009 Turntable - AKA Lazy Susan!

Recently I saw a small round turntable to use on a 009 layout. I found this 25cm turntable on Amazon. Well made in 8ply and, for my use, completely round.
The turntable is formed with a CD- what a neat idea. For a tad over £9 I couldn't cut this out myself so a good cheat.

3mm Scale BR&CW Type 3.

 A new 3mm casting appeared on the scene recently.

Lenny has been producing quality resin castings for 3mm for some time. Indeed, I have one of his 4MT 2-6-4T which replaces the ancient GEM offering which was produced to fit the Tri-ang TT Brittania chassis so had some compromises.

This is a really excellent casting, crisp with no flash.

Also available from Lenny is a set of bogie sides which, are well cast in whitemetal. These are also suitable for the class 26 and 27 which he also produces.

Lenny's products are offered on e-bay and feature quite a large selection of both steam and Diesel outline.

Both products are strongly recommended and will be a pleasure to motorise.

Another 009 Tram!

This is becoming addictive!

I have had this, Atlas I think, tram model for quite some time but the project stalled after virtually destroying the baseplate!

Feeling on a roll after the success of the Lisbon tram, I felt it was time to revisit this one.

Again, another cut down Kato chassis has been used which has had an amount of metal removed.

As seen the two end balconys had been separated from the metal chassis.

The body has been carved about to facilitate the motor bogie then the balconys have been stuck with superglue and then, once dry plastered with epoxy resin.

It all seems to have held so far.

Below is how far I have progressed and now I have to decide how to secure the bogie into the chassis.

What will I run them on? Decisions-Decisions!

Rail-Ex Taunton today!

Down in Taunton ready for the opening of Rail-Ex 2019.

Please do say hello if you visit- Hillbrow is in the dance studio.

Lisbon Tram for 009-Motorised.

For some time I had been looking  for a 4mm scale Lisbon Tram. I am really fascinated by these vintage vehicles which wind their way through the streets and hills of Lisbon. I had visited a few years ago but didn't realise that a 4mm scale model was available.

So after finding one from the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society , I duly obtained one.

 So, how to motorise? I had a cut down Kato 11-104, the thin one, which fitted between the side frames of the base. Taking it the tram apart was simple, just a couple of screws.

A hole large enough for the power bogie was cut into the floor and four squares of plasticard adhered as shown to prevent the bogie falling out- it is mounted from the top.

Likewise a holewas cut into the seating moulding which, if cut correctly  keeps the bogie in place.

 Above is the bogie mounted into the chassis with the seating fitted. Handily there are four mounting lugs for the seating which keep it all in place.

The body itself is as bought and simply clips onto the chassis keeping everything in place.

Finally, the roof is fitted and the tram tested- all works well even though the bogie has been hacked about somewhat.

Will have first outing with Hillbrow at Taunton this weekend- however, it will only be on shed as it is too tall to negotiate the bridge- oh well!

009 Nine Lines Welshpool and Llanfair Brake Van.

 I have had this kit for some time but until now it languished in the to build drawer.

A Nine Lines kit, it fits together after a minimum of flash has been removed and the pieces squared up when released from the sprues.

The kit was supplied with wheels, spoked with metal rims and pin point axles.

When it had reached the stage shown in the first photo, it was given a coat of grey primer which will do as a top coat.

 The roof was also undercoated, this time in white, also the finished colour.

When dry, and left for a couple of hours, The ends were painted vermillion and the underframe black. A guard was also fitted.

Once all was dry the numbers, six in this instance, were added. A coat of matt varnish was applied before the glazing was fitted- clear plastiglaze.

Finally Bemo couplings were modified with uncoupling pins before being secured with epoxy glue.

Blog is now searchable.

After a couple of requests, I have created a search facility for the blog.

Simply enter the subject that interests you and press enter and the relevant posts will appear.

Simplistic I know but I am not a computer enthusiast- but it will do!

0 gauge Cringle Street Goods debut.

 Cringle Street Goods finally made it's debut at the Poole Model railway Exhibition on the 20th October 2019.

As a first exhibition it went very well. A few things need addressing, mostly uncoupling magnet location.

It all went together well and, more importantly, came apart at the end!

Thanks are due to my fellow operator, Nigel, who tolerated a new layout operation extremely well.

Several readers of various social media came and said hello and several spent time to discuss the possibility of 0 Gauge in a small space .

All the locos and stock behaved themselves, there were a couple of issues of coupling heights which had been caused during transportation.

The one annoying thing was the loading gauge which had broken in transit, the 8750 Pannier's cabtop handrail caught it !

In all a successful debut which proved you don't need a huge space to model 0 Gauge.

A few alterations to do and couplings to adjust but at the moment I am preparing Hillbrow, one of my 009 layouts, for Rail-ex Taunton next weekend!

Rail-Ex Taunton 2019.

 Hillbrow has been invited to Rail-Ex Taunton  next weekend 26th/27th October please come by and say hello.

0 Gauge Parkside GWR Container wagon and 'B' Container.

  After deciding that no further wagons were needed for Cringle Street Goods this one appeared on Ray Heard's sales stand!

Part built with all unfitted parts present, this will give a bit of variation to the present stock.

The brake gear needs to be completed plus couplings and then a coat of primer before final colour is applied.

If this one turns out as well as the 6 wheel milk tank then I will be well satisfied.

Oxford Diecast Vauxhall FB Victor.

 I collect models of cars and commercials that I worked on during the late 60's and mid 70's.

Vauxhalls were not one of my favourite manufacturers but I have to admit that I owned two Crestas,
a PA and PB , both in two tone pink!

What attracted me to this FB Victor was the numberplate- JAS- perfect for my granddaughter.

Needs a bit of fettling but will fit in with any of the 4mm layouts.

009 RAF Misarah in Railway Modeller.

Really pleased with this months Railway Modeller as RAF Misarah appears as the Micro Marvels feature.

This is a first for me having taken the pictures as well as writing the text.

It is also the 70th Anniversary edition of a magazine I have been reading since 1960.

So thank you Steve for Misarah's
inclusion.

A Grand Day Out!

 You sometimes don't realise whats on your immediate doorstep.As a Fathers Day present, we were given a couple of tickets to Exbury Gardens near Beaulieu in hampshire- a forty five minute ride away. What a charming garden, home of the De Rothschilds. Plus the 12 1/4 inch narrow gauge railway. With locos built at the Exmoor Works what a great day!

7mm bits and bobs.

 There is no real theme of todays posting, just a couple of pictures showing some recent additions to Cringle Street.

The wood stack is just that ,courtesy of a well known high street coffee chain .

The lock up is byAvalon Models, the ballast bin , stack of sacks and the fire buckets are all by Skytrex.

Behind the fence are the backscene buildings by ID. These are self adhesive and very easy to position

0 Gauge Diesel on Cringle Street Goods.

 As Cringle Street has limited operational possibilities, I have decided that using stock from several era's would help to keep interest.

So, as a result there is motive power and stock from three eras.

Firstly LB&SCR is represented by a solitary Terrier and several wagons.

Secondly, Southern and GWR locos and stock again with a Terrier but also a GWR Pannier and Peckett. The GWR did trip workings to south of the Thames.

Lastly, early BR, with a Pannier and this 08 Diesel shunter. Only a few wagons are available for this era- my pre-dilection for Private Owner Wagons has gotten the better of me!

0 Gauge LB&SCR shunt signal.

This fiddly bit of signalling is by MSE and represents an early shunting signal of a design used by the LB&SCR .

It is only something that I would attempt in O gauge as even this tried my soldering expertise to the limit,

Next to be painted and located- luckily there is only one turnout so the other kit, there are two in the packet, will have to remain unmade for the foreseeable future!

Preparing Cringle Street Goods for the Poole Exhibition.

A full test of Cringle Street Goods needs to be carried out before the layouts debut at the Poole Model Railway Clubs' Exhibition on the 20th October 2019.

Every combination of locos and wagons will be tested to make sure there are no nasty surprises on the day.

I never cease to be amazed that some show visitors assume, wrongly, that the exhibitors just arrive and play trains. Well some of that is correct!

 In fact more hours go into the preparation for a show than the time we are actually making an exhibition of ourselves.

Even to the placing of figures, like the shunter with pole has to be considered as to where he should be placed- sorry to be sexist but the figure is definitely male.

Uncoupling magnets need to be checked to make sure they actually do what they are supposed to.

Overall I am quite happy with my first foray into 0 Gauge.

I have tried to create something in a small space to demonstrate that 0 Gauge need not be a huge layout.

Whether I have succeeded will be up to the visitors and fellow modellers who view the layout and my fellow operator who will have a steep learning curve, all one point and two section switches of it!

Come and see us at Poole and let me know your opinion.