Power lines and builders' bags

Back at the Salisbury exhibition I came across a trader with some interesting 3D printed detail kits - 12A Models. I picked up a kit for a widely seen feature (in the countryside) that is rarely modelled - a pole-mounted electricity supply transformer. I thought it would look at home on Hexworthy.

The parts on a sprue give the impression they are injection moulded, but they are 3D printed, I think with a filament printer as the parts show lines. The material also proved tricky to glue, the pole halves seemed to go together with plastic solvent but other parts didn't, and even superglue seemed to struggle to grab it but worked eventually.

I thought it odd that there are four insulators, and four connections on the transformer. A google image search confirmed that 3-phase 11kV supply lines have, er, 3 wires... although the transformer outputs appear to have four outputs (3 phase plus neutral I guess). 

So I cut back the insulators to three, and on the other side of the transformer added three inlet connections. I drilled a hole, put in a short length of 1mm wire, and glued on a small spring from a Microtrains coupling as an insulator. Not that the coils showed once painted!

The transformer was then connected to the insulators with fine wire, soft steel wire sold for tree making seemed to have the right weight and be flexible but hold its shape. Gluing these in place was fiddly! These connections would lead to the 3-wire transmission pole route where the cables are overground, but this will be at the back of the layout, plus there are pole mounted transformers where input and output cables go underground. I could have added cables running down the pole, let's say they are on the back! I did add paperclip wire into the legs to help secure it.

Back to google images to help with painting. I started with grey automotive acrylic primer, which happened to be perfect for the transformer and the cross bars. The poles were painted mid brown and dry-brushed grey, and a little green. The insulators were picked out in a dark red-brown, and the wires in grey-black. 

The transformer was installed at the back of the layout, having punched a couple of holes in the scenery surface so the wire tails I added push into the polystyrene, and secured with a little matt modge podge. It's the sort of background detail that doesn't stand out or even get noticed by most, but helps make the scene feel right. 

I also got these builders' bulk bags from 12A Models, another feature of modern scenes. These are finely printed in resin, those corner hoops are very delicate. I simply sprayed them with white automotive acrylic primer, dusted with a little grey and beige weathering powder, and set some granite chippings ballast (the same as used for the track) in the top with a little matt modge podge. A few were then placed in the yard. 

I also added some to the permanent way train, including a couple with sand. 

Hexworthy will be at the Bexhill model railway exhibition this Saturday, 8th August - do say hello if you are there. 

Diesels at Swanage

 A couple of weeks ago, while staying in Swanage, I took a trip on the Swanage Railway. I've visited it before, but it was some years ago so it was nice to return, the line is in a beautiful setting. 

The service was being operated by diesels due to the ongoing heatwave, and looking at the dry grass and fields around the line, this was understandable. 

Our train was hauled by this beautifully kept Class 20, which lived up to its "Chopper" nickname, it did indeed sound like a helicopter on the climb out of Swanage. 

At Norden I took the opportunity to check out the clay mining museum. This has gathered together an adit head/tipping building, this little weighbridge hut, and some wagons or "trams" from the underground workings. There were one many such mines in the area served by narrow gauge railway networks. Clay mining still goes on, but open cast and served by lorries. 

Our return trip was on board a first-gen DMU set headed by this Class 121. These are the style of DMU I remember riding on as a child, albeit in blue/grey livery then, and I remembered they had glazed partitions to the cabs...

So, we sat at the rear with a superb view through the driver's window back along the line. 

As well as sights like Corfe Castle, we saw some burnt patches on the lineside, underlining why the diesels were being used. 

As we were staying in Swanage, it was nice to take evening strolls to the seafront and pass the station. With the day trippers gone and the trains sitting quietly in the station, which looks like the archetypal branch line terminus but overflowing with trains, it reminded me of a train set abandoned for bedtime. 

As well as the Class 20, there was a pair of Class 33s. 

The loco shed and its small turntable looked particularly atmospheric in the evening sun. The Battle of Britain class loco, parked out of use, is too large for the turntable.

However, a few evenings later the Pacific had been replaced by the U-class 2-6-0, which clearly was (or had been) in steam. I don't know if this had been used in scheduled service or for some special duty. 

The Swanage Railway is a lovely line and well worth a visit, as is Swanage and the Purbeck area. 

Glyn Valley Bridge

The July BRM has a second article from me - the build of the Dapol kit for the narrow gauge girder bridge. This is based on the design used on the Glyn Valley Tramway, three of which took the railway across the Ceiriog river, and at least a couple of them still stand today.

The kit uses laser-cut card in the same way as the loco shed which I featured in the April BRM. Careful neat assembly paying close attention to the instructions results in a nice structure. I think the planked deck works particularly well, with gaps between the planking. After painting, it's hard to recognise that this is made of card. 

I was also rather pleased with the river, which I modelled on the Ceiriog at Dolywern where one of the original bridges is just visible from the road bridge. It uses the same heavy gloss acrylic medium I used to add waves to the stream on Hexworthy, with the waves formed using the airbrush. 

Of course, you don't need to model the Glyn Valley Tramway to make use of this kit!

It's great to see the trade supporting 009 with suitable structures.

Whittingly in print

The July Railway Modeller, which features the new Rapido Manning Wardle on the cover, also includes an article on Whittingly Hospital. The magazine has been following up the Rail200 competition by featuring some of the finalists which were at the National Festival of Railway Modelling at the NEC.

Whittingly is presented in the Micro Marvels feature over four pages, and makes excellent use of the photos that the editor, Craig Tilley, took at the NEC and which show the model really well. I was glad I'd taken some stock along to pose on the layout, as the Peckett and the few wagons do add life to the scene. The lights were still working at that point too, although the batteries expired later that Sunday!

It's great to see the layout in print, but it does remind me of my plan to turn it into a working layout!

Quite by coincidence, the July BRM includes a piece I wrote on building an industrial warehouse using Wills materials. Look familiar?

It was actually quite a simple build and so made a good scratch-building example. Using the Wills industrial windows and brick sheets with the openings ready takes care of the more daunting aspects of modelling buildings. It also shows how scratch-building is the best solution to filling a specific gap.

Of course, if I extend the layout, this low-relief structure will need to be extended!

Manning Wardle L Class

Last week I got a parcel - my Rapido Manning Wardle L-class arrived!

Posed on Loctern Quay it looks great, quirky and characterful like a narrow-gauge loco. However, clearly it's not for Loctern, I ordered it with Whittingham Hospital in mind, so I pulled the diorama out the garage...

The question is, how does it run? Well, Whittingly isn't yet wired up, so some creativity was required. Taking the power supply from Loctern, an adaptor lead for the old club layout, and a pair of crocodile clip wires, I powered up the front track for a short test run. 

It ran very smoothly. The mechanism is a little noisier than most modern mechanism, but not excessively so. Feedback needs to be switched off though!

It's a very small loco, so I thought it worth comparing to other small locos. It's a little longer than the Peckett but not a lot (~6mm), and considerably shorter than a Terrier. I think it will fit in well with the short trains of Whittingly. 

It's barely longer than 4-wheel wagons, and slightly lower than a van. 

It will need a little weathering, but first I just need to crack on with turning Whittingly into a layout!

Salisbury Railex 2026

 Last weekend I was at the Salisbury Railex held at Thruxton motor circuit. 

The big story of the weekend was of course the heat - with the temperature into the 30's. Unfortunately, I was in the pavilion, which was a hybrid of tent and greenhouse... and was hotter inside than standing in the sun outside. By the Sunday, we had fans, which helped.

Several layouts had unexplained running issues by the afternoon, probably due to the heat. And Jamie assured me that his fiddle yard tracks used to be straight and parallel...

I was there with Loctern Quay (which the organisers insisted on spelling as Lochtern!).

Next to me was David Marshall with his 009 Harringford Light Railway, which is a different spin on the inglenook theme. David is an ex Sussex Downs group member, now living in Salisbury and a member of the club organising the show, and kindly put me up for the weekend. 

The other side was Jamie Warne with his delightful Sandy Shores, making three 009 layouts in a row. 

Over in the air conditioned main building (where some people were wearing jumpers), Ian Morrison's Kaninchenbau (HOe) completed the narrow gauge line-up.

Here's a sample of the standard gauge layouts, which also included an inglenook, Express Daisy Sidings (EM).

Exton Quay (OO)

Ravenscar & Torstead (N)

Royal Albert Bridge (N)

Canute Road Quay (OO)

Helland Wharf (OO)

Lantra Quay (OO - dual gauge)

Brighton East (OO)

Unfortunately, the show seemed quiet, especially in the afternoons. This was likely due to being a bank holiday weekend and the start of the school half-term week (the dates being dictated by the venue's race calendar), perhaps worsened by the heatwave and by the venue being quite remote. Many could be put off by a long drive on a hot day with the risk of holiday traffic. I hope there were enough visitors to cover the club's costs, but did feel especially for the traders. 

Loctern Quay prep for Salisbury

Next weekend I'll be taking Loctern Quay to Salisbury Railex, which looks to be a good show in an interesting location - Thruxton motor circuit. 

Loctern doesn't need much prep, having been out once already this year, but I do check operation carefully including the couplings as they are critical for reliable operation on a shunting layout.

At Tonbridge I found the new "Whiting" tram loco couplings didn't behave, sometimes refusing to stay coupled. I think this was a combination of the longer shank couplings I'd used to clear the cowcatcher, and the curved approach when collecting wagons. I found a short shank coupling fitted and would work, just clearing the cowcatcher, and with a little adjustment it seemed to behave in testing with all wagons. 

There's only an extra couple of millimetres in the length of the shafts, so I wonder if the issue is as much about the leverage against the spring as it is the overhang. 

I also tested the WD Hunslet, since it is now running nicely, and it does look good on the quay. However, like the WD Baldwin when that is used, it must run cab end to the wagons since the overhang (from leading driver to coupling) at the smokebox end is so long. 

Look how far the coupling swings from the track centre-line!

I just need to finish loco testing and pack up. Do say hello if you are at the show.