Tag Archives: model railway

Odd modelling ideas #2030

For the climate conscious (and it would make a cool model)….. Rail Energy Storage Harnesses the Power of Gravity All the Livelong Day A California startup is repurposing trains and rail cars to help renewable energy utilities compete with fossil … Continue reading →

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DC or DCC?

In the latest edition of Model Railway Journal, Jerry Clifford’s editorial has some helpful thoughts on model railway electrics.  Edited highlights below…. The old and the new…. A good friend and very fine modeller recently said to me that, in … Continue reading →

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Shepton Mallet yet again

It’s the start of the school holidays, so for the 21st time Maxine and I went on our annual pilgrimage to the ‘New Wine’ church conference.  Once again, there were over 10,000 people camping on the Bath & West Showground near … Continue reading →

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New York port railroad maps

For the map enthusiast, a few more hours of tracing rail lines….. From the UMSL Digital Library, maps of the port of New York , prepared by the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors.  These maps are a set … Continue reading →

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An alternative grouping

‘Proto-freelancing’ is far more popular in the USA than in the UK.  Perhaps this is due to the use of the same locomotive designs, with detail differences, across many railroads – for example the iconic F3 and F7 diesels.  Bu … Continue reading →

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Book review – ‘Locomotives worth modelling’

Our visit to the South Devon Railway did, of course, include a visit to the second-hand book shop.  (It has to be said, too, that we visited the bookshop at Buckfast Abbey and came out with a purchase.)  I couldn’t … Continue reading →

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Odd modelling idea #1677

It’s becoming a forgotten art, converting one model into another prototype.  When I was a teenager, Triang GWR Clerestory coaches could be made into almost anything, with a new roof and a bit of cutting and sticking. But this article suggests … Continue reading →

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Flying Scotsman on the Bluebell

Thanks Peter, for this shot of the Flying Scotsman on the Bluebell Railway.  Not everyday that 60103 has to collect a tablet for single-line working.  I wonder how many times, if ever, that happened in pre-preservation days? And that’s a … Continue reading →

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Odd modelling idea #999

As I return back to the UK and the depths of Redhill….. Here’s why there is a red telephone box graveyard between Merstham and Redhill For most of us who commute by train the journey to work will be a … Continue reading →

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Why Rome sends trains filled with rubbish to Austria

This could be another odd modelling article, but it caught my eye as I was catching up with the world news. Rome’s rubbish is helping to power Austrian homes – and it gets to Austria by train. Rome has been … Continue reading →

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