Onward with more photos from NGS...
Michael Campbell's blog about his model railways. Building model railway layouts in 009 (OO9) scale
Wednesday 27 April 2022
Narrow Gauge South (Part 2)
Tuesday 26 April 2022
Narrow Gauge South 2022 (Part 1)
Last Saturday both Loctern Quay and Slugworth & Co. were at Narrow Gauge South, having been delayed a couple of years! It was good to be back at a large narrow gauge show for the first time since 2019, and see lots of familiar and meet new faces. NGS is always an excellent show, and large with around 25 layouts, although when showing a layout (or two) it is hard to spare time for a good look round. I did take some photos, though being rather rushed many of them didn't come out too well.
Next to Loctern Quay was Garreg Wen (009) by Matthew Kean. It's become a well-known and popular layout thanks to its superbly modelled locos and stock based on Welsh railway prototypes, as well as the Welsh-inspired scenery.
I'll follow this up with a part 2 covering more layouts...
Friday 22 April 2022
Finishing three little wagons
The three little wagons have now been through the paint shop. I find paint covers much better over a primer, even when painting plain plastic, so all got a spray of grey automotive primer. Since they are destined to be used as part of the shunting puzzle on Loctern Quay, they each needed to look distinctive.
I decided to paint the steel open wagon in the "Dutch" yellow and grey livery once used by British Rail for their engineering department wagons. Of course, Loctern Quay is set pre-war long before British Rail, but it's a distinctive livery, and why not? I applied a coat of white, then of yellow onto the sides. When dry, Tamia masking tape was pressed firmly onto the upper part of each side, and another coat of the grey primer spray applied. This worked surprisingly well, and the primer is a good wagon grey colour.
A piece of foam-core board cut to fit neatly in the wagon had the card face removed on one side, and the foam carved to a mound. Painted black, it was covered in ballast. The wagon was weathered, and had couplings and a little lead sheet fitted underneath.
Looking for a recognisable load for the flat wagon I found a model cable drum in my bits box, it may be by Knightwing but I am not sure. It was painted, given a cotton thread "cable", and a supporting frame made from plastic strip. I've no idea if this is how a cable drum would be secured, perhaps a rope or two would be needed, but it looks plausible. The wagon got a bauxite brown livery, since most of my wagons are grey.
The Corris-style van also got the bauxite/brown livery, and like the other wagons a basic weathering treatment of a well-thinned brown wash and a dusting of weathering powder. This had longer (Microtrains 1016) couplings fitted, since I had some (I'm running low on 1015s) and the buffer beams were very deep.
Finally of course, a wagon card was made up for each, so they can be used in the shunting puzzle.
So the new wagons are ready for service on Loctern Quay at Narrow Gauge South at Eastleigh tomorrow. Do say hello if you can make it.
Wednesday 20 April 2022
Slugworth & Co. in Railway Modeller
My son Joshua's layout features in Railway Modeller (May 2022)!
I'd actually been suggesting he write an article since he won an award in the Dave Brewer challenge at the 2018 EXPO-NG. However, only when the editor Steve Flint got in touch to suggest an article did he decide to - and even then with some help and encouragement! The article tells why he built the layout and the thinking behind its design, as well as how.
The article points out that Slugworth & Co. will be at Narrow Gauge South exhibition in Eastleigh this Saturday (as will my layout Loctern Quay). Do say hi if you see us. If you are looking for the boy in the photos in the article, it is surprising how much he has grown in the three and a half years since he finished the layout...
Sunday 17 April 2022
Transport Curiosities
Some inventions changed the world. The steam train, the motor car, and the aeroplane have each revolutionised transport. The monorail, airship, and autogyro didn't catch on in the same way. In Transport Curiosities 1850-1950 John Wade explores some of the curious ideas inventors have promoted for transportation over the century when mankind moved from primitive railways to the jet plane.
The book is packed full of these curious and sometimes crazy inventions, profusely illustrated with contemporary photos or engravings. The text is brief for most, although some get more details, there is just enough to be interesting without getting technical or historical. Some of the chapters show how curious concepts were the forerunners of transportation we have today, but many of the concepts shown were destined to remain dead ends. However, this isn't really a book for those who want to know the development of transport, this is an entertaining review of the imagination of inventors. Whether you have an interest in transport, engineering invention, or just the quirky and unusual, this is indeed a curious gem of a book.
Saturday 2 April 2022
Little wagons
I thought it would be nice to have another van for Loctern Quay, so I was looking for a small van that looked different to the others, and preferably had some character. At the Doncaster Show I found a Dundas (ex Rodney Stenning) kit for the Corris Railway brake van.
The little Corris-style van is a good size match for these small wagons. Next, the paint shop.