Category Archives: Inspiration

Southwold remnants 1966

The Southwold Railway opened in 1879 and closed in 1929. It was a 3 foot narrow gauge line in Suffolk that linked Southwold and the sea with Halesworth on the main Great Eastern line 9 miles away.  In  1966, a surprising … Continue reading

Posted in Inspiration, Out and about, Prototype | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

The Fairford branch line

I have always been adamant that I wouldn’t model a GWR branch line.  Perhaps there were just too many models of them about in the 1960’s and 1970’s when I was developing my taste in railways.  I do, however, rather … Continue reading

Posted in Inspiration, Layout design, Prototype | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

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

The Alton exhibition 6 February 2016 – 2

Another fine layout at the Alton show was Dock Green, an O gauge shunting layout set in East London in early British Railways days.  Full marks, too for the layout name, bringing back memories of watching ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ … Continue reading

Posted in Exhibitions, Inspiration, Layout design, Out and about | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Alton exhibition 6 February 2016 – 1

After another busy week at work, a little railway therapy was called for.  Derek Atfield suggested a visit to the Alton show, and this seemed altogether a good idea.  We arrived at 10am and wondered why there was no queue … Continue reading

Posted in Exhibitions, Inspiration, Out and about, The trade | 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

Lotsa links 2

More links from the vault…. “This Video of Trolleys Passing through Packard’s Corner in the 1940s is Pure Chaos“.  A snappy little title that describes the contents perfectly. Lots of 1940’s trolleys and road vehicles, all driven in badly.  What more … Continue reading

Posted in Inspiration, Out and about, Prototype | 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

Lotsa links!

I’ve been saving a selection of links for future reference and future posts.  Probably unwisely, as I won’t be able to use them again, here are a number of railway news items that caught my eye over the last couple of … Continue reading

Posted in Inspiration, Out and about, Prototype | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Off my trolley – a bargain (I think)

Reading a blog recently, the writer recommended the ‘Model Train Stuff’ shop and internet shop.  I couldn’t resist a browse, and the site made me an offer I couldn’t refuse – Bachmann ‘Peter Witt’ trolleys in Los Angeles Railways livery … Continue reading

Posted in Inspiration, Layout design, Prototype, Traction | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment