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Hexworthy last-minute show prep
I had promised an update on the last-minute jobs ahead of Sunday's show, these weren't critical but make life easier when exhibiting. I had discovered during testing that the arc of the "gates" at the...
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More life for Hexworthy
I mentioned that I'd been adding more details to Hexworthy as one of the multiple tasks I was working on ahead of its first show last weekend, but I'd not managed to keep on top of blogging. As well as...
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Alexandra Palace - London Festival of Railway Modelling, 2024
 Last weekend I helped my friend Martin Collins exhibit his layout Llandecwyn at Alexandra Palace. The layout depicts a Welsh narrow gauge slate railway terminus and port, Martin displays a history...
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Narrow Gauge South 27 April 2024
Yesterday was Narrow Gauge South, which these days is the biggest narrow-gauge show in the South of England. I was helping John Crane with his superb Darjeeling 009 layout, Kurseong. Kurseong uses DCC,...
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Tank and banana wagons
I've acquired a couple of unusual tank wagon kits which will add some interesting variation to Loctern Quay. Both are from the Meridian range and based on the Bagnall wagon chassis, but sadly are not...
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Tank wagons part 2
On with the tank wagon kits. Microtrains couplings were fitted to plasticard packing underneath, with a slot cut out the end framing. The screws were shortened so as not to protrude through the floor....
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Road tanker
The Meridian kit for the round tanker wagon using a Bagnall chassis is based on an example at Snailbeach which had been built using a tank from a road lorry. I recently saw this early road tanker, at...
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Beam me up
Hexworthy is a foot longer than Awngate, and while it seemed secure enough on the same support structure (made about 15 years ago), there was a lot of overhang at each end. The support beams were 4' 4"...
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Goodwood Festival of Speed
Yesterday my son and I went to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This is only about 30 minutes from home, but it was only my second visit and the first for my son, perhaps surprising as we are both...
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Amberley rail gala
It's the time of year again that the Sussex Downs 009 group take the 009 Society showcase and demo stand to the Amberley rail gala. Sadly the model railway side of the event has diminished over the...
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Platform lights in BRM
The August issue of BRM - out now - has a "Getting Practical" article by me!The "Getting Practical" section provides a step-by-step how-to for a range of different modelling projects. My article covers...
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Wiltshire Group Skills Day
I happened to be passing through Wiltshire today within a few miles of Pewsey, so it seemed like a good idea to allow time to pop into the 4th Wiltshire Group Skills Day there. This is an unusual sort...
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Railways around Bath
I've just got back from a week away with the family, near Bath. I came across the Avon Valley Railway on the outskirts of Bristol, so of course a visit and a ride was in order. Based out of Bitton...
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Gaugemaster 50th exhibition
Today I popped into Gaugemaster who were celebrating their 50th anniversary with a mini-exhibition at their shop in Ford. This O and O16.5 (NG7?) layout looks delightfully modelled, other than the gap...
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A Baguley and a pair of Bug Boxes
A few additions to the stock list today. A couple of Ffestiniog bug-boxes and a yellow Baguley Drewry. The bug boxes will of course go well with the England and Double Fairlie locos. The Baguley will...
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The writing's on the tank
I can't believe the last update on the tanker wagons was in May. Progress has been a bit intermittent. While sourcing some suitable transfers I finished the painting. The wagon chassis were painted...
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Making ripples
While the river and stream have depth and look shiny, I'm not sure the effect is quite what is needed. A little while back Tom Dauben suggested I add ripples using a thicker gloss gel, hence I got a...
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River ups and downs
Following the last post on the experiments creating ripples, I applied the same techniques to the river and stream on the layout. Or at least, I thought I was using the same techniques.I stippled on...
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Colourful wagons
I've three exhibitions coming up this Autumn and with little modelling done over the summer, I've several jobs ongoing to finish some projects before the exhibitions. Most of these are focused on...
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Coaching for exhibitions
Hexworthy has a couple of exhibitions coming up, the first being at Uckfield next weekend. Having done little modelling over the summer, there were a number of jobs I wanted to finish, so the last few...
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White water
After the last post about the river, my local expert Tom Dauben pointed out (with photographic evidence) that Dartmoor streams flowing through rocky areas do have areas of white water, such as over...
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Exhibiting Hexworthy at Uckfield
Back in the summer I posted how I'd made new, longer, support beams for Hexworthy as it is longer than Awngate was. In the run up to the Uckfield show I painted the beams, and the upper part of the...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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