Last weekend I took Loctern Quay to Tolworth. Here's Andrew Bolton operating. Although it hadn't been out for some time it worked well, of course with the new wagons added to the fleet.
Michael's Model Railways
Michael Campbell's blog about his model railways. Building model railway layouts in 009 (OO9) scale
Friday, 15 November 2024
Tolworth 2024
Wednesday, 6 November 2024
Cars, a motorbike, and preparing Loctern Quay
In the run up to the Uckfield show I thought Hexworthy could do with a few more road vehicles in the car park, I've struggled to find "ordinary" modern or recent vehicles, but I did have a couple of (original) Minis from Oxford Diecast, a relatively timeless model. I'd also been given an RAC motorcycle and sidecar, wrong era for Hexworthy but will look at home at Loctern Quay.
As with any commercial model they looked far too shiny and clean, too artificial, so the first task was to disassemble the cars. Sadly, these models are riveted rather than screwed together, but I've drilled out the rivets of many of my son's HotWheels so he could modify them...
Loctern Quay has an exhibition coming up, so has had some prep, such as vacuuming and brushing off any dust. I'd given the harbour water a coat of magic water when I did the river on Hexworthy, and the three new wagons have had cards made up for the shunting puzzle. All locos have been tested, as have couplings on all the wagons, of course what works in testing may not work in the exhibition!
So all is ready for the exhibition this weekend at Tolworth, my third show in four weekends! It looks like being a good show, if you visit do say hello.
Sunday, 3 November 2024
Newhaven/Seaford Show with Hexworthy
Yesterday I took Hexworthy to the Newhaven club show in Seaford. Here's my helper for the day Martin Collins at the controls.
Set-up now is pretty slick, delayed slightly by someone who'd parked their car so close to the handrail by the entry with the boot open so that entering the building meant squeezing through an 18" gap while ducking under the tailgate! A mysterious short early in the day was thought to be due to a point changing but not switching electrically, and there were a couple of derailments leaving the fiddle yard but fewer than at Uckfield, otherwise all went smoothly.
This was a small club show with a variety of layouts in different scales. I didn't pick up a program so I can't identify the other layouts, but here are some that caught my eye.
The Newhaven club did a good job of looking after us and, while the multi-room venue made it hard to judge, it seemed quite busy so I hope it was a success. Not much of a break now - my next show is next weekend at Tolworth, although for a change this one is with Loctern Quay.
Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Fettling Hexworthy between shows
On Saturday I'll be taking Hexworthy to the Newhaven club exhibition (in Seaford). Following the two days at Uckfield there were a few issues I wanted to address to improve running. One was the uncoupling magnet under the bay platform line - this seemed to "grab" at metal wheels of coaches causing jerky running, and the small quarry Hunslets could actually stall. Operationally, the magnet isn't needed as I don't use the bay as a siding, stock remains coupled to the loco, so the obvious solution was to remove the magnet.
Up top, the alignment of rails was checked, a couple of tracks were adjusted slightly with the soldering iron. A couple of rails were also trimmed back a fraction of a mm, although they cleared the entry tracks fine one of them caught on them at Uckfield, I can only presume due to heat expansion or distortion of the frame. I've also added a switch to isolate the traverser tracks, regardless of position. To access the bay locos draw their coaches back into the fiddle yard, this can happen when all tracks are in use which could be done by moving the traverser to a "between tracks" position so no track was live, but the addition of the switch makes this easier.
A quick test suggests coaches can be pulled and propelled on and off the traverser, but they could most of the time before, so we'll see if things are more reliable. The latching feels more positive. If you are at the show on Saturday you can see for yourself - do say hello!
Tuesday, 29 October 2024
Bachmann Baguley-Drewry 70hp - commissioning
The Bachmann Baguley-Drewry 70hp is a lovely model, and I wanted to use it on works trains for Hexworthy, but my wagons are all fitted with Microtrains couplings and the Bachmann models come with the standard 009 type coupling. I know the Bachmann EZ mate couplings can be swapped in, but while they'll couple to Microtrains, they don't work reliably in uncoupling.
The large buffer blocks have a big square opening to clear the standard coupling, that is pretty close to the size of the Microtrains draft box which can be accomodated after a few strokes of a file. The model is supplied with alternate buffer blocks without the coupling hole, for which long coupling pins are provided, these look ideal to secure through the centre of the Microtrains draft box.
The couplings work perfectly, and the loco looks great with the works trains, adding a splash of colour.
Thursday, 24 October 2024
Uckfield 2024
Once again the Uckfield show presented an array of top quality layouts covering a range of themes, any would have been star attractions at some smaller shows. I think there were about 20 layouts so I won't try and cover them all here, but here are some of my favourites, mainly focusing on the narrow gauge and light railway themes.
Bunkers Lane (O9) - Bill Flude. I've seen this grow on NGRM and saw it at Alexandra Palace, but it rewards another look. It's colourful and fun, with lots of details, trains are always moving (with sound too), and being double-sided there's a lot more to it than you first realise.
Nettlebed Lime (SM32) - Giles Favell. Another layout I've watched develop on NGRM, this features radio control realistically weathered locos with "steam" (actually water vapour), drivers who move their heads, and of course tipping lime trucks.
Hexworthy (009) - Michael Campbell. Yes, my own little layout, which I felt like an imposter amongst the high-quality finescale layouts. It did attract a lot of nice comments, and the working playground went down well.
Clereley End (O16.5) - Peter Jackson. A compact and nicely done 7mm NG line, and yes that's a Bachmann quarry Hunslet just like the smaller one I was running on Hexworthy!
Sandshifters (P4) - Steve Howe. This layout was built on a surf board - yes, seriously! A delightfully minimal depiction of a light railway it looked great, with quirky rolling stock.
Tucking Mill & William Smith's Wharf (2mm finescale) - Jerry Clifford. This delightful model depicts a GWR and S&DJR branch in Somerset. The detail belies the tiny scale, it oozes atmosphere and runs beautifully too.
Ruyton Road (P4) - Paul Bannermann. An imaginary terminus of the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire railway run by Co. Stephens, this tiny layout had the atmosphere just right and looked surprisingly spacious.
Conyer Creek Signals (O) - Greg Coomber. A pre-grouping minor branch set in Kent. Being O gauge it was a large model, but used that to provide spaciousness rather than filling it with station. The scenery is excellent, the trains look superb.
Hoath Hill (3mm scale, 14.2mm gauge) - Geoff Helliwell. A gypsum mine set in sussex as an excuse for a variety of mainly kit built industrial locos. Just look at that Garratt!
St Ruth (2mm finescale) - Midland area group of the 2mm Society. An ambitious layout for this scale and recognisable as Penzance, with a few tweaks, and with the lighting looked even more impressive at "dusk".
I'll stop there even though there were more excellent layouts, and lots of light railway and industrial themed layouts. Good trade support too. Looking forward to next year already!