David Holman

Going backwards to move forwards Or indeed to move anywhere. Decided it was time to change from all the scenic work and try a bit of running. After all the paint, powder, filler etc that had gone on the layout over the last six months, I didn't expect things to run smoothly, especially around the point tie bars - and so it proved. In fact it soon became apparent that having the point operating wire from the servo to the copper clad tie bar was going to put a lot of strain on servo, so in the end, decided to go back to the method Gordon Gravett outlines in his book '7mm Modelling, Part 1' [there is a part two, too]. The diagram probably explains things better than words, though I used round headed screws instead of small nails to hold the tie bar in place. I've also made the blades pivot, rather than just flex, as both the Y point and the single slip's blades are quite short and therefore stiff. Cutting through the blades with a slitting disc and then joining them again with rail joiners is all that is required. This puts much less strain on the mechanism, but has left me with some gaping holes to fill! Happily, the SLNCR were quite keen to board over point rodding, both alongside the track and between the rails, so mostly need to replace those centre boards. However, the single slip needs two micro switches to control polarity, so I used a double armed pivot, so that one end could move the point blades and the other the switch. For extra security, I will probably add switches to the other points as well, for like Peco ones, they rely on contact between the blade and the stock rail to transmit the current. So the above took a couple of days, while reminding myself of how the Megapoints control system works needed a couple more, especially ensuring the point blade movement was re-adjusted. I've lost count of the number of times I've lifted the boards off their mounting, so first work on the underside, then check the top surface. They certainly don't seem to get any lighter! Fingers crossed, I can start playing trains again soon, though all the locos are going to need a bit of TLC, both mechanically and cosmetically. At least there is still plenty to do during lockdown.

Suspect Galteemore and me will not be the only ones drooling over the Sligo tank! As for prototype track plans, a couple of turntables essential for the W&T, though not many wagons needed! Always thought Skibbereen (or was it Schull?) had an interesting track plan, with all trains having to reverse in and out of the headhunt. On a terminus - fiddle yard layout, it would be easy to hide the latter behind the goods shed.

Fab.

Rattle cans rule! I too have an airbrush and compressor, but they are things that need practice. The set up and cleaning time is exponentially greater than painting time too, so it's best to store up work to make it worthwhile. Minor health warning though - JHBAchill will not be amused to hear of wagon chassis being painted black!

Southern hemisphere then?

Really brings a fine model to life. Top job!

Lovely stuff!

Makes sense to try and follow it though. Getting the overall composition right is a key part in the visual aspects of a model railway. Unlike a painting though, a model railway doesn't just hang on the wall, it needs to run well too!

Agreed. Ideally, if using a fiddle yard, the track needs to exit parallel to the baseboard edge, but no reason why it can't go diagonally (ish) across the scenic section. Increases the overall length a little too.

Guess much depends on whether the scene is rural or urban. Country stations were often well spread out, because land was cheaper, whereas town scenes could be very tight. 'Less is more' can be a good motto - in other words, avoiding too much track if you want to portray a realistic scene. Likewise, avoiding track that is parallel to the baseboard edge. Gentle, sinuous curves appeal to the brain for some reason too! Rice discusses the various parameters of layout design in his books. Certainly recommend 'An approach to layout design' and 'Creating Cameo Layouts' - both Wild Swan. He likens layout design to both stage design in the theatre and the way artists compose a picture, so there is visual balance and the eye is drawn in deeper. I've tried to follow these on all my layouts and hopefully Fintonagh gets fairly close. A balanced scene is often one framed by taller features at either end, with lower ones in the middle. On a longer scene, there might be a succession of these - after all, when you are standing close, your eyes can only take in about a metre or so. An effectively way of doing this is to have some structures (could be buildings, trees etc), in front of the tracks. They act as view blockers, effectively dividing a layout into several separate scenes and making even a short layout look longer. Add in lighting, back scenes, pelmets and fascias and there are all sorts of tricks one can use! Baseboard depth is another one. Back in the day, ace modeller Barry Norman used boards three feet wide, but five feet deep on his ground breaking layout Petherick. Helped shift them once when he brought it to the Chatham show. Made of double skinned 9mm ply, they weren't light...

Keep forgetting these models are 2mm scale! Little jewels - fine work in more ways than one.

Must have a closer look at this, to compare with the 7mm RTR model. Like the new Sentinel, it could be an ideal start for an Irish shunting layout. Stick to 32mm gauge and only a repaint required, maybe. Better still if it can easily be regauged...

Nowt fancy when I cut with a Dremel, I'm afraid. Usually done when cutting frames, cab sides etc, that are done in pairs, sweated together. Not unknown to simply hold material in one hand and Dremel in the other. However, no surprise that things soon get too hot to handle! Hence, common sense and a vice takes over. Usually draw an outline on the metal with a scriber, then cut as close as I dare with the Dremel, then finish off with files. Trouble is, because I'm an all rounder, often go a year or more between certain skills, so tend to forget! My last loco was over a year ago (the 101 kit) and last scratchbuild was Sir Henry, which must be at least three. Note to self: read up a bit before starting Wolf Dog later in the year!

Laurie Griffin Miniatures do a wide range of 7mm scale brass fittings. All the advice above is proper workshop practice, which sadly I never experienced at school, so purists might want to look away now. A slitting disc in a Dremel is a crude but effective way of cutting thicker sheet metal and strong scissors for thinner stuff. Eileen's Emporium is a good source of metal strip, some of the wider pieces can be a better start than using a full sized sheet. Mixing materials is worth considering. For example plastic water pipe might work for the boiler, as would larger diameter copper pipe. Five minute epoxy will stick most things and the copper pipe becomes a massive heat sink, of course. You can turn some things using an electric drill and files, while resin casting works for some items too. Make a plasticard master. Drawing pins make decent 7mm scale buffer heads and indeed are included some sets! Some folk, Gordon Gravett amongst them have had considerable success in turning perspex for boiler fittings. Some of the locos on Pempoul feature this. Once a cost of paint is applied, nobody knows what is underneath. Brass and especially nickel silver as very satisfying to work with, but sometimes plastic can be simply and quicker. The Ahern book on loco building is a gem, likewise his one on buildings. Source them if you can, written over 70 years ago, they offer simple solutions of how to make pretty much everything on a loco. Of the newer books, Geoff Holt's two 'Locomotive Modelling' ones are great for 7mm scale and, when you get there, Ian Rathbone's 'A Modellers Handbook of Painting and Lining' is excellent too. All three from Wild Swan.

So, where's the layout going? Great to see behind the scenes of Barrow Street. There is a TV aerial socket in my workshop, but never got used as I prefer the radio. Indeed, a hundred years ago (ok, four weeks), Saturday and Sunday afternoons doing modelling while listening to football or cricket, were an ideal pastime for me.

Have used Halfords primer cans for years, both for their intended purpose and as 'wagon grey'. The red oxide primer works well for fitted wagons too. Don't know what is behind the design of the spray nozzle, but in my experience, they are far superior to most other rattle cans, which can be more like muck spreaders!

Is it me, or have Kadees become like coffee? Remember the times when you could go into a cafe for a sit down coffee? You want a coffee, but have to travel through a five page menu to find the basic item, which even then will have a fancy name. Happy days mind...

All ideal train combos, even in 7mm scale. Applying Iain Rice's formula, that a train needs to travel three times its own length across the scenic part of a layout, means that on Belmullet/Arigna my fiddle yard is a quarter of the overall length. This is just under 1.2 m. Doesn't sound a lot, but is enough for a G2 2-4-0 and three MGW six wheelers, or a Sligo tank and six wagons.

Oops! Handsome engine though.

In many ways, diesels can be harder than steam engines, because of the complex curves. Some aspects are therefore best done from solid - plastic, resin, etc - and lots of gentle filing. Front ends and roofs can certainly come into this category. The modern way is 3d printing of course...

Not as difficult as you'd think. Getting a six wheel chassis to run smoothly can be harder, because the valve gear doesn't actually do anything on a model, just wave about and look like it's going to tangle in knots! The first one I tried was on the Vulcan kits Sierra Leone Hunslet 2-6-2T. It was all held together with 14BA nuts and bolts, which avoided any soldering. Put an RG4 in for power and it ran beautifully.

That's very much the way to do it. Only need another 20 or so for a nice SLNCR train!

Two years ago, met a chap at an exhibition who said he was planning to do a kit of a C class, in 7mm scale. Even produce a resin casting of the cab from his pocket. We swopped email addresses, but haven't heard from him since... The C class should make a really nice model, because while it looks like a proper main line loco, it is fairly short and will fit a small layout nicely. Plus, they made it to Courtmacsherry, in my mind the perfect branch terminus.

Never ceases to amaze me the amount of unpublished stuff that is still out there. Keep sharing JB, they are all little rays of light in these challenging times.

Looks very much like the CVR ones to me. However, while I've built four of them, I'm more than capable of missing what is entirely obvious.