Model Railways

I have been a railway enthusiast and modeller since an early age. My specific interests have varied over the years, and there have been extended fallow periods. In my teens and twenties I modelled the railway scene of my youth in the 1970s, initially in 00, then briefly in EM before moving to S4.

Today, my two main interests are 16mm scale narrow gauge in the garden, and 7mm (O-gauge) indoors.

 

Netherport

7mm scale, O-gauge  indoors

I am in the early stages of planning a 7mm scale layout. The concept is a fictional Dorset coast harbour fed by a GWR branch, and set in 1908. The idea is unlikely to be realised in the short term, due to lack of space, but I am developing the idea and gathering research, as well as building some stock - see below.

You can follow the progress of the Netherport project on my blog, hosted on the RMweb forum.

GWR 4-plank open wagon - Peco plastic kit
GWR 4-plank open wagon - Peco plastic kit
GWR 2-plank open wagon - WEP etched brass kit
GWR 2-plank open wagon - WEP etched brass kit
GWR Iron Mink - Minerva RTR, with Slaters replacement axle boxes
GWR Iron Mink - Minerva RTR, with Slaters replacement axle boxes
GWR 5-plank open - Slaters plastic kit
GWR 5-plank open - Slaters plastic kit
MR 5-plank open - Slaters plastic kit
MR 5-plank open - Slaters plastic kit
PO 6-plank coal wagon - Slaters plastic kit
PO 6-plank coal wagon - Slaters plastic kit
PO 7-plank coal wagon - scratchbuilt body, Slaters underframe (built by my late father)
PO 7-plank coal wagon - scratchbuilt body, Slaters underframe (built by my late father)

The Nonsuch Light Railway

16mm scale narrow gauge in the garden

In the 2000s I built a simple outdoor line in 16mm scale, 32mm gauge, with a circuit of track around the garden, a couple of sidings, and a spur to a steam-up area. The line has fallen into disuse, and the sections built on decking timber have rotted away. The NLR now has the atmosphere of the Talyllyn or the Ffestiniog in the period between closure and preservation - one day, it will be rebuilt!

End of coach and small station building, autumn
End of coach and small station building, autumn
Small station building, leaves on platform
Stone water tower and in foreground silhouette of end of coach
Black diesel loco and two coaches
Black diesel loco crossing a steel bridge with a red van
Black diesel loco crossing a stone bridge at dusk, with the cab lights on
Steam loco pushing a snow plough in sunshine
Steam loco in snow

 

Lost Worlds 1 - Basuto Road

S4 micro layout

Basuto Road was an S4 micro-layout, built while I was living in short term accommodation. With just two turnouts and a simple fiddleyard, it represented a West London location. In this fictional concept, a couple of sidings and diesel fuelling depot is all that remains of a closed two-track suburban route.

Basuto Road was never quite finished, but you can see some photographs of it here, taken before it was disposed of:

A class 31 loco and 16T mineral wagon under the road bridges
16T mineral wagon in front of blue brick, arched retaining wall
Bauxite banana van
Buffer stops, the end of the banana van, and weeds
Class 31 diesel seen from the road overbridge
wagons parked under the bridge
Class 31 emerging from under the bridge
Lowmac seen from the road overbridge
16T mineral wagon under the bridge
Grampus ballast wagon with embankment behind
Banana van with embankment behind
16T mineral wagon under the bridge
Close-up of the steps leading down the embankment
16T mineral wagon under the bridge
16T mineral wagon under the bridge (black and white)
Class 31 coming through the road overbridge

 

Lost Worlds 2 - 1970s British Rail rolling stock

Wagons, coaches, non-passenger coching stock and locos

My main interest has always been rolling stock, especially wagons. While modelling in EM and S4, I built up a fairly large collection of stock, seen here. All has since been sold on, and hopefully some of it is still providing pleasure to new owners.

BR planked van. EM. Built from unknown plastic kit.
BR planked van. EM. Built from unknown plastic kit.
BR ply-sided van. EM. Built from unknown plastic kit.
BR ply-sided van. EM. Built from unknown plastic kit.
BR Banana van. EM. Built from Ratio kit with extra brake detail.
BR Banana van. EM. Built from Ratio kit with extra brake detail.
Air-braked hopper. EM. Detailed Lima RTR.
Air-braked hopper. EM. Detailed Lima RTR.
HAA coal hopper. EM. Detailed Hornby RTR.
HAA coal hopper. EM. Detailed Hornby RTR.
Small iron ore hopper, unfitted. EM. Built from unknown plastic kit.
Small iron ore hopper, unfitted. EM. Built from unknown plastic kit.
Small iron ore hopper, fitted. EM. RTR body on a Ratio underframe.
Small iron ore hopper, fitted. EM. RTR body on a Ratio underframe.
Presflow cement wagon. EM. Airfix kit.
Presflow cement wagon. EM. Airfix kit.
ex-LMS three-plank open. EM. Ratio kit.
ex-LMS three-plank open. EM. Ratio kit.
ex-LNER five-plank open, steel ends. EM. Unknown plastic kit.
ex-LNER five-plank open, steel ends. EM. Unknown plastic kit.
ex-LMS three-plank open. EM. Ratio kit.
ex-LMS three-plank open. EM. Ratio kit.
ex-LNER steel open. EM. Unknown plastic kit.
ex-LNER steel open. EM. Unknown plastic kit.
ex-GWR long-wheelbase two-plank open. EM. Ratio kit.
ex-GWR long-wheelbase two-plank open. EM. Ratio kit.
Single bolster. EM. RTR body on Ratio chassis.
Single bolster. EM. RTR body on Ratio chassis.
Small crane and match truck. EM. Unknown whitemetal kit.
Small crane and match truck. EM. Unknown whitemetal kit.
Bogie bolster. EM. Unknown whitemetal kit.
Bogie bolster. EM. Unknown whitemetal kit.
Weltrol. EM. Detailed RTR.
Weltrol. EM. Detailed RTR.
'Conflat' container flat wagon. EM. Airfix RTR.
'Conflat' container flat wagon. EM. Airfix RTR.
Covered steel coil wagon. EM. Whitemetal chassis and bogies, scratchbuilt covered sections.
Covered steel coil wagon. EM. Whitemetal chassis and bogies, scratchbuilt covered sections.
Container flat wagon. EM. Whitemetal kit, with lots of extra brake detail.
Container flat wagon. EM. Whitemetal kit, with lots of extra brake detail.
Container flat wagon. EM. Whitemetal kit, with lots of extra brake detail.
Container flat wagon. EM. Whitemetal kit, with lots of extra brake detail.
BR Mark 2d brake second coach. EM. Airfix RTR.
BR Mark 2d brake second coach. EM. Airfix RTR.
BR Mark 2d all-second coach. EM. Airfix RTR.
BR Mark 2d all-second coach. EM. Airfix RTR.
BR Mark 2d all-first coach. EM. Airfix RTR.
BR Mark 2d all-first coach. EM. Airfix RTR.
BR Mk 1 buffet coach. EM. Hornby RTR.
BR Mk 1 buffet coach. EM. Hornby RTR.
Express parcels (ex fish) van. EM. Detailed Wrenn RTR.
Express parcels (ex fish) van. EM. Detailed Wrenn RTR.
CCT parcels van. EM. Detailed Wrenn RTR model.
CCT parcels van. EM. Detailed Wrenn RTR model.
SR parcels/gaurd's van. P4. Scratch built on unknown plastic bogie kits.
SR parcels/gaurd's van. P4. Scratch built on unknown plastic bogie kits.
Siphon G converted to parcels use. EM. Detailed Lima RTR.
Siphon G converted to parcels use. EM. Detailed Lima RTR.
Class 47. Hornby RTR converted to EM and detailed.
Class 47. Hornby RTR converted to EM and detailed.
Class 31. Airfix RTR converted to EM and detailed.
Class 31. Airfix RTR converted to EM and detailed.
Brake tender. EM. Scratch built on whitemetal bogies.
Brake tender. EM. Scratch built on whitemetal bogies.