about … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Out and about, Weird and wonderful | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Folding baseboards from down-under

I do enjoy exploring modelling sites from other countries.  Invariably, they approach the hobby rather differently, and give new ideas for a UK based modeller.  Following links between sites, I came across Gav’s Workbench, Gavin Thrum’s site.  Gav has built … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Layout design, Out and about | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Climbing Everest on the Tube

For you fitness fiends, here’s an idea that I, for one, will not be taking up, from the Daily Telegraph: This Tube map shows you how you could climb Everest using the London Underground The map tells you how many … Continue reading

Posted in Hints and tips, Inspiration, Out and about, Prototype, Weird and wonderful | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment