700 Posts- Layouts over the years in 3mm & 4mm scale, 009 Narrow Gauge, HO Trams and 0 Gauge.

               3mm scale Teignford- has appeared in Railway Modeller and at Warley- shows station.

                Quarry Siding is a minimum space 009 layout built by Paul Levy on a cable drum.

Hillbrow is my first 009 build. This one also appeared in the Railway Modeller but the ticket collector     was still upright!

      RAF St Misrah is 21 x 24 inches and this one appeared in both Railway Modeller and 009 News.

My only foray into 0 Gauge is Cringle Street Goods. Imagined in South London it is an exercise in how small I could make a workable 0 Gauge layout. Since relocated to a new home.

This is Woody lane. It is a continuous circuit 009 layout based on nowhere in particular but uses the smaller stock in my collection.

Gwartha Vellan Tramway ( Cornish for Higher Mill) is the latest 009 layout. Based in Cornwall it is really an excuse to run my Lynton and Barnstable Manning Wardles. Baseboards are from Norfolk Heath Works and is in five fifteen inch modules

Two pics of St Mewan a Cornish layout in 4mm. The layout is 7ft long by 8inches deep with a 10inch extension to the fiddle yard. This is still under construction as is Gwartha Vellan.

Cody Street is a simple oval operating motorised Atlas Editions HO trams. Petite Properties low relief building kits have been used throughout- named after my youngest grandson.

Lastly is Hennock which was my first 3mm scale layout. This one has also been published in Railway Modeller and also appeared at Warley. This picture appeared in Railway Modeller in an article about portable layouts.

St Mewan Station building.

I hadn't been completely convinced that the station building made for St Mewan looked in proportion.

 To me it looked top heavy so out came the big knife! Let surgery begin! Firstly off came the roof.

Then I sliced off several courses of bricks leaving about two above the doors and windows .

Once all cleaned off the roof was refitted and clamped in place overnight to dry.

I think it looks more in proportion now bearing in mind that this is a narrow layout and the width of station building was going to be a compromise. Well, this is how it came out and how it looks sitting on the platform- much betterI feel.

Romsey Exhibition- Part 3.

Lastly a few shots of Cringle Street Goods.

This view shows a couple of Terriers, one withIsle of Wight bunker , shunting.

Romsey and District RMS 2020 Exhibition.

 

Due to a late withdrawal, Cringle Street Goods has been invited to attend the Romsey Exhibition- details as above.

This will be Cringle Street's second showing.

 

BR&CW Class 33 at Cringle Street.

A scenario unlikely to be seen at exhibitions is a BR&CW Type 3 Bo-Bo at Cringle Street Goods.

When re-configuring the workshop I took the opportunity to capture this shot with the converted Lima coaches in the background.

For a first effort at 0 Gauge I am quite pleased and look forward to showing Cringle at Compton Dundon and Minehead later this year.
Just pipework to add.

Parkside 7mm ex-GWR Container wagon.

 The wagon has now received its paint, bauxite for post nationalisation.

However, I should have painted it grey as the transfers I have for the container are all GWR- doh!

Still, I may be able to obtain another so I have one GWR and one BR.

Again, just transfers and varnish to apply- managed to get some Testors Dulcote- and fit the wheels and couplings and this one is completed.

In the meantime I am replacing the workshop shelving to accommodate the layouts. This needs to be done as Teignford needs to come out of storage for checking before it's next outing at the start of next month!

0 Gauge 3 Aitch 3 plank wagon.

With the missing end fabricated, the wagon has now been painted in red primer, the chassis in black and the wagon floor natural wood.

In hindsight, a wonderful conception, the wagon should have been grey but I had the can in my hand and these things happen.

Just transfers and varnish to apply then the  couplings can be fitted.

Somewhere I have some wooden flooring so may fit that sometime.

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!

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.

O gauge Post Box.

Several bits and pieces have been fixed to Cringle Street.

The post box is from Avalon Models- makers of 0-16.5 Narrow Gauge- which have several suitable items for 0 Gauge.

Posters and figures set the scene prior to Engines and Rolling Stock entering the section.

7MM Cringle Street Goods- readying for debut.

The self adhesive ID A4 Backscenes have been affixed.

I think they are very effective and very reasonable in price.

Also shown in the top picture is the lock up hut from Avalon Models.

Just completing the electrics before final testing for the Poole exhibition.

Poole Model Railway Exhibition and Cringle Street debut.

A few weeks to go yet but just a plug that my 7mm or O gauge layout, Cringle Street Goods, is to make it's debut at the Poole MRS Exhibition on Sunday 20th October 2019.

Details are on the poster. Looking forward to it!

More ID Products for Cringle Street Goods.

This time, these are 4mm scale and are self adhesive sheets, approx A4 size before trimming..

These are destined to be used as background on Cringle Street Goods- my 7mm layout. These will be adhered behind the perimeter  fence to add a bit of depth.

7mm PECO 16T Mineral Wagon.

 The second Mineral Wagon was delayed by missing pieces in the kit.

However, a quick call to the PECO Technical Dept and replacement parts were quickly supplied.

Undercoated in grey primer, the wagon is now ready for transfers and then a coat of matt varnish.

Finally, Sprat and Winkle couplings will be fitted and this model will be ready for another era for Cringle Street.