Notice

 Notice


I am sorry to announce that I have recently suffered a bereavement. I have not been able to devote any time to my layout. Normal service will resume as soon as possible.

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"You promised me this was about a layout!"

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At the time of writing I have not yet begun construction of my railway. I hadn't realised how much actually goes into the construction of a fully functioning model railway. The whole thing is a financial millstone. But I am determined to make it happen. I've saved a lot by keeping it small. The layout is 7 feet by 1 1/2 feet. I would love to build a mega layout with two stations and lots of scenery but I must be realistic. A small station layout will be enough for me right now. I tried to cut costs by dismantling my old N-gauge track and repurposing it. However, the condition of the track and it's sheer age has meant this cannot be. So I have been researching the different types of track you can buy. I'm going for Peco set track as it seems the best. However, here lay another dilemma, that of gauge.  Most of my rolling stock has short wheelbases and can cope with virtually any curve. However the rub comes with the advent of the Heljan Manning Wardle locomot...
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Funkey Time

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In April I bought a pair of Kato chassis off a friend in the 009 group. I took the opportunity that came with the lockdown to construct a new freelance diesel for the fleet. I wanted to use a pre-made cab and build the bodywork around that in order to build something that looked vaguely realistic. I found a Funkey bodykit from A1 models and began to deconstruct the kit to make the locomotive. I wanted a more central cab position to create something that was reminiscent of Castell Caernarfon. I  I drew up a rough sketch and set about creating the bodywork from 40 thou styrene.  I used the brass grills to add to the sides of the body. I added brassrod for the handrails and a few extra details from one of the Harlech Castle models.  I initially gave it a basecoat in Games Workshop paint which brought it to life as a something that could be realised in real life. There are several details that need to be added to the model but I am inte...
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