Covid-19 diary – Kuritu II – 10 – Lessons learnt

Perhaps it’s a little early for a ‘lessons learnt’ for Kuritu, but this seems a good time to reflect, as I haven’t got all that much done this week.  We took the opportunity to go bluebell hunting, finding a fine display in Hatchlands Park on a sunny afternoon.

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But back to trains!  I am still cleaning and fettling the track after ballasting to get smooth running (almost there), then I can add catenary and the lighting rig.  I’ve a busy, almost pre-covid, week ahead, but hope to get something done.  As for fettling the track, I was most impressed that my Union Mills T9 4-4-0 would happily go around the 6″ curves on Kuritu.  Well, I had to use something to test it all with……

So what have I learnt?

  1. Don’t be afraid to take a break from another project.  Actually, I’ve got too many unfinished projects lying about, but Kuritu has been a breath of fresh air, that I have really enjoyed.  I’m looking forward to getting back to Minories in a week or two, and the break has done me good.
  2. Small is most definitely beautiful.  On several levels!  A small layout can show rapid progress and encourages more to get done.  It’s interesting that both my lockdown layouts have been cut down versions of larger models.  And I’m getting older – small, light, baseboards are definitely the best for solo working.
  3. It’s been fun renovating another layout.  I really liked the original Kuritu, and though the new version doesn’t really resemble it (although the track layout is very similar, but smaller), salvaging the buildings and figures and vehicles has enabled me to keep some of the character of the original line.
  4. I do enjoy having a continuous run, to sit and watch the trains go by.
  5. Sometimes, Rule 1 is fun.  It’s been very freeing not to have to worry about the detail of what I am building.  No rivet counting, as long as it is vaguely Japanese.  This isn’t a criticism of accurate and detailed modelling, but sometimes it’s good just not to worry!
  6. On a practical note, I think that I’ve improved some of my scenic techniques, but have decided that I need to try static grass next time around.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to post some final pictures of the layout before long.  Then back to Minories, although I have to prepare a presentation on my switching layout for the NGF virtual exhibition by the end of the month.


Perhaps the really exciting news for the week is that we have positively started to plan restarting ESNG club nights.  We can meet indoors in sixes from 17 May, so club nights will kick off again – in a covid-safe manner – from 19 May.  I can’t guarantee that we won’t have to shut down again, but it will be great to meet up again face to face.


And finally, an interesting modelling point.  I think that my N-gauge ballast looks awful, bitty and bumpy, but the ballast in this pre-Southern view of Ventor, IOW, is a complete mess.  Lumps everywhere, and bits lying on the sleepers.  Even I can do better than this.

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ESNG – a blast from the past!

Allan and Sean produced these excellent pictures.  Some very young looking people around!  First, setting up for a club night, over 20 years ago.  Bartlett junior in the background of the second picture!!

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Then Sean’s layout – same era, but a club show at the church in the first picture, and an away fixture at the Merstham show (long gone and much lamented) in the second.

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Sean commented on Facebook…..

My Swiss layout I built as a teenager. Loved this layout but the board warped so ended its life

And the comments included….

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Bargain time again.  Unfortunately, a contributer to RMweb was selling up his book collection due to ill health.  I was very restrained, and only bought these.  The illustrated history of wagon books filled a gap in my own collection – I have the LSWR and LBSCR volumes (that also include the SDJR and the Isle of Wight, bought from new, but never bothered with the later books.  A lot of good browsing here, and a few useful ideas for Minories, I hope.

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Potpourri #1023

This restored and colourised video has been highlighted a good many times, but is worth the link.  London in the later WW2 years.  There’s a great segment taken at Waterloo from around the 12 minute mark, but plenty of bus and tram interest elsewhere.  And despite the occasionally dodgy colourisation (a red Green Line bus), this gives some good ideas for the colours to use for a late Grouping or early BR layout. 

All his YouTube site is interesting, mainly European (and none the worse for that), but these videos also caught my eye.

It strikes me that the early Dutch railways look more ‘British’ than a lot of European trains of that era.


And to finish, a little local colour….. (not sure, as ever, where the photos came from – sorry.)

East Croydon and perhaps a royal train.

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A ‘BIL’ on the Reigate-Redhill shuttle.  No 12 car trains to Reigate in those days!

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Redhill in the 50’s or 60’s.  Impressive signals!

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Covid-19 diary – Kuritu II – 9

A very pleasant few hours was spent adding people and cars and things to the layout.  Mostly done now, but a few more road signs to add, I think.

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I’ve now just got the final ballasting and scenery to complete at the layout edges, plus the overhead supply.  And to complete the lighting rig.


Brian continues to be busy with his Dutch layout.  I can’t remember whether I posted the first of these before!


Modelling has been a little distracted by a lovely week’s weather.  We ventured up Reigate Hill for the first time in a year – not too many people and a lovely walk in the sun.

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One for the diary?

One for the diary in July – the N Gauge Forum virtual exhibition.  I’ve promised a short video of my American switching layout, and no doubt I can get a plug in for the ESNG club!  It’s amazing to thing that although this is a virtual show, we should be back to real club nights in July.  I can’t wait (strictly not true – I’m very happy to wait as long as is sensible so that we can meet safely!!!!!!)

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ESNG meeting – 21 April 2021

Another Wednesday, another meeting…..

Missing Mr Dawes tonight, due to his usual anti-social working hours.  We started with just the six of us (plus Phil’s cat at one point)……

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Paul was busy rebuilding his station again.  Otherwise the topics were the usual wide-ranging selection, from the weather, pubs on the South Coast, football and the short-lived European Super League.  We even mentioned trains here and there.  Brian had a new bus, and Peter’s tram is working again (though a wheel has fallen off the other one – a bit like Croydon, really.)

We were joined towards the end by Graham, who had been cutting the grass (in the dark?) and Maxine, who doesn’t log in for too long in case she falls asleep with all the scintillating conversation about trains. 

As usual, here’s Paul’s take on the evening.  We talked about more topics than I remembered!

ESNG Zoom meeting number ‘quite a few’ took place this evening. Not too many participants, but the technical hitches were much reduced and no cats made their presence felt either. The usual wide range of topics were discussed including the rise and demise of the European Super League, model Japanese temples and shrines, importing products from overseas, preserved railways and their reopening after lockdown and the lack of Peco track at retailers. My layout was not in operation owing to ongoing engineering work which I carried on with throughout the meeting. I should complete it within the next few days and then I can sort the electrics out.

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Maybe one more Zoom meeting, and then six of us should be able to meet up and perhaps even run a train or six.  I’m looking forward to it!!


Prototype for everything department – when you mess up the road markings on the layout?

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And for no reason, except that the Southern Railway utility vans are probably my favourite non-passenger rolling stock.  All because I had two Hornby Dublo ones, I guess.

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From the members…..

Allan commented on the photo that I recently posted…..

Do like the closing photo of the two class 31’s.  Hand brake not put on fully. They rolled down the siding in Cricklewood and through a set of buffers and ended up on the North Circular Road. Luckily no vehicle or pedestrian got hurt. Both locomotives were cut up on site.

Good job it was the middle of the night.  Only time that you will find the North Circular empty!

Brian seems to have become interested in long trains!

The fact that a ‘jumbo freight train’ with 40 wagons has been trialled on the West Coast mainline, is a mere snip of thing compared to this US giant with eight locomotives:

And nearer home……

The Hump Master’s Longest Train Leaving Hamburg Yard – there’s an N Gauge challenge:

And back out to Asia for something completely different…

Made in 2018, this is a short film from the BBC Travel Show about the ‘Last Steam Train in China’ – and the benefits it has brought local people:

This is probably easier to model in the average house!

And my contribution.  A 2mm Fine Scale 9F with working reversing valve gear?  Some model!!

And the real thing….

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A royal modelling challenge

Writing this today, after Prince Philip’s funeral, I’ll raise a glass to an impressive man.  I do wonder, though, who will be the first to model his hearse.  I think this is even more impressive – designing your own Land Rover hearse conversion.

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Perhaps one of the most interesting un-modelled railways is the Necropolis railway, that carried coffin and mourners from a small station adjacent to Waterloo to the Brookwood Cemetery.  It ran from 1854 until 1941, when the London terminus was badly damaged in an air raid and rendered unusable.  Services were provided by the LSWR and then the Southern.

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To close this depressing theme, I’ve always had a soft spot for that classic tune, “St James’ Infirmary.”

Folks, I’m goin’ down to St. James Infirmary
See my baby there;
She’s stretched out on a long, white table
She’s so sweet, so cold, so fair

Let it go, let it go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
She will search this wide world over
But she’ll never find another sweet man like me

When I die, bury me in my straight-leg britches
Put on a box-back coat and a Stetson hat
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So you can let all the boys know I died standing pat

An’ give me six crap shooting pall bearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red hot jazz band at the top of my head
So we can raise Hallelujah as we go along

Folks, now that you have heard my story
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that booze;
If anyone should ask you
You just tell ’em I’ve got those St. James Infirmary blues

I’m not sure that my funeral will be that exciting!

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Covid-19 diary – Kuritu II – 8

My last Tomytec temple building arrived today.  It took a whole 30 minutes to build, and I was able to lay out the buildings on the baseboard to get a reasonable appearance.  I’m sure that this doesn’t match how a Japanese temple is arranged, and it’s a bit cramped, but a little amble around Google Maps shows them shoe-horned into all sorts of small urban areas, as well as the larger shrines in expansive grounds.  So Rule 1 applies…..

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I was also pleased to pick up a couple of temple wall kits from Plaza Japan, arriving in the same package, so I will be able to surround the temple appropriately.  Next task will be to fit the foam board to raise ground levels in the temple grounds.


Martin has also been busy.  A fiddle yard all laid and working, and the first structure on the scenic side of the layout.

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And to close, a little inspiration…..

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Potpourri #1022

What have we got for Wednesday?

Facebook often features Japanese modelling, bonsai style.  Tiny dioramas with exquisite detail, such as this one.  These little scenes might be just the way to have a quick change from your main project, and also to show off a model that otherwise wouldn’t have a home.

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And a charming ‘O’ gauge micro.  Just a little bit bigger, but still very buildable.

Of course, you could go for live steam in the garden.  What could possibly go wrong?  (Reminds me of the usual ESNG club night???)

Moving to the prototype, I can remember that great episode of ‘Supercar’ (dates me) that included the London to Brighton in 3 minutes video.  Well, here’s London to Southend in three minutes.  I watched this to bring back 1981 memories of reverse commuting from London to Benfleet to work on Canvey Island, building the Thames Tidal Defences.  Canvey was (and no doubt still is) and interesting place – the soil underfoot was so solid that the ground actually went up and down (slightly) with the tide.

And here’s the modelling challenge for the week.  An elephant towing a Walrus!  I love this photo!  Maybe it’s a candidate for a Bonsai diorama?

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And a little cameo to provoke conversation at exhibitions (whatever they are.)

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