What now? Episode 4: Back to the future.

Before I went on to do other things in my late teens I made three models: ecah one was smaller than the last. The first was a tailchaser called ‘Howden’ based on a plan out of a Hornby catalogue which was 6′x4′ and sat in a corner of my bedroom like a small elephant: the [...]

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Now what? episode 3: Urban Joker

So I see a picture of a model without a fiddle yard. I know it’s not a new concept, but it seemed interesting, so I sketched up a couple of ideas: Here’s the ‘Joker’:

I originally thought of this as a 3mm scale, 9mm gauge shunting model with several industries and a locomotive shed. The idea [...]

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Now what? Episode 2: Variations.

I liked the ‘Schwarzwald’ design so much that I decided to try a variation:

I was idly wondering what a waterside model would be like, so that, for example, a line built to bring in tourists was extended to a small harbour to serve a ferry parhaps, or coastal/river shipping. To make a scenic break, I [...]

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Now what?

Now the dust is beginning to settle, for the time being anyway, so I can make tentative thoughts about modelmaking again.
Frankly it’s high time I built anything, but a layout would be favourite. It’d be an incentive to start stockbuilding again, and give me a focus on what I’m going to build on some stock, [...]

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Spot the difference.

On the face of it, there seems to be little change since the last time I posted, but the track is here, giving a far better idea of clearances and radii, while a friend who is a carpenters apprentice has carefully cut the front and sides of the box file out, I’ve built up [...]

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Brave new world

The great expanse above, being investigated by the Sägewerk Pfeifle Landrover, is baseboard number two, finally glued and laminated over the week. (This is not a particularly exciting process so I spared you the pictures) Now that’s done I’m planning to move into uncharted territory and actually make the track rise above the board a [...]

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9 999 to go?

Thomas Edison was heard to say “If I find 10 000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward…” I’m trying to see my first attempt at a baseboard in this er… light.
Not counting my attempt last year, It’s about 15 years [...]

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Sägewerk Pfeifle

The change of plan I hinted at in the last post is now in full swing: I’m putting “Spitzenwald” on the back burner for a bit, a and I’m going to attempt a basic two-siding affair, which will give me some experience and allow me to test out some ideas and relearn how to make [...]

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Here Endeth the silence…

…Hopefully.
The “Big” project that I’ve been eating, breathing and sleeping for the last few weeks- “Baroness Isabella von Katzenberg’s evil and despicable plans for world domination” -finished last night with a pretty successful show. The team I work with dealt with all the last minute glitches and problems that beset these things with a level [...]

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Board

I’m still here.
The lack of entries in the last week is ironically despite reasonable progress on the model. The three chassis are now mounted on bogies/trucks, and I’m experimenting with a Black Dog Mining wagon. I’ve also found a German supplier for plasticard after kind German speakers on the ‘Gnatterbox‘ took pity on struggling Brit [...]

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