Model and Miniature
TRACKWORKER (incorporating the Signal)
MRC eld
from the members of Uck
Articles
and
Features SUMMER 2009 News,
The journal of Uckeld Model Railway Club. Published on an occasional basis
TW_June2009.indd 1 29/06/2009, 05:50 Model and Miniature TrackWorker Summer 2009
Editor: John Pollington. e-mail: [email protected]
CONTENTS Next Issue: Winter 2009/2010
CLUB DIARY Deadline for the next issue will be determined by the Key events for summer and autumn: 2 amount of material submitted to the Editor.
SELECTING LAYOUTS Submission of any item which may be of interest Guidance on choosing layouts for our shows: 3 to our readers would be welcome, including good quality colour or monochrome photos or diagrams for inclusion on the front and rear cover, or to EXHIBITION REPORT complement written articles. Publication cannot be Club Show 2008 - a view from an exhibitor: 5 guaranteed and material may have to be edited, split or held over for future issues. LAYOUT FEATURE Stourcombe, Roger’s 00-gauge layout 7 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Editor, the Management Council or the Board CLUB LAYOUT REPORTS of Directors. Leysdown (P4): 10 Buckham Hill (0): 10 Test Track “Polo Mint” (N, TT, 00, EM &P4): 10 Cover photograph Netherhall and Fletching (00): 10 Oak Valley (N): 10 “the road ahead . . . “ newly-refreshed trackwork at Melling (P4): 10 Bentley Miniature Railway. photo by the Editor Editorial
Summer has arrived all too soon again, but it will soon be “Exhibition Time” again. The main theme of this issue is therefore exhibitions, and ours in particular. BMR-related articles are being held over until next issue when we should have major news for you all. This issue features three reports of note. The first is the unexpurgated version of Roger Bradgate’s layout article, the edited version of which featured in a recent issue of Hornby magazine. The second is Adrian’s “rule book” or guidance notes on how he selects layouts for our shows. The third is an interesting blog (for the few of you who may not know, blog is short for WebLog and is an online internet log or kind-of-diary) from one of our layout exhibitors at last year’s show.
Hopefully the next issue will not be too long in gestation. From this issue onwards the TrackWorker will be available online via the club website members area (www.bentleyrailway.co.uk/members). A very limited number of paper copies will be available at both of our club locations on a first-come-first-served basis for those who still do not have access to the World Wide Web. The next issue publication date will depend on material supplied by YOU, so please send your submissions to me at the email address above as soon as you can.
Happy modelling.
John Pollington
Uckfield Model Railway Club Limited is a Company Limited by Guarantee, incorporated on 13 August1999. Registered Company No.3824818. Registered Office: c/o Richard Place Dobson, 5 High Street, Edenbridge, Kent TN85AB Company Officers and Board of Directors - 2009/2010 Company Secretary: Company Treasurer: other Directors: Alex Tombling David Clifford Barry Miller, Geoff Billington, Keith Nock, Martin Marrison
Management Council - 2009/2010
President: Chairman: Secretary: Treasurer: Management Council Members:
Keith Nock Martin Marrison Alan Morris David Clifford Barry Miller, Alex Tombling, David Kiernan, Bob Howes, John Pollington, Geoff Billington
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CLUB MEETINGS are held in our rented HQ building north of Uckfield, every Monday evening. Open from 7:30pm. Members also meet on weekday afternoons for the maintenance of our miniature railway in the grounds of Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum, plus Thursday evenings during the summer months, and every Saturday from November to March. During the operating season, from mid-March to October, members operate Bentley Miniature Railway on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, plus daily during local school holiday times. Details of Bentley Miniature Railway, its operating days and features on the locomotives are also available on the club’s web site: www.bentleyrailway.co.uk CLUB DIARY 2009
Club Diary items are normally detailed in the Club Newsletter which is published separately. However, a short list of some of the key events this summer and autumn are listed here for your information. July 18 - September 6 School Holidays: Daily operations at Bentley Miniature Railway. Contact Alex Tombling (email: [email protected]) with your availability diary, or go to www.bentleyrailway.co.uk/roster and update in your availability on-line. September 18-20 Woodfair at Bentley - 3-days of intensive operations at Bentley Miniature Railway. Contact Alex Tombling (email: [email protected]) with your availability diary, or go to www.bentleyrailway.co.uk/roster and update in your availability on-line. October 17-18 Club Annual Exhibition at Uckfield Civic Centre. Contact the exhibition manager Adrian Colenutt (email: [email protected]) with your availability diary. October 26-30 Half-Term: Daily operations at Bentley Miniature Railway. Contact Alex Tombling (email: [email protected]) with your availability diary, or go to www.bentleyrailway.co.uk/roster and update in your availability on-line.
A1 60163 “TORNADO” - a day out to remember, by Dave Ham
On the 25th April I was on the train hauled by “Tornado” to Edinburgh and what a treat. It was all secret until we got on board at King’s Cross because the whole trip was being filmed by the BBC. It was for Top Gear - a Race to the North. Steam Dreams (The Cathedrals Express) was sponsoring the trip which was all dining, in comfortable Pullman seating. Just as well as it was an 8 hour trip (Kings Cross 07-26 depart, arrival 15-26 Edinburgh) with stops at Grantham, York and Edinburgh or we would all be in a flat pack. Four stops for water and two for coal; these took place in a loop or goods depot and lost us a lot of time. Who won (Steam train, Car, Motor bike)? - watch the telly programme (shown last week on BBC1 with repeats on BBC3 later this summer - Ed). A very good day was had by all, Iris and myself up at 05-00 and back to a welcome bed at midnight.
Any members interested in Steam Dreams trips contact me as I get a group of steam-minded friends together. This makes a friendly and enjoyable day out and at times very good ticket prices. The above trip was not open to the general public but I was offered tickets for sale to my friends. Food for thought in the future. Brochures are available.
There is another round trip on the 15th August from Waterloo luncheon circular, also an evening one via East Croydon (psd) Redhill (psd) also Edenbidge (psd) and Tonbridge (psd) then a clockwise circuit of the Ashford, Romney Marsh, Hastings and Tonbridge route. (psd)= pick up and set down. Sorry if you missed the one on the 21st June. I did put up an offer at Bentley.
Dave Ham. Contact phone No 0208 654 5383. Any time answerphone. NO E MAIL: A copy of Steam Dreams brochure is available for reference at the Bentley Railway Station Building / Ticket Office.
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For a while now, many of us have wondered how the Exhibition Manager selects layouts for our very successful exhibitions. Back in March at our AGM, we asked him to make his selection ‘rules’ known to us. I am pleased to report that we will all know now - here it is . . .
Guidance for Invitation of Model Railway Layouts
by Adrian Colenutt, Exhibition Manager, Uckfield M.R.C.
The choice of layout to attend the Exhibition is always a personal one. What may be one person’s idea of their ideal layout is not always another’s. However we do try and have a diverse mix of layouts at our relatively small venue. Looking back over the last ten years it has been rare for more than two layouts of the same scale and gauge to be present at any one show.
Despite the small size of our venue, we continue to attract the railway modeller, as opposed to the visiting family, due to the high quality of the layouts and trade we are able to source. These modellers are prepared to pay a premium to attend such an exhibition. The attendance of the railway modeller also has a direct correlation with the type and quality of Trader willing to attend our exhibition.
However there is a scarcity of high quality layouts, especially in the south east, and so a high proportion of our expenditure is spent on having to bring them from further away. A balance is always sought between the expense of bringing a layout to Uckfield, the subsequent enhanced visitor experience and the possible implications on any financial surplus from running the show.
A few questions have been asked as to what is looked for when inviting a layout to attend the event. So we have put together a few guidelines below for your interest. However they are guidelines. Some items if not met will definitely result in an invite not being issued but, if for example, an otherwise excellent layout which doesn’t have a backscene but meets all the other criteria, may well be offered an invite - especially if it is of a scale/gauge ratio that helps us maintain our diverse mix of exhibits.
a) Quality of Modelling/Operation which bending down to view layouts can be difficult. With respect to those who attend in wheelchairs, current The exhibition has a reputation for high quality layouts legislation may require us to provide an ‘auxiliary aid’ matched with corresponding trade. Although we tend to such as a periscope so that they can view the exhibits. have layouts built to various fine scale standards there is always room for the layout built to proprietary standards All layouts should be self supporting on own legs or running complementary stock. However in all cases the purpose built structure. Tables may be provided as long quality of modelling should be of an overall consistently as the layout has packing pieces to lift it to minimum high standard with the appropriate level of operation to track height and the physical dimensions of the layout match. can be matched with appropriate tables.
b) Height of Layout: c) Scenic Viewing Area:
The ideal approximate height of the running lines should Because our venue is relatively small we must maximise be 4ft from the ground. Although a height lower or higher the proportion of scenic viewing area in relation to than this may be acceptable, a track height lower than the total length of the layout. A layout which has a 3ft 6in is unlikely to be invited. The goal is to provide small scenic area and large fiddleyard is unlikely to be a slightly raised horizontal viewing angle and to avoid invited. Some accommodations can be made within the a vertical ‘bird’s eye’ view. An exception to this may be exhibition floor plan by placing fiddleyards behind other a layout on the theme of ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ exhibits but this is not always possible. For guidance specifically aimed at our younger visitor. when dealing with a straight terminus style layout no more than a third should be fiddleyard. For a through The height of the layout is also determined by our station with fiddleyard at each end this can be extended audience of adults, many of the older generation, to to just under a half.
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Guidance for invitation of model railway layouts
(continued from previous page)
Layouts with a fiddleyards behind themselves i.e. No invitation to attend Uckfield will be forthcoming continuous run, are acceptable if the fiddleyard can if items, such as plaques presented for attending be accommodated away from public gangways e.g. the exhibitions, are stuck on the ‘sky’ backscene. Also items fiddleyard backs onto a wall or another exhibit. such as ‘postcard’ timetables hung over the backscene may preclude an invitation if too intrusive. There must be a scenic break or some other device to limit the eye of the spectator from travelling from f) General Presentation a scenic section into the fiddleyard. Fiddleyards ideally should be hidden from view as interested parties can All layouts should be suitably draped to hide their always be invited behind the scenes to view an item of undersides, with suitable material. There should be a stock. gap between the bottom of the drape and the floor (2 inches). In the unusual scenario that the layout is d) Lighting and Pelmet/Proscenium displayed on a table with packing pieces, both the Arch packing pieces and the table should be covered with drapes.
All layouts must have lighting, both to illuminate the The overall appearance of the layout should be neat and modelling but also to add height to the exhibit. Ideally the tidy with the name of the layout displayed clearly. lighting should be suspended in front of the running line
closest to the viewing public so as to properly light the rolling stock. Lighting sited towards the rear of the layout g) Operators may unacceptably cast the viewing public’s side of the modelling in shadow. If a layout for example is a small branch terminus of the fiddleyard to station format and operates as ‘one engine To prevent lights shining in visitor’s eyes and to provide in steam’ but requires six operators, then an invitation is a barrier between the visitor and possibly hot bulbs, unlikely to be forthcoming. However a large continuous lights should be housed behind a suitable pelmet or run layout with three trains moving at any one time, proscenium arch. requiring the same six operators is not an issue.
e) Backscene h) Sound
Layouts should ideally have a backscene to break the General background sounds are felt to add to a layout’s eye of the spectator from travelling off scene. The height atmosphere as long as they are quiet and do not travel of the backscene is usually determined by the scale to over to adjacent exhibits and cause irritation. Sound which the layout is constructed; the larger the scale the fitted locomotives operated by DCC are acceptable higher the backscene. For 4mm/ft scale layout a height if the volume is kept low. Layouts with high power of 10 inches above rail height is usual. sound systems playing loud recordings of locomotives, Backscenes should be at least as high as any structure/ unsynchronised with trains running on the layout, will feature on the layout. not be invited.
Now we all know what to aim for - Club layout CMEs please take note!
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A View of the Uckfield Model Railway Exhibition 2008 by an Exhibitor
Phil Parker and his father attended the show with their 3mm/ft scale layout Flockburgh. He posted this article on his blog on Saturday the 25th October 2008 - http://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/
OK, it’s been a week but I’ve finally go around to excellent, fresh eggs from the chickens (didn’t I mention writing up the story of our trip to Uckfield Model Railway them) with our fry-up. The other exhibitors sharing the Exhibition: accommodation have brought S and Z gauge layouts and we chat away about shows. Friday: Packed up. Drove down the A quick run to the hall and M40, M25 and M23. Took some then a stroll around the High A roads to find the B&B we were Street. We could have got in booked into at Newick. Did OK and started up but with over until we got to the village but still an hour before opening, some found our accommodation using fresh air seemed like a better a combination of luck - and not idea. It’s a nice little main street finding anywhere to turn the car with some of the usual shops. around. Mrs Thomas runs a small A handy bakery gave my Dad guest house which is home to a treat - cheesecakes - not paying visitors, 4 cats and 2 the normal version made of enormous Great Danes. If you don’t like animals this cheese but the ones made of isn’t the place for you but as we do it’s great. Were puff pastry topped with coconut strings. You only get served with tea and biccies whilst fussing a particularly them in the south of England and I’m not sure what they affectionate moggy. The dogs live in a conservatory are really called so cheesecake it is. which is good as they would be a bit heavy if they decided to leap on your lap! Back in the hall and the track is cleaned up before we wander around to look at the other exhibits. Our Made it to the venue around half 6 and after booking in, neighbours have brought a GWR branch terminus which a couple of helpful members assist us in dragging the is pains me to admit is really quite nice. Not so nice layout into the hall. It’s a short walk but the help is really is the curtain erected along the back of the operating appreciated and the sign that this is going to be a nice space on the P4 layout “Ferring”. It’s a big model and friendly show. Our space has a table sticking over it so this curtain is like a wall. No one can understand its stuff gets dumped on this. Setting up commences and purpose either other than to separate the fine scale is nearly finished when the layout next door turn up and operators from the rest of us. need the space our chaos occupies to get their layout in! Drat, 5 minutes more and we’d have got away with it. The show isn’t huge but it is quality. There are no Once set up and happy everything works (one lazy duff layouts and hardly point motor but nothing to worry about) we head back any you would call to the B&B and then on to a pub for some excellent average. In fact I’d argue Cumberland sausage baguettes and indifferent beer. If it’s probably one of the “Kent’s Best” is the best Kent can do he better give up highest quality shows I’ve brewing for something else. ever exhibited at - not sure what we are doing there but anyway it’s too late Saturday: Up early as the B&B only has one shower to get rid of us. The crowds certainly appreciate it and between 3 guest rooms and I wanted to get in it first. The walking around in the morning is difficult especially in central heating was over effective and about midnight the side halls. we decided to open the window in the room and let some autumn coolness in. Before breakfast I took a Lunch is served upstairs - I had a very nice lasagne stroll to get a newspaper. Newick has a general store, while my Dad ate ham rolls. It’s nice to be able to eat butcher, chemist (under threat according to a poster in away from the layout. You get to chat with the other the window) and baker. The later seems to specialist exhibitors and traders. In the show we are all confined in doughnuts, or at least they like making them judging to our displays and only get to socialise over the barrier by the piles already available at 7am! Breakfast is while trying to talk and concentrate on operating the layouts or selling stuff therefore this is a nice opportunity. - 5 -
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The afternoon is quieter but no less chatty. The main Sunday is traditionally quieter than Saturday at any question revolves around the Spratt & Winkle couplings. show and this was the case here. There was still I’m not sure if we have converted anyone to using them someone in front of the layout pretty much continuously but plenty now understand how they work. all day though. The trade didn’t seem to do too badly either. The South Eastern Finecast stand opposite In the evening there is a meal back in Newick. Our group certainly flogged a few locos and I think Roxey of 27 just fits around a single table. Clever organisation mouldings did too. We left with an Isle of Man coach means there are names against places and on the back from them anyway... of the cards a list of what we ordered weeks ago - Lunch was shepherds pie which was just as nice as the something most had forgotten. The food is good as is lasagne and just right. You don’t want anything heavy but the beer (Jack this time) and conversation. Just when we do need some stodge to get you through the day. are all tired and merry a quiz finishes the evening and hilarity ensues as we try to remember who various dogs The crowds started to belonged to or decipher 76 T B in the B P. dissipate in the middle of the afternoon. With an hour to Sunday: The last day is all about positioning - in the go stock was disappearing car park. We reckoned that by getting a spot not too out of the fiddle yard and far from the door we could load up without moving the heading for the stock box. car. I managed to find a space as close as possible We’ll keep running and then we went for another wander. We’d have been something until the death but as I’ve written before, if there even earlier except that the chatting around the you come in at 4pm then don’t expect things to be quite breakfast table went on longer than expected - a rather as perky as they were 48 hours ago! pleasant problem to have. As expected the layout was carried out easily to the In the south of the car park. The prize for packing had to go to Flintfield. town you find the Heading back to Holland they were not only one of the station, a single first out of the door, but amazingly the whole model platform terminus with packing into two modest boxes carried on top of a small no trains on Sunday, Vauxhall. I’m assuming that the technology is the same and a really attractive as Mary Poppin’s carpet bag. The trip back was easy mill complex. I took enough other than an idiot Volvo driver (if you indicate a few pictures of this you are overtaking and I don’t accelerate so you can go as it does have real by quickly then GO) and we were back home drinking potential for a model. tea by 9pm. The station, river and mill make a very compact scene and pretty bucolic. The signal box still exists and we Much thanks is due to the members of Uckfield Model chatted to the lady who works in the taxi office that Railway Club who were friendly and helpful all weekend. occupies the top floor. Apparently the river often floods It makes a huge difference to a show. Special mention to a depth of 6ft above the banks. This means a new should go to Adrian Colenutt, the exhibition manager, toilet every time the water subsides and watered down who was always around making sure everything was beer in the nearby pub. going OK. And we are supposed to be going back next year. We’re looking forward to it already.
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TW_June2009 contents.indd 6-7 29/06/2009, 05:49 Model and Miniature TrackWorker Summer 2009 STOURCOMBE
Roger Bradgate’s 00-gauge model of part of the old Somerset & Dorset.
This feature article is the ‘unexpurgated’ version of a similar item published in the February 2009 edition of Hornby magazine.
Photograph copyright Chris Nevard - reproduced by kind permission
“You must use finescale track - universal track Why the Somerset and Dorset? As a young looks like girders”, etc, etc, were the comments lad from 1957 to 1962 we lived at Bolton from certain members - “so how do you run and Sheffield and visited grandparents near old items with 50s and 60s wheels?” I retorted, Bournemouth for three weeks in August. The and so the argument went on. The year was only way to get there was by train over the 2006 and I stated that I would have a layout S&D on the ‘Pines Express’ and for a young ready for the 2008 exhibition - and it was, but trainspotting enthusiastic modeller this became then that’s another sore point - don’t ask! a voyage of unparalleled delight and lasting memories. The S&D also had such a diverse I have been modelling since getting my first range of stations and track which can be used Hornby Dublo R1 goods train set for Christmas to give many varied layout designs and its in 1959 and need the robust universal code stubborn way of ignoring how the rest of BR 100 track to cope with the old wheel flanges. did things, rule bending and nicking any old I also wanted to show what can be achieved engine that strayed its way, including from the by using kits and models readily available LNER, gives much modelling licence. from your local model shop to show new club members and prospective modellers that it can Baseboard and Trackwork be done and that universal track can melt into The boards are constructed using 5mm ply good ballasting and scenery. sides 3in high with an inset top of 9mm MDF board set onto 10 x 15mm softwood strips with Virtually all items used to construct this layout all the corners similarly braced. All the joints were obtained from my local model shop - are clamped and glued using waterproof PVA the Hobby Box of Uckfield, whose friendly - not a screw or nail in sight. The baseboard assistance over nigh on 30 years has been connections are by M8 bolts and wing nuts, much appreciated: to Keith and the current through M8 pronged Tee nuts set into 2in x 1in proprietors Mark and Annie, thank you very softwood on the baseboard ends. much. - 7 -
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One threaded Tee nut has the thread drilled and Johnson’s Painters and Decorators. out to slide the bolt through, which is then On the right is the signalbox with the Somerset secured with the wing nut - simple and and Dorset Dairies factory behind. Here the effective. The baseboards for the scenic line splits to enter the island platform with section are 5ft x 2ft for the station to the sidings to the left serve the goods shed, signalbox and contain all the pointwork and coal yard and timber yard headshunt. The 3ft x 2ft from the signal box to entry into the sidings to the right serving the coaling stage, storage yard, giving a maximum of two cross servicing pit and engine shed with access to board lines: the branch line and the wood yard. the dairy headshunt. The town wraps itself round the station site forming the backscene to Track underlay is card covered 4.5mm the layout. Traffic consists of local and holiday polystyrene wall insulation from France. Track passenger trains, coal , building, timber, dairy is Peco universal throughout, with baseboard and general goods traffic. track joints soldered to small brass screws before being cut. Points are mainly ‘Y’ shaped, Buildings and structures rather than left or right hand, which helps As explained at the start of the article, to spread the trackwork out in the shortest buildings are in the main from kits or Skaledale possible length, and all are electrofrog for with just the dairy and main timber yard shed smooth running. Operation of the points is scratch built using as simple foam board wall by Seep self-latching motors, though in the and roof construction hot glued together then storage yard, due to space restrictions, 3 overlayed with Slaters Plasikard, Wills sheet points were motorised using Peco’s above material and glazing from a Metcalf Mill kit. The board motors - and these are very good. But main timber yard folds round the corrugated the storage yard is perhaps something for roof Wills timber yard kit. another article. Uncoupling is by Seep tension lock uncouplers The fire station is Skaledale, modified by set into the track with the solenoid below the removing the ‘bear cage’ from the roof, forming baseboard. Yes, standard proprietary tension the missing firstfloor drill tower window, fitting lock couplers are used on my stock and have an emergency telephone to one side of the served me well for nearly 50 years. appliance bay doors, filing off the inappropriate ‘Fire Engine Station’ lettering and replacing the A journey down the line lettering with ‘Stourcombe Fire Station’. The Stourcombe is the end of a branch line word ‘engine’ never appeared on fire stations which follows the West Stour to the sea except in the very early years - believe me, I’m leaving the main line at Corfe Mullen. Today a retired Fire Officer! all traces of the small river are gone and Stourcombe became lost in the Bournemouth/ The ‘Brigade Terrace’ cottages are from the Poole conurbation that sprawls along this ever Dornaplas range with added chimney pots popular piece of coastline. from empty Biro tubing. Inside you can see someone washing at the kitchen window and a The line enters the edges of the town under lady peering from a bedroom window. The net the road overbrige and almost immediately curtains are made from a single layer of toilet crosses the West Stour river where, being paper and curtains from craft papers. summer holidays, youngsters fish from the shuttered banks. Wending past the fire station Drews Builders buildings are a Wills’ garage and firemens’ cottages, Brigade Terrace, on kit, Airfix (Dapol) garage (I built one of these the right and tight to the line on the left is FR in the early ‘60s) with interior details and Jones timber yard mill. Immediately beyond on damaged screeding with rear toilet block and the left are the premises of Drew Bros Builders occupant and a Skaledale gasworks store.
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Johnsons Decorators is also by Skaledale. The laddering converted with wire in tube through sands and ballast are the real thing - sand the base plate, connected to vertically from Weymouth and ballast from behind the mounted Seep self latching point motors below garage sieved through a fine kitchen sieve the baseboard - cheap, simple, effective and (sorry Helen but it was cleaned after use). more to the point very robust.
The coal staithes are made from plank There has not been a ready to use semaphore embossed plasticard and moulded ‘H’ section. signal to match these form the 1950s - The merchant’s cabin is a Wills lineside hut manufacturers please note - let’s have some with modified roof covering, the goods shed, more of this quality - the existing Hornby items signalbox, engine shed, coaling stage and are very overscale and not in keeping with platform canopy are by Ratio. The station the excellent range of today’s products from building is by Peco cut in half to form a Hornby. Track cleaners, capacity discharge low relief building; Peco also providing the and control units are all by Gaugemaster and Stationmaster’s house. The platform, based are contained in the control boxes. on Burnham-on-Sea with the canopy similar to Edington junction/Glastonbury, is chipboard Rolling stock with plasticard brick face and the surface is All locomotives are ready-to-run ranging in age coloured mounting board with scribed edges from the 1950s to the present day, with the painted in acrylic and dry brushed with track exception of the S&D ‘7Fs’ and a ‘G6’ 0-6-0T colour to weather. (kits) and dairy shunter - a diesel hydraulic The river has shuttered banks from Wills adapted from an American chassis and Airfix sheeting and the riverbed is painted in (Dapol) Class 03 kit. All locomotives carry acrylic with Ronseal acrylic gloss varnish. numbers of locomotives that actually worked The backscene is formed using a mixture of the S&D. Townscene sheets and the sky, countryside and sea was painted again in acrylic by my 83 The last locomotive to mention is the BR years young mum! ‘Standard Four’ 76009 which is a treasured item from one of our first club members, Ballast is a blend of fine Woodland Scenic Norman Edwards known also as ‘professor types and most other scenic materials come hackenbash’ or ‘uncle Norm’ to all. It is from the same range. The felled timber is compiled from the Airfix (Dapol) kit on a Triang just that - twigs from a died-back bush, glued 2-6-2T chassis using ‘Duchess’ cylinders and in place and matt varnished. Fencing is by valvegear. Norman is no longer with us, Ratio: the wire is fishing line superglued to but it was his layout and adaptive methods the concrete posts. Figures are from various that led me to Stourcombe. Passenger and manufacturers. The stone wall colouring is goods stock is mainly ready-to-run, though achieved using acrylic paints and is based on occasionally a rake of kit built S&D private stone found in and around Wells on the S&D owners coal wagons appear - again modeller’s branches. licence. Stourcombe will be exhibited at the Uckfield Making it work MRC exhibition, in autumn 2009, though floor The control boxes are formed from IKEA space demands have required me to turn it cutlery trays with hardboard control panel into a 10ft x 7ft ‘U’ shaped layout so there will tops. Points and signals are operated by be an added scenic section to view - see you stud and electric pencil and the uncouplers there! are operated by push to make switches and isolating sections by single pole switches. So there you are - there are many more small Signals - these are second-hand Hornby details to add, but I think I achieved what I set Dublo versions hand operated but with Ratio out to do, I hope it may encourage others. - 9 -
TW_June2009 contents.indd 8-9 29/06/2009, 05:50 Summer 2009 Model and Miniature TrackWorker
Layout Reports
Leysdown (P4) Netherhall and Fletching (00) This scale model of the Isle of Sheppey branch Originally an end-to-end configuration with fiddle-yards terminus has been successfully exhibited at a variety at each end, this model of a fictitious Ouse Valley line of shows, including ScaleForum and Expo-EM (the station has been fitted with new baseboards to permit finescale expositions of national and international continuous operation at HQ and exhibitions. Its next status). Currently not slated for forthcoming exhititions, outings are at our own show in October 2009 followed by it remains in “warm storage” at HQ ready for use when Brighton MRC’s show in November. More detailed work next required. is scheduled for the scenic boards & electrics. Members’ locos & stock will need to be assessed on Buckham Hill (0) the layout for reliability, so please bring yours along for Re-built from the basics of a layout originally bought test runs starting in August, before submitting them for from Bexhill (although to see it you would have use at the show; if they do not perform they will not be trouble finding any of the original components, including rostered. baseboard parts), this was our first model of a fictitious station on the abandoned Ouse Vally line. The layout Oak Valley (N) is at present undergoing a further upgrade and rebuild Under the meticulous stewardship of Peter Graydon, this of the station area pointwork, to improve reliability layout finally saw trains running all-round the main line and added sidings, under the careful management of circuit at our recent Christmas bash at HQ. More work is Colin Stephens. A certain member of the BMR track still to be done to get the various sidings etc wired-up, maintenance team has even been seen working on the then it’s over to the scenery, building & civil engineering 0-gauge track on this layout too! The next part of the stage! process is to re-wire the amended trackwork, and revise some of the scenery signalling and buildings. Melling (P4) This new model will eventually replace Leysdown, and Polo Mint (N, TT, 00, EM & P4) will be based on a design published by Barry Norman in The electrical wiring for this test track has undergone one of his recent books. Our esteemed Club Chairman, a major revamp recently, thanks to Peter Graydon, Martin Marrison is general overseer. Baseboards are including better baseboard connectors and more nearly complete, in the expert hands of Paul Giles and connection sockets for each track. A perimeter safety Brian Wilson (the man with that nail-gun!) Once the legs board is due to be fitted soon, to minimise the risk of have been manufactured and attached, the real work of speeding trains falling to the floor! layout construction commences.
Tail Lamp
Well ....
That’s all for this issue. I hope you found it both entertaining and informative. Apologies for concentrating on exhibitions, but all the content I had this time around was on this topic!
To submit items to me for publication in the next issue, it’s all very easy:- all you need to do is write up something using your favourite wordprocessor or text editor on your computer and email it to me [[email protected]]. You can include photos and drawings if you think it helps put your message across. I can cope with almost any file format, so what are you waiting for? Once I have enough articles I’ll put it all together and publish the next TrackWorker.
Over to you!
John Pollington
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