Category Archives: Inspiration

The Cromford Canal

Thursday morning, we walked down from the hotel to Cromford Mills, less than half-a-mile away.  These mills were the site of the first cotton-spinning machine invented by Richard Arkwright.  This whole stretch of the Derwent Valley and its mills has … Continue reading

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Crich Tramway Village – 2

I was surprised at just how many trams there were in the tram shed, all available for operation.  They come from all over the UK, and a few from Europe, including this Berlin tram…. And one, if I remember rightly, … Continue reading

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Crich Tramway Village – 1

A week’s holiday with Maxine for a reunion of old Hong Kong friends started in Milton Keynes, where we stayed for the weekend and caught up with three lots of friends and family.  However, any keen railway enthusiast will track … Continue reading

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Minories #2 – Out in the suburbs – repost

Number 4 is my second Minories post.  Back to normal (whatever that may be) next week! If you leave London, and head to the other end of the commuter lines, a Minories like design, sort of ‘mini-Minories’ is another option.  … Continue reading

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A small shunting layout – repost

Interestingly, Number 3 is this little American switching layout. Model Railroad Hobbyist has a very nice ‘shunting plank’ in its October edition.  It’s in ‘O’ gauge, but the dimensions are a very reasonable 11’- 6” x 17’–19” with a 6’ … Continue reading

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Minories #1 – the original design – repost

Number 2 is this one on the classic Minories design. There are few model railway plans that can be deemed ‘classic’.  One surely must be the late Cyril Freezer’s ‘Minories’ plan.  The plan was the result a flash of inspiration whilst … Continue reading

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Off my trolley – streetcars and trolley layouts – repost

Whilst we’re on holiday this week, I’ll repost the all-time top four posts on the blog. Still the most popular post is this one trolley layouts.  If it’s so popular, why don’t we see more layouts??? Again we need a … Continue reading

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It’s just a lot of hot air….

Interesting article on hydrogen powered trains in the UK…. Hydrogen trains: Are these the eco-friendly trains of the future? Hydrogen-powered trains are said to be the greenest trains out there.   “Mini power stations on wheels”, is how a University … Continue reading

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Taking a few days off

Life’s got a bit busy, so I’ll be taking a few days off from blogging. Hope to have some news on N Gauge SouthEast 2020 over the weekend. And here’s a dreadful warning for our larger readers…. Britain’s steepest cliff … Continue reading

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A little whimsey for Sunday

An entry by Railsquid on NGForum caught my eye…. Mate, you wouldn’t know Rule 1 if it came up and punched you in the face. This is Rule 1. We do get a little too serious sometimes…. And today’s modelling … Continue reading

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