Plenty of practical work from me in the latest issue of BRM.
Asked to build a level crossing - I built two! It seemed a good idea to have a go at both the classic ex-Airfix version, and the latest from Peco. Comparing the two kits, you can see what over half-a-century of development work in the plastic kit world means. There's also a huge difference between the two models as nowadays, the scene is much more complicated as ever more stringent safety considerations take effect.
Asked for advice by a reader on improving the running of his latest aquisition, I offered to take a proper look if the model was posted to me.
What arrived, was a very old Hornby Black 5, that once serviced and with a set of extra pickups added, runs silky smooth. It might not be as good a model as the very latest version, or even the one we are promised for the future, but I think a loco like this will still perform perfectly well on most people's layout. If you follow my maxim that modelling to a consistant standard instead of having one or two superior items, looks better, I think it's an excellent fit.
BRM TV sees me using a modestly priced static grass applicator to fluff up a diorama - proving that even the cheaper tools can do a good job if used with a bit of care.
My camera has also been out again.
Alexandra Sidings ticked the "layouts Phil would like to build" when I saw it at Shepton Mallet a few weeks ago. Small space O gauge with buckets of atmosphere, it wasn't the easiest to shoot, I'm glad I use a small camera, but the results are lovely.
Blakey Rigg provided a rare chance to tackle some S gauge. High-quality modelling, but with an interesting industrial countryside scene. There's a lot of foreground to this model, and I think I managed to capture this. S is a scale I'd love to dabble in, but aside from having too many projects on the go, I can't do the imperial measurement thing. Fortuanatly, others can, and we can enjoy their work.
