Garden Rail October 2024

One of the rules we have to abide by when publishing Garden Rail is that when we use a photo of a minor, their parent, or guardian has to complete a form to say they are happy for the image to be used. For the first time ever, I’ve had to get two of these completed for this issue. The first is for a charming picture in Mailbox of someone who can probably lay claim to the ‘Youngest Reader’ prize. Number two is for our lead layout. Grandpa William Railway. This is a real family affair, with the youngsters not just playing trains, but taking an active part in the railway. They have learned the discipline required to do things properly, while still having fun. In the future, this is…

Growing up, my sister and I were always surrounded by railway items and the constant desire to ‘get involved’ in all things railway modeller related. Much to our father’s regret, we never caught the rail enthusiast bug, and despite annual trips to heritage railways, we were a lost cause as far as modelling was concerned. Fast forward several decades and children of our own came along, and with them, our father saw a second chance to grow rail enthusiasts with a renewed vigour that paid off; like twins, perhaps railway modelling skips a generation. Our father found the grandchildren to be sponges for his enthusiasm for all things railway-related, and with this shared hobby, his garden railway, originally built in 1998 to 45mm gauge, saw a renewed extension to accommodate…

At the Peterborough show last April, I spotted the Boot Lane Works ‘Rose’ tram loco on its stand. Although I knew I wouldn’t be able to match the quality of its painting and lining, I had to buy the kit. For the next nine months, it sat in its box in my train shed. During this time, I accumulated a number of foil wrappers that had contained my wife’s medication patches; these have, what I saw as lines of rivets embossed on them, so obviously were ideal for re-purposing, more of which later. In January, I finally unpacked the kit and made a start. I liked the way the chassis and motor mount screwed together to form a firm base. The instructions are relatively easy to follow, but I still…

Like quite a few others in our hobby, I’ve owned a 3D printer for a number of years and used it to produce parts for my locos, rolling stock along with bits and pieces for the side of the line. It’s also been used to make a host of other things not related to model railways, varying from toys for the grandchildren through to replacement enclosures for ZX Spectrum Microdrives. The book that started me in 3D printing is Laser Cutting and 3-D Printing for Railway Modellers, which I bought and read avidly from cover to cover back in 2017 and quickly decided 3D printing was for me. However, laser cutting was not something I considered, simply because a laser cutter requires both water cooling and smoke extraction, which was…

I don’t know how Peter Binnie does it. A tenner for a plastic kit to produce a skip wagon, complete with wheels. Who says the larger scales have to be expensive? Skips aren’t even the simplest prototypes in the world. Give me a four-wheel wooden tub, and I’ll happily attempt a scratch-build, but a skip, no chance. Thank goodness for a kit. I love to see a train snaking around a layout, and for the best effect, you need a long line of similar wagons or coaches. Since I prefer the smaller, industrial prototypes, I’ve been gradually building up a skip train for my 45mm gauge stockbox. In 32mm, I already have a train of Tri-ang ‘Big Big’ wagons suitably weathered, but these are now quite pricey on the second-hand…

The Yorkshire Garden Railway Show on Tour Date: 28th September, 2024 Venue: Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Centre, Campbell Drive, Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 2PR Times: 10am to 4pm Web: www.yorkshire.16mm.org.uk/Yorkshire16mmShowhomepage.html G1MRA Autumn Show and AGM Date: 12th October, 2024 Venue: STEAM, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon, SN2 2EY Times: 10am to 4pm Web: www.g1mra.com Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition Date: 17th to 20th October, 2024 Venure: Warwickshire Event Centre, A425, Southam Road, Leamington Spa, CV31 1FE Times: Thurs-Sat 10am to 4:30pm. Sun 10am to 4pm Web: www.midlandsmodelengineering.co.uk Exeter Garden Railway Show Date: 26 October 2024 Venue: The Matford Centre, Matford Park Road, Marsh Barton Ind Estate, Exeter, EX2 8FD Times: 10:30am to 4:30pm Web: www.exetergardenrailwayshow.com Beds 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers ‘Steam in Beds’ Show Date: 23 November 2024 Venue: Eaton Bray…