Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Merry Christmas to you all, fill up your life with love, compassion, tolerance, peace, happiness and perhaps hopefully some time for modelling. The wonderful Southern Railway Christmas press advert from December 1924 seen left (click for a larger version) was recently unearthed by friend and Railway Historian Dr, David Turner, and is a fascinating glimpse … Continue reading Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

The 00 gauge model wish list poll for 2022 is now open

The not so annual 00 gauge wish list poll has gone live today and runs until 1800 on Friday 30 December. The team last ran The 00 Wishlist Poll back in autumn 2019. They listed over 800 items together with a massive Poll Guide and it simply became unsustainable – for many reasons – to maintain that … Continue reading The 00 gauge model wish list poll for 2022 is now open

Going dumb… with 247 Developments vertical buffers.

Many early and or industrial rolling stock including both wagons and locomotives had very primitive 'dumb' buffers often fashioned from wooden blocks. I had previously created this on a couple of the industrial locomotives sometimes seen on Canute Road Quay such as the Hatton’s Andrew Barclay 14″ 0-6-0t and Hornby W4 Peckett 0-4-0t and this … Continue reading Going dumb… with 247 Developments vertical buffers.

Workbench Witterings #18 Not a pane yet, Westhill Road’s station building takes shape

Has it really been August since my Workbench Witterings#16 The Foundations of the Westhill Road station building? I have at last been able to do some more work on it today, starting with a the upper floor windows. As I have been unable to find any proprietary windows from the usual sources, including from laser … Continue reading Workbench Witterings #18 Not a pane yet, Westhill Road’s station building takes shape

When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today #Remembrance #lestweforget

If you so wish, wear your poppy with pride today, pause respectfully for two minutes at 11 am this Armistice Day and again this Remembrance Sunday remembering all those, both service and civilian personnel whom have given their lives for the freedom that we all enjoy today, and should you feel so inclined, support the … Continue reading When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today #Remembrance #lestweforget

Bachmann SECR/SR Diagram 1559 Dance Hall 25T Brake Vans arrive – a review

Following it being revealed in the Bachmann Quarterly British Railway Announcements for Autumn 2022 last August  the newly tooled SECR/SR Maunsell/Lyons Diagram 1559 25 ton good brake have arrived with retailers. These ‘modern’ 24ft long 16ft wheel base brake vans with their spacious guard’s accommodation were first introduced in 1918, and given the nickname ‘Dance … Continue reading Bachmann SECR/SR Diagram 1559 Dance Hall 25T Brake Vans arrive – a review

Rapido Trains UK ex SECR / SR Diagram 1426 van and the Dia. 1744 ballast wagons arrive – a review

The Rapido Trains UK ‘OO’ gauge South Eastern & Chatham Railway wagons, the Diagram 1426 van and the Dia. 1744 ballast wagon announced in January this year have now arrived. Both these wagons share the same  9ft 6in wheelbase with the five and seven plank open wagons that were released in April 2022. The Diagram … Continue reading Rapido Trains UK ex SECR / SR Diagram 1426 van and the Dia. 1744 ballast wagons arrive – a review

Bachmann announce ex LSWR / SR 56ft non corridor cross country sets as part the EFE Rail range

As part of their quarterly British Railway Announcements for Winter 2022 Bachmann have announced the ex London South Western Railway (LSWR) / Southern railway 56ft non corridor cross country sets in 00 gauge. There were 36 sets formed wholly of 56ft vehicles and these sets were generically called ‘Cross County sets’. They were constructed between … Continue reading Bachmann announce ex LSWR / SR 56ft non corridor cross country sets as part the EFE Rail range