Category Archives: Layout design

Llanastr – yet another small layout

Posted on March 17, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

The blogsphere is a small place and downright incestuous at times.  Two of my favourite sites Prince Street, and Andrew’s Trains  both recently featured one of my favourite small layouts, Llanastr, built to P4 (4mm/ft, and a scale 18.87mm gauge) … Continue reading →

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Another small layout idea – and a view from across the pond

Posted on March 13, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

Trevor Marshall’s “Achievable Layouts” regularly comes up with some interesting model railroad ideas.  They are often small (and achievable), as Trevor models in ‘S’ gauge, so a medium size layout to him is a very buildable small layout in ‘N’.  His … Continue reading →

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Book review – ‘Model Railroad Planning 2016’

Posted on February 26, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

Regular readers will know that I am better at planning railroads than building them, and probably prefer the armchair to the workshop.  So I was pleased to receive this year’s copy of ‘Model Railroad Planning’, published by Kalmbach, from the … Continue reading →

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The Fairford branch line

Posted on February 14, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

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 →

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An N-gauge micro-layout

Posted on February 12, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

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 →

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The Alton exhibition 6 February 2016 – 2

Posted on February 10, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

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 →

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Off my trolley – a bargain (I think)

Posted on January 27, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

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 →

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Another thought provoking post – ‘It’s a continuum’

Posted on January 25, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

Another thought provoking post from Mike Cougill.  It’s short enough to quote in full… Our craft evolves via a series of ideas that find acceptance over time. It’s well to remember that things we take for granted today were once … Continue reading →

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Off my trolley – North Hollywood revisited

Posted on January 7, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

A frequently-used phrase in railway modelling is ‘selective compression.’  Most usually it applies to station track layouts, shortening them and losing a few sidings to fit a reasonable representation of a piece of railway in our usually too small rooms.  … Continue reading →

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I’m just a little confused….

Posted on January 5, 2016 by snitchthebudgie

I’ve been looking again to try and pin down Leigh Valley Cornell Red.  I started with two preserved locomotives – no fading colour here I hope….    Well, no consistency here…..  So I went to my albums.  Here are 2 … Continue reading →

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