Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i Garden Rail

Every year, I wonder why I go to the trouble of hauling a van load of plants, compost, stones and model buildings to create a layout at the National Garden Railway Show. I could just have a nice easy day with our fancy new light-up display stand. Maybe there could be a couple of models on a table, but nothing that wouldn’t fit in my car and let me get out of the hall in minutes. But then I’d miss out on the joy that even a tiny garden railway brings to people. Obviously, the show visitors are mainly serious types who know their clack valve from their banjo bolts, but there are also families, and then you realise just how popular our hobby is, beyond the enthusiast base. I’m…

When I was writing my article on Merlin locos for Garden Rail No 369, I got to wondering, what was the first gas-fired engine to run on my Ambledown Valley Railway? Looking back through my AVR logbook, I discovered it was a small Peckett 0-4-0ST built by a gentleman called David Hick. In 1984, Graham Lamb commissioned David Hick to build a small batch of Pecketts, which would be sold through the 16mm Association. David was an instrument maker and renowned builder of miniature firearms, which were mostly sold to customers in the USA. He was also a great lover of the narrow gauge and decided to use his skills to make locomotive models to 16mm scale. Initially, these were electrically powered, but he rose to the challenge of creating…

The herb thyme or Thymus spp. is a versatile plant for a garden railway if you are looking for ground cover or miniature shrubs. They bear very small leaves and flowers and are either ground-hugging, gently spreading, or small and bushy depending on the variety. However, first of all you need to determine if your soil and aspect are suitable. If they are not, you will be wasting time and money. I’m a firm believer in planting the right plant in the right place. This may seem obvious, but all too often, the heart can rule the head, and an unsuitable choice is made on impulse in a garden centre, which only disappoints and frustrates the gardener. In the wild, Thyme can be found growing in poor, stony, well-drained soil,…

Why replace LGB hook and loop couplings with something that works in the same way and looks very similar, you might well ask? My answer is simple – mine are less obtrusive, they are cheap, they are reliable and, as they are compatible with standard LGB hook and loops, I could replace them slowly over a period of time without having to interrupt services on my railway. One of the things I most enjoy about operating a garden railway is attempting to mirror realistic practices by running to a sequential timetable and managing plausible freight operations. To this end, I have a fleet of around 70 wagons and have devised a computerised freight management system, which determines, on a semi-randomised basis, which wagons should be moved to and from the…

I doubt there is a garden railway navvy who hasn’t wished for a little more space. It seems I did after last year at the NGRS, which is why I booked four tables instead of three. Of course, that was months ago, and I had forgotten, and so the early part of show setup had me worrying I didn’t have enough plants. To recap. Every year at the 16mm Association show, we build a small, working railway with real plants. The only actual garden railway at the garden railway show. Last year, we filled 9ft by 6ft. This time, it was 12ft by 6ft. Those extra feet in length made a big difference to the trackplan. We aim to feature a couple of simple circuits – one in 32mm gauge,…

During lockdown, I purchased (from eBay) an old Airfix plastic kit of the American Civil War era 4-4-0 locomotive and tender, ‘The General’. Although this kit first appeared in 1981, examples do appear reasonably often as it was produced for three years. In 2015, it reappeared under the MPC brand, so we may even see it again! After being on display for a few months, despite the kit being scaled at 1/25, the possibility of conversion and motorisation to run on 45mm Gauge 1 track was investigated. The locomotive and tender bodies are sturdy, but the underframes and wheels were too fragile for motorisation, so I discarded them. Fortunately, I had a suitable Märklin 4-6-0 in stock. The donor chassis was subjected to extensive cutting with my mains-powered disc cutter…

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Tom Cooper I was intrigued by the recent article that reminisced about Tom Cooper and his locomotives. It has often been said that how you felt about Tom depended on how much money he owed you at the time. Fortunately, at his sad and premature death, I only had outstanding orders with him, so I’ve still got a soft spot for him. His long-term contributions to the hobby are perhaps underappreciated these days and, in at least one case, possibly still contentious. It was Tom who made both gas-firing and radio control de-facto standards. It was Tom who realised it wasn’t enough to just make locos; you had to have an eco-system that included track and rolling stock. It was Tom who championed 45mm gauge, and explicitly large scale, 3/4”…

1 | As usual, the plants are borrowed from Barn Close Nurseries. Before I get to drive away with them, all are noted down. The magnificent red acer behind the trolley turned out to be too tall for the van, sadly. 2 | This will be our space then. The team marking the hall out, a not inconsiderable task, have done a good job. They finished early too, so we were able to get a head start on the build. 3 | Carrying all the materials into the hall was made a lot easier by a team of 16mm Association stewards generously offering their assistance. Thanks to everyone who helped out. 4 | Ready to start building. It was at this point I discovered I’d ordered an extra table and…

When I received a nice bottle of sherry in a wooden box, my first thought was – what can I do with that box? As a crafter and miniaturist, I am always looking at ‘rubbish’ and wondering what I can make it into. After some thought, I decided it could become a station for my husband Keith’s newly built garden railway. It seemed to be a reasonable scale for the size of the railway and the figures that we would be able to buy from Bachmann. My initial inspiration was the country station set in the 1950’s at Bodiam on the Kent & East Sussex Railway, although I did stray a little from this in the end. To begin, I removed the lid and filled in the runners it slid…

A few months ago, a couple of Mailbox correspondents liked the Garden Rail branded vans I’ve produced and asked if it was possible to buy one. Flattering as this is, I have no intention of going into production, but the basic techniques are simple enough and useful for anyone who fancies putting either their own name or one relevant to the location of their line on the side of a wagon. Lettering rolling stock either means learning how to signwrite, admittedly, a skill I’d love to possess, or cheating by using a computer to make your own transfers. Since I don’t have the time to practise with a brush, it’s off to the PC for me. What you need is some transfer paper suitable for your printer. Both inkjet (which…

I often get asked, do I get fed up with making stuff and writing about it? The short answer is no. The full answer is that, as design and manufacturing techniques are constantly evolving, there is always something different and usually better for the modeller to experience and for me to write about. This hobby also stretches my own limited modelling ability as I try to find better techniques, or mix things up a bit. My ‘have a go’ mindset does not always pay off, but I have a lot of fun trying. When you read this review, you will discover tricks that I suggest, based largely on the fact that I am a lazy person and if I can find a quicker or easier way to achieve something, I…

BOOT LANE WORKS Fairlie locomotive kit, Golden Star 16mm scale Inspired by the Ffestiniog Railway’s ‘James Spooner’, as it briefly ran in 1887, with the Neilson’s parallel boiler, classic FR Fairlie cab & sandpots. Codenamed Golden Star, the model brings together Boot Lane’s experience of 3D printing, design and construction and offers customers a classic Ffestiniog Double Fairlie at an affordable price, capable of negotiating 30” Peco curves. The kit is manufactured using printed filament and laser-cut acrylic. It comes complete with two 3-6 volt motors, nylon worm gears, 44mm printed wheels on 1/8” stainless steel axles in brass top-hat bearings, and includes all necessary metal stock, nuts, screws and washers, etc., required to build the model in the photos. Included in the kit is a micro slide switch with…