David Holman

Finally got round to completing my first CVR brake - though in truth it still lacks lettering. See my workshop pages for more details.

Indeed, best wishes Seamus.

They are indeed very good models. We had Sutton at last year's Chatham Show & I can certainly recommend their products too.

Splendid work Mick. Well done. Reading JBs notes on livery, my MGW G2 was done using Martin Welch's standard weathering mix of Humbrol matt black, gunmetal 53, and brown 133 (used to be called bauxite). Depends how dirty you want it and don't have much knowledge of the condition Bandon engines got into. That said, with no undercover accommodation at Cork, they may have been pretty grimey.

That loco shed is lovely.

Yup, salivating again...

Only just read your thread, Tony, but there is no doubt that space, or rather lack of it, is the bane ofany modellers. However, a small layout can make an excellent project because you will see good progress and it can always be incorporated into a larger scheme later. Much also depends on what you want to do. Personally, model making is my thing and I only operate my trains at exhibitions, but as others have already suggested, you can nevertheless get a lot of operation even from a small layout. What you don't get is the chance to sit back and watch trains go by on a continuous run. Try and get hold of Iain Rice's latest book 'Cameo Layout s'. It is crammed full of inspirational ideas for the space starved modeller. One other thought is that smaller layouts get finished quickly, so you can soon start thinking about building another one! Oh, and Omagh North is indeed coming on very nicely indeed.

Cassettes for me too, Tony. They may be short, but you can have as many as you like. The Peco loco lift is another alternative.

Done more ballasting than I care to remember, B, but it pays to take your time and go carefully. The best ballast for me is Woodlands Scenics. Fairly light in weight & nicely graded, it takes well to the diluted PVA with a drop of washing up liquid method. Re size, I'd always advise using a grade smaller than the scale suggested. So fine, rather than medium for 4mm scale. That said, current track ballast seems to be a bit larger than in steam days and it really does pay to refer to photos of what you are trying to portray. Likewise colour - study your prototype and don't be afraid to mix things a little. Once the ballasting is dry, don't forget to then weather the track accordingly. Where tracks approach platforms, there will be a build up of brake dust. Where locos are stationary, a built up of oily deposits. Don't forget to paint the rails and sleepers too, it really will make a difference to how your track looks.

Indeed Noel. Forever telling myself model making is not a race. Don't always listen though! These days, always try to stop while things are going well. So many times, the last job needs doing again next time. Great work with the airbrush.

Cheap and cheerful - love it. By the by Arigna Town will have soon knocked up 30 shows in just over three years. My points are wire in tube [as are the signals] and apart from replacing a couple of tie bars, has been problem free - so far, anyway...

Two little gems. Love the weathering.

The Unit is now taking shape - this last word being the key as I've been working on the very awkward bonnet and roof. After my SLNCR railcar and railbus, I ought not be daunted by such things, but the fact is, these shapes are [for me] difficult things to get right and where the Unit is concerned involves all sorts of rounded corners and angles. A drawing doesn't help much either - it is simply a case of filing away and hoping to eventually get it right. The photos are therefore as much an exercise is proof reading and I'd value comments on how they look, having spent rather too long staring at the things myself! Construction was simply a case of laminating layers of plastic sheet and then getting busy with files, emery boards etc. Once again, inaccuracies in the etchings are shown up, with the cab rear sheet being lower than on my drawing, while I can't help thinking the metal work above the windows should be deeper too. On a model as small as this, a millimetre or two can really make a difference to overall proportions. Note that, both roof and bonnet are deliberately slightly oversize, because I'm actually going to use them as masters for resin castings. First reason for this is I want to build the railcar, so have no wish do repeat several hours of filing & sanding if I can help it; the other reason is that the laminations can be seen, but once I've got a casting, these can be sanded away. I'm conscious that the cab beading is a bit on the heavy side, but will be rubbed down to a finer profile before painting. You can also see where I've used plastic strip to make the inner and outer sides of the wagon body match. At least the chassis is largely complete & painted. The main omissions are linkage to the sandboxes, a couple of inserts on the driving wheels, plus the pick ups, about which I'm still brooding...

Thanks for the info JB. Would I be right in thinking the front 'buffer beam' was red and would the underframe have been black under the grime? Currently have no info on what the rear end of the wagon bit looked like. Strapping, hinges etc. Also, the etches give a cab door a scant 4'6" high, with an empty space below to the wagon floor. This actually suits me as the motor gear box intrudes somewhat, so will need to have a load in there to cover it up anyway. Equally, if there was a box covering say the gear box, that would do too. Finally, for now anyway, am guessing two rivet/bolt heads on the wagon side suggest a step on the inside face. Must have been quite an effort getting to the cab!

... though a tad more reflective. Am afraid the Worsley etchings are still causing problems, but am coming round to the fact that maybe my expectations were a bit too high. Having not worked on an engine for a while, I'd thought doing a kit would be a good way to get back into it. However, this is certainly not a kit and I really ought to have done some more research and preparation before I started - not least comparing the etches with existing plans and photos. As the photos show, there is a deal more than the chassis being to long that is wrong, though am wondering if much of this is down to original drawings for a smaller scale being blown up to a larger one. That said, there are some things that are hard to explain, like the nearside cab window, the bottom edge of which should come level with the beading. At least this is easier to fix than the opening being too big and only requires a few minutes with a file. The bonnet is likewise too short [by a good six inches], but in this case the only option was to make two new sides from brass sheet. Not a disaster and again, only a few minutes work to cut out two new rectangles. Perhaps the most odd thing is that the outer sides of the 'wagon' body are bigger than the inner ones. The former are correct, but this means a section of inner planking will be needed to bring the inners level with the outers. The etches include various bits of strapping for the wagon side, but while these might be ok in a smaller scale, they are not chunky enough for 7mm, the representation of hinges being far too flat. The other problem is that the cab sides should have a small, but noticeable amount of tumblehome on the lower edges. The etches make no provision for this and I didn't notice until after the cab unit had been soldered in place. After a bit of head scratching, realised I could address it by using a slitting disc to carve a slot part way up each side, then bend them inwards and re-solder. Overall, I think I have been a bit spoiled by recent kit builds, where everything has gone together well. These etches are rather more 'old school', but once I got my head round the fact that a bit more work was required, then they represent an interesting challenge and are still a worthwhile timesaver over a total scratch build. The etches are now pretty much used up [apart from the radiator grill], so the rest is down to me. The top of the bonnet and the cab roof will need to be shaped [probably from solid blocks of plasticard], plus there are a fair number of minor details and the cab interior to add.

Air brushes need patience and practice - I still have to psyche myself up to get my one out and most of the time stick to automotive rattle spray cans. Seems to me that preparation and cleaning up time for an airbrush far exceed the actual time spent painting! However, there are things [like weathering] where nothing else works as well. I have an old loco body that I use for practising before I do any proper work. A couple of good books on the subject are the definitive 'Art of Weathering' by Martin Welch and the more recent 'Handbook of Painting & Lining' by Ian Rathbone - both Wild Swann. Just keep at it Noel - you already show a good sense of subtlety and that is half the battle.

Simple, but very effective. A fine lesson in how not to overdo things. A layout that always seems to photograph well because it has real atmosphere - and that is not a 'gimme' either.

If you are testing actual running of stock, then the main issue will be how tight your curves are and whether there are any sharp changes of gradient. Really tight curves will limit the wheelbase of any locos you use and make longer vehicles look unsightly. Uneven track could cause pick up problems, particularly with short locos and/or ones that don not have pick ups on all wheels. The other issue with sharp curves might be buffer locking, but not if you are using tension lock [or similar] couplings. As others have mentioned, the other point of track testing is for electrical continuity. Using live frog points should help reduce problems, while DCC with 'stay alive' capacity seems to overcome dead frog points these days. Bottom lines are probably down to using the largest radius curves and points you have room for. Visual effect will be better as will running. However, if you have to use sharp curves, then keep loco/wagon/coach lengths short and you should still be alright.

A few changes have been made to the layout recently, essentially to make exhibiting a bit easier, as per entry 295. Crating the boards together has not only cut two journeys to/from the car, it also means the layout is protected if loading takes place when it is raining. This worked well for Tonbridge & since then, have gone on to replace the beams and trestles with integral, folding legs. Have used these in the past, but Ulysses worked well. So, another couple of journeys avoided. At the moment, have just put Dinghams on the two passenger trains and fitted a single electro-magnet. This seems to work well, so will test under exhibition conditions at the end of April at the Hitchin 0 Gauge show. Fingers crossed, should be able to fit Dinghams to the ends of freight stock rakes too, though likely this will not be as reliable as everything gets turned in the fiddle yard.

It's been a while, but have recently moved back to building rolling stock for my Clogher project. One of the joys of railway modelling being that, if you've had your fill of scenics or model buildings, there is always something else to have a go at. I've had a set of Worsley Works etchings for the CVR 'Unit' for around six months, unusual for me as I tend to get on and build what I buy straightaway. Worsley etches are meant as an aid to scratch building, so there are many bits to make and/or source yourself, but it is a start and I doubt whether Heljan are planning to do a RTR version [in 7mm scale/21mm gauge] anytime soon. However... There are issues, even with such basic etches. For one, the coupling rods are not the right profile, and they should be fluted, not plain. Indeed, looking at photos in the Patterson book, a piece of bullhead rail would probably suffice! That said, the rods line up nicely with the axle holes. Frame spacers provided are for 16.5mm gauge, but I was fortunate to find something suitable in my scrap box, so a basic chassis wasn't long in completion - or so I thought. I'd gone on to add hand made brake hangers, got the motor/gearbox installed and added an extra layer to the coupling rods to make them look more appropriate and was starting to think how the bodywork would be added. At this point, I discovered that the chassis did not match the 7mm Narrow Gauge Society drawing, nor the Alphagraphix card kit I'd bought. Indeed, the latter is printed in red-brown, when Patterson says the livery was grey. Cue the mutterings. In the end, by careful study of photographs, I took a scale 2 feet of the front of the frames, so am now hoping that the other bits will fit! At least it seems to run well, though hiding the pick ups will not be easy with wheels this small.

Great stuff. Well done Mick - told you everyone would like it! The signature loco for Bantry. Indeed am thinking you probably ought to have more than one... Will now be wondering if I can justify one on Arigna. Alphagraphix have one in their 7mm catalogue, but then they can also equip a Timoleague and Courtmacsherry layout. All very tempting!

Well done folks. Heard about this from Mike at Doncaster show and had a feeling it would be good. Having visited Bantry last summer (rather too much liquid sunshine that day) can see the setting is splendid. Can also see already that you have the skills to do it justice! As we all know, sourcing appropriate stock for Irish projects can be a problem, but stuff is out there and as long as you can make stuff run nicely then all the other skills (bodywork, detailing) are eminently transferable. A fantastic project that deserves to do well and will be looking forward to seeing it progress

Just keeps getting better and better.

Lovely job and a cunning bit of work with the under frames. Fine paintwork too.

Thanks for the pictures, Paul - it was great meeting everyone at Doncaster. A very good show & we were extremely well looked after. Most welcome too, given the weather on the way up and the traffic on the way back. About to do it all again at Tonbridge this weekend, then a few weeks off until Luton/Hitchin at the end of April. Between now & then, am hoping to make some changes to the way the layout is exhibited - again! First up, the Iain Rice 'Ulysses' type supports of separate trestles & beams will be replaced with integral folding legs - two on the fiddle yard and one pair each on the scenic boards. Having paired the four boards for transport, this has worked well this year, so though adding the legs will increase overall weight, I move the boards by sack barrow now. Hence can cut down the number of trip required to/from the car from 9 to 5 - significant when I paced it at 130 metres each way at Doncaster! Am also going to fit auto-couplings to at least some of the trains. Having previously thought Dinghams would not work [because they are 'handed' and all trains on Arigna are reversed], realised that I can easily use Dinghams on both passenger trains, while even the goods trains will only need both hook and loop on the brake vans. More of this in a few weeks. Reason behind all this is Iain Rice's new book 'Cameo Layouts'. Am absolute must read if you build exhibition layouts and just as inspiring if you don't. Iain has an entertaining style of writing and has pretty much been there & done it where exhibiting is concerned over the last 40 years. Well worth a look.