Model Railway Journal no. 274 – Wise words

Posted on November 18, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

I took the day off from visiting exhibitions last Saturday – nothing very close, and I had already posted flyers to all 5 of them.  So, a more reflective blog today.

I’ve started to get just the one model railway magazine regularly – the Model Railway Journal. I may not be able to emulate the scratch-builders described therein, but it is a regular inspiration for my modelling.

Issue 274 has the most excellent Blueball Summit layout featured – a rare N gauge layout in a very fine scale magazine.  But I was drawn to Jerry Clifford’s fine editorial, talking about the health benefits of model trains.  A few quotes follow….

When asked about the hobby, Iain [Rice] replied that it was “essentially a pointless activity, it’s not going to get anyone a meal on the table or save someone’s life, but it might save someone’s sanity.”

The links between craft hobbies and mental health and wellbeing have been the subject of numerous studies….

“…. studies which have demonstrated that craft hobbies, when done on a regular basis, can improve mood, increase feelings of relaxation and combat depression….”

“Maurice Hopper…. introduces us to the concept of slow modelling….  producing something of ones own….”

“At the end of the day we are big boys and girls making and playing with trains.  It is essentially a pointless activity.  However, as with many seemingly pointless pursuits, the benefits are far more profound than simply the material objects we create.”

Sensible words, and worth remembering!

This week the team head for Stuttgart, and there is no ESNG meeting.  A report on the show will follow…..

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Tolworth Showtrain 2019 – 2

Posted on November 16, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

I do enjoy catching favourite layouts for another look.  Netherwood Sidings (O) is one of those, with its DC overhead electrics and endless mineral wagons in the siding.  They were having an ESNG type problem when I passed by – poor alignment between baseboards.

The Western Front ‘Somewhere in France’ (OO9), together with realistic gunfire.

And a world war later – Bigbury (oo).

The Yard (7mm scale) is a cut above the average shunting layout – automation includes working lorries and travelling crane.

Harlyn Pier (O) is again well-travelled, but I’ll always watch that Beattie Well Tank!

Three smallish Isle of Wight layouts (OO) linked together was one of my highlights.  Ventnor West, St. Lawrence under construction, and Merstone made a rather fine display.

2mm finescale excellence at St Ruth.  Another well modelled beach.  When I was watching, one of the operators challenged some youngsters to spot the 6 bicycles on display – somewhere.  I managed a good, round, zero (and there again, I’m no youngster.)

It’s goodbye from Ferrocarril San Maria (HO).  Ian Milroy has been exhibiting this lovely layout for 5 years or so, and it’s now retiring.

And finally, this is what it looks like from the other side of the layouts – a little bit of trouble with the 3-link couplings on Clayton West!

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Tolworth Showtrain 2019 – 1

Posted on November 14, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

Another exhibition visit last Saturday, this time to the Tolworth Showtrain exhibition, arranged by the Hampton Court MRS.  I took both Derek’s – Atfield and Apps – with me and we had a pleasant morning looking at a good show.  After all the rain of the previous week, there was thick freezing fog in Redhill, but that cleared to a cold by sunny morning once we got to the top of Reigate Hill.

I don’t think that I have been to this show for the last couple of years.  It’s always of good quality and this year there were loads of excellent layouts, though I had seen many of them exhibited elsewhere.  Perhaps the main complaint was that the recreation centre café was closed and being rented out for things, so there was no coffee or bacon roll available.  But I guess that we didn’t really go for the bacon, did we?

Itchen End Goods Depot (O) shows how a micro layout can be built in ‘O’ gauge, and largely using ready to run stock.  Small, but plenty of shunting is possible within the confines of the depot.

Daconby Town (3mm fine scale) seems to be everywhere at the moment!

Tansey Bank and Hobbs Row (OO9) is a good example of the genre, modelling a preserved ex-industrial narrow gauge railway.  The works building is very well done, and contains the fiddle yard.

First ‘special’ layout of the day was Lee-on-the-Solent (P4).  A renovated early P4 layout, this models a speculative LSWR branch, that closed in 1935.  A simple design, but full of interesting detail.  The shingle beach was especially realistic – though I suppose modelling this is only like ballasting the track on a larger scale!

I’d seen Tarring Neville (OO) before, and it’s a very interesting little layout.  Again, shunting only, but the layout is viewable from 2 or 3 sides, and the lighting is cantilevered on an upper facia from the far end of the layout.  And, of course, the modelling is of a verey high standard, with an interesting variety of goods stock and little industrial locomotives.

Scratchy Bottom Halt (1:22.5 scale, 15mm gauge) defies description, being based on the cartoons of Rowland Emett.  It all goes to show that railway modelling is meant to be fun!

Palmerston Road (O) offered a large continuous run to allow the trains to stretch their legs a bit.  The ‘Golden Arrow’ took me back to my childhood – I used to see the down train pass some days going back from lunch to primary school.

Sidmouth (P4) is another well-travelled layout that is always worth another look, as it perfectly captures a Devon seaside terminus in 1959.

Rolvenden (P4) is also a regular on the exhibition circuit at the moment, but it’s always worth a second (or third) look.  This time I enjoyed the hops and oast house….

More next time….

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ESNG PlayDay – 10 November 2019

Posted on November 12, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

It’s one of those strange months when the 2nd Sunday immediately follows the 1st Thursday, so our ESNG meeting was immediately followed by a PlayDay.  So we have another ESNG post, to be followed this week by some pictures from the Tolworth (Hampton Court club) exhibition.

Following the traditional curry, where Miles reduces the profit margins of the Ruchita, we headed for the hall and set up a good sized circuit, including Paul’s Kato layout, as seen at the Scout’s show.

And the members poured in.  I counted 14 members, plus the offspring of two members, plus my better half who dropped in for a chat and to sample Miles’ most excellent fruit cake.  However, strangely, there seemed to be plenty of room to run trains, as people seemed happy to chat for a lot of the afternoon.  Paul had, of course, diverted all his Japanese stock onto his layout…..

And Sean was demonstrating the wonders of DCC on a little layout on a table…..

So I actually ran some of my trains.  A couple of second hand Farish diesels headed a new (second hand) rake of Gresley coaches….

I then swapped locomotives for a ‘Peak’ class.  I have always liked this diesel – far more than the similarly 1-Co-Co-1 Class 40 – and took a punt at one on Ebay.  It runs fine, and has been renumbered and named as D1, Scafell Pike.

Brian carried out running repairs on the admittedly dodgy trackwork…

There was plenty of modern image stock on show….

Simon and Graham provided American superpower….

And of course Brian videoed the afternoon…..

An excellent afternoon!  There’ll be no Wednesday meeting this month, due to Stuttgart that week, so our thoughts now turn to preparations for Germany.  At least the latest Brexit delay means that we can get into Europe freely – I’ve been joking with the Cha(I)rman that he should have been queueing on the M2 since September, just to make sure that he got to Europe with the railway.

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ESNG meeting – 7 November 2019

Posted on November 10, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

11 members braved the coldest evening of the autumn – so far – to run trains.  A highlight of the evening was Mr Apps bringing part of the new fiddle yards along – and it looks very good indeed.

Paul had a new bullet on display….

Peter’s Minitrix A4 and Britannia still compare well with more modern versions – and after a lot of years still run better!

We seemed to have one of those nights when everything derailed…..

Trainspotting….

Back for more on Sunday for the next PlayDay!

And I love this.  Gauge 1 in Hong Kong?  I would have thought that no-one has room for anything bigger than N in a HK flat.

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Wycrail exhibition 2019 – 2

Posted on November 8, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

The second half of my Wycrail visit…..

It’s an unusual UK show with two Norwegian layouts on show.  Svanda (HO) is a pleasant change from the GWR branchline, though the track layout is similar to any European branch or secondary line.

Sankei Valley (Z) is only 2.4m in length, but this tiny scale allows a lot to be crammed in.  It’s set off well by a quality backscene including (cliché) Mount Fuji. A fun layout!

Quite a contrast with Trinity Dock Street Bridge (OO) that seems to have scenery that is entirely black, grey or brown – even the water.  But this is probably pretty accurate for Hull with a nasty fog blowing off the Humber!  Lots of cameos and detail and endless shunting make this an interesting layout.

Vale View (O) is a minimum space layout, but I liked the way the backscene blends into the layout proper….

Back to Norway and Norge (HO).  The fishing village is well done – and can you spot the working bicycle?  Another cliché in the making, but talking to the operator, the next one is a working rocking chair for a house veranda.

I seem to have missed all the trains on Whitmoor (N)….

You could guess Llangenydd (OO) is in Wales – the bus almost on the bridge has been held up by the sheep!

Burton Bradstock (EM) models BR western region in the 1950’s.  Nice to see a layout set near to the ancestral home of the Bartlett’s…..

Lovely fall trees on Kamiack Falls (HO), modelling the Burlington Northern in Washington State.  All very atmospheric with some slow switching going on.

Ilfracombe (East) (OO9) models a might-have-been Lynton & Barnstaple Railway branch.

Thornfield (OO) is a branch terminus somewhere in North Somerset.

I really liked Treloar Sidings (O).  The visible section is only 8′ long, but is an attractive goods only branch built for the china clay traffic.

Finally, Feltham Road MPD (OO) is based on the Southern shed at that location.  I liked the roofless engine shed that had seen better days, and the backscene that evoked south-west London.

Overall, a high quality and interesting show.  The school makes a good, airy venue, and the exhibits were well spaced out making access easy.  I was pleased to run into a few friends on either side of the displays, and it was a very pleasant morning out.  Far better than watching the rugby, anyway….

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Wycrail exhibition 2019 – 1

Posted on November 6, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

Last Saturday offered a difficult choice.  Watch England in the rugby world cup final, or drive 50 miles in wind and rain to the Wycrail exhibition at High Wycombe.  I had a bad feeling about the rugby (correctly) and wanted to deliver some flyers, so I took to the M25.  It was really nasty driving, but the roads were pretty empty.  It had nearly stopped raining by the time I got to the show, and a 10 minute queue for opening time was made acceptable by the school having a wide canopy over the entrance.

Inside, there were three halls of exhibits.  I started with the largest models, The Whiteleaf Tramway (G scale).  An indoor setting showing what could be built in a typical garden, there were a good number of tram models on show.  Including that unusual beast, a British Railways tramcar (interurban) from the Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway.

Belbroughton (O) is a joint LMS/GWR branch line in BR days.

Bristol Good Shed (O gauge including broad gauge) models part of Brunel’s timber goods shed at Temple Meads, and includes standard, broad and mixed gauge track.

Kidmore Fork (HO) is illustrated in its entirety below.  A switching layout that can be set up at home and provide an hour’s shunting as and when….

A quiet moment at Lynth-Haven (OO).  Actually, a very quiet moment, as they had had one of those embarrassing moments when all lights, points and signals work, but the trains won’t move.  I noticed later that all was working again.

Portwen (O:16.5) is an attractive freelanced narrow gauge line set on the Camel Estuary.  I liked the harbour, where the seagulls outnumber both humans and trains – most prototypical!

Salinas Valley (HO) is a small USA switching layout.

Lakebank (TT) is a Furness Railway branch line in LMS days, set in the Lake District.

Upper Oreful Street (OO) has an interesting history.  It started as an architectural model that was about to be scrapped as the scheme wasn’t going ahead.  Rescued, and with tram tracks added, it’s a delight.  As well as the trams, there are road vehicles that pass through the scene.  It’s all in a glass case and controlled by computer (except the odd nudge for a tram that stuck).

Always good to see Kyle of Lochalsh (2mm fine scale)

Trowland (S scale) is a another favourite.  Could be it’s the mixture of Midland & Great Northern prototype, an North Norfolk setting, and being built in S scale that I like?  The little 4-4-0T locomotive in the last picture must be one of the prettiest locos ever built, in a beautiful livery – the colour of the gorse along the Norfolk heathland.

Gilly and Peter North of the West Sussex Mob were there, with some of their modules including Gilly’s scrapyard.  They had a lucky escape on the M40, surviving a blow out just short of High Wycombe.

Haversham Central (N)

Rest of the photos next post.

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Odds and ends….

Posted on November 4, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

A few bits and pieces as a change from exhibition reports (although people seem to like pictures from an exhibition more than me wittering on…..)  All are from that wonderful time waster YouTube….

First a car journey up the A20 and A23 in 1964.  Many great modelling details here – old cars and buses, empty roads and unredeveloped buildings.  For local inhabitants note the section from 1:27 onwards, that passes through Redhill, Merstham, Hooley, Coulsdon (as in the picture below) and up past the power station at Waddon (now Ikea) and into Thornton Heath.  And I was just taking the 11-plus….

Next, London termini in colour in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Some nice steam here, and note the Battle of Britain class slipping like mad as it pulls out of Waterloo.

A 1944 documentary of Waterloo, including some Southern steam.

Southern EMU’s 1962-1968 – a bit fuzzy, but some great shots of the Brighton Belle, including passing though the Redhill Quarry Line.

And finally a short snippet of Clapham Junction in the 1950’s including EMU’s and steam – and a lovely T9 4-4-0 at the end of the film.  Enjoy!

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The Redhill Brick & Model Show – 2019

Posted on November 2, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

We spent last Saturday at the nearby 17th Reigate Scouts Lego and model show.  We took a small N-mod circuit, and Paul took one of his Kato layouts, now pre-mounted on baseboards to speed setup.  We arrived early at 8am, as Derek had to go somewhere at 9am, and soon had a layout functioning.

With plenty of trains contributed by other members, all I had to get out of its box was my GWR railcar, looking a bit lost in the fiddle yard below.

And there was the usual mix of trains on show, though all the Japanese ones were on Paul’s Kato layout.

Dave’s canal basin received plenty of positive comments.

And Paul provided his usual procession of bullet trains.  This is the small version of the layout…..

Elsewhere there were these fine matchstick models…..

And of course, plenty of Lego on show….

There was the usual competition of ‘spot the Homer’.  He started off joining Derek’s jamboree….

But that must have got boring, as Homer was last seen strolling across the railway.  Hope there isn’t a weight limit on that bridge….

Brian generated his usual excellent video of the day.

ESNG were invited to participate at the Redhill Brick and Model Show. This short film gives an idea of how we helped to make it a great day for kids of all ages (even if they’re retired!). If you came along, thanks for your kind words, we really appreciated them 🙂 If you didn’t meet us, here’s a chance to see what we put on.

So all in all, we had a good day.  There were 8 club members (including Paul) present, that made it a relaxed and sociable time, and it was like a ‘super’ club night.  We were well fed and watered, and received a lot of appreciative comments.  Above all it was a chance to impress young people with the joy of trains and especially N gauge modelling.

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Uckfield MRC exhibition 2019 #2

Posted on October 30, 2019 by snitchthebudgie

Charmouth (O-16.5) is set in West Dorset.

De Graafstroom (3.5mm/ft scale, 12.26mm gauge or P87n3.5) is just brilliant, and was my highlight of the show.  A slice of Dutch tramline set in 1947, it gives some wonderful views along the river.  And then there’s the swimming swan and the circling stork, that can be seen in the photographs below.

Chica, Illinois (HO) is another regular on the exhibition circuit.  It’s one of those layouts where the trains are hardly necessary – there’s so much to admire in the scenery.  I really liked all the power and telephone lines that criss-cross the layout.

Thakeham Tiles (O-14) was inspired by a railway that served the tile factory near Storrington in West Sussex.

Slugworth & Co (OO-9) is a minimum space narrow gauge industry.  Nicely modelled, simple, but a lot of fun to operate.

I’ve seen Fen End Pit (16mm/ft scale, 32mm gauge) quite a lot recently, but it was worth watching that dragline and conveyor belt delivery system again!

The most excellent Blueball Summit (N) has the rare distinction of appearing in the latest Model Railway Journal.  Set in Devon in the 1970’s, it’s only 10′ long, but seems to be much longer.

Aerodrome Park (OO) is full of art-deco Southern Railway buildings, and is set at an imaginary airfield in the 1930’s.

Well, that’s Uckfield for another year!

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