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RTR layout nightmare
Spotted at Warley this year, I think this might be my nightmare. An almost ready to run layout. Just add track and throw some buildings at it and the job is done. How long before the moulded board has...
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Horray for Humbrol!
A surprise package arrived in the post on Friday. 6 pots of Humbrol 173.Track ColourThe most useful paint in the railway modellers toolkit is now available again. Personally I'd like to find whoever...
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4D Models, London
4d Models is one of those whops that I have been aware of for years without ever having visited or bought anything from. In my defence, the premises are a little hidden away in a slightly less...
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Interesting and modelable workboats
On my trip to London, I ignored the proper tourist locations for a stroll around Docklands. As I wandered, I snapped some interesting work boats that would make interesting models either for radio...
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P-51 Mustang Egg Plane
A little catch-up time allowed me to finish painting the pilot figure for my egg plane. Being a reasonable "scale" there's space for plenty of detail. To make things even easier - there are transfers...
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Festive trains in Selfridges
Christmas is nearly upon us and the big store windows are full of displays. Not all are mannequins with shiny clothes that don't fit real people though, some places have a tradition of entertaining the...
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In front of the camera again.
Deep joy. It seems that I don't just write about layouts but apparently I'm to appear on an iPad near you soon. Sign up for BRM Live and in the January (I think) edition, I'll be talking about...
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Why do I love ugly things?
On Monday, Hornby announced their new range of models. Which one do I want? The Crosti 9F. Easily the ugliest locomotive in the range. When I wandered abound Limehouse Basin in London, among all the...
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Building my dream home
It's a festive week so I'm going to enjoy a project I've dreamed about for many, many, years. Hornby's R196 bungalow kit dates from the 1970s and I think is a Piko product rather than originating from...
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Walls up, ready for Santa
Old plastic is hard. Really hard. I had to resort to wire cutters to snip the parts away from the sprue before cleaning up the residue with a knife. The bits fit together well. Mek-pak works very...
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Merry Christmas!
Seasons greetings to you all. Thank you for taking time to read all my ramblings. Now, go and have another mince pie - you know you want to!
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How to make a 4mm scale snowman
Yesterday, my bloggy Christmas card featured a 4mm scale snowman. When I thought of the idea, it all seemed so simple. It wasn't.In theory, all you need is a couple of small balls and some wire. And...
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Paint the walls with brown and grey
Back at the bungalow, wall painting has taken place. There are tow surfaces to consider. The white render was simple - a coat of Humbrol 147 dry-brushed with white. I wanted something to contrast with...
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Lego railway genius
Since it's still the season from some less than serious modelling, I feel I ought to point you towards the Lego genius that is Carl Greatrix. He has developed some amazing models of British railway...
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New Isle of Man Railway diesel
Picture from IOM TodayIt's probably a good job that I love ugly things, because the newest arrival on the Isle of Man Steam Railway would test many an enthusiasts aesthetic sensibilities.Bought in at...
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Afterthought parts?
Planning is important. If you are developing a product, it pays to make sure you have all the parts before putting them in the box. I'm not sure Piko were operating at the peak of German efficiency...
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Hornby R196 Bungalow
For the last blog post of 2013, it's nice to be able to report on a completed project. The Hornby bungalow kit is finally painted and a verdant garden has sprung up around the outside. Most of this is...
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After 8
Time for my 8th annual review of last years model making and blogging activity. Looking back at last year's posting, I see that the 3mm scale Class 25 has spent yet another year in its box making it 2...
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Removing solder
Brian asks: I'm soldering together a Gauge O Castle Class Loco (David Andrews kit perhaps a bit ambitious as a first foray into brass kit making!) and am looking for a good way of removing excess...
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Inside the Formo envelope
Mooching around my local model railway club one evening, I found an envelope marked "Formo" and apparently containing "Duplex" transfers for use on LMS rolling stock. Since this is a new old name to...
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