David's 0 Gauge stuff

[David Holman]

I started building the Wantage tank ((No5), aka Jane, aka Shannon, formerly of the Sandy & Potton Railway, for my Loose End layout. Soon after I started the scratchbuild (one of my first), Model Railway Journal ran a series of articles by Laurie Griffin to build your own - with the option to buy all the castings and a specialist set of wheels, to go with it.

 Serendipity or what?

 Apparently many sets of parts were sold, but (as far as I'm aware), very few got turned into models. Laurie was a former Chatham Club member and his articles were absolutely perfect in terms of me building the model, which runs as well as it looks. 

 Since embracing Irish railways, I've always aimed for a 'Jane Layout' one day, so it's nice to be able to work on it at last.

[David Holman]

 I actually bought a ready to run, 0 gauge engine this week - a rare occurrence for me. indeed, had to look up my journals to see when the last time was. Turns out that was in 2010 & even then it was a couple of Bachmann Brassworks models [08 shunter and Derby Lightweight DMU], which required painting and detailing, so certainly not rtr in the accepted sense. The same year, I also bought a couple of Shays, one a two truck 0n16.5, the other an HO three truck and these were fully finished. Otherwise, have to back to the 1980s and everything else has since been kit or scratch built - a total of 75 locos to date.

 So, you ask, what is it that prompted this extravagance? Well, it's about as small as it gets in 0 gauge: a Heljan Ruston 48 DS and very dinky it is too.

  Needs work, as far too clean for my liking, while also crew and [eventually] AJ couplings. The version I've bought fits in with the aim of there being a dairy on my new project and the Ruston fits the bill nicely as I already have three six wheel milk tanks, one [a Slaters kit] in full Express Dairy livery.

 A bit more work has been done on the layout, with the station master's house now well under way. The 'chassis' is mounting board, covered with Howard Scenics embossed brick paper. Back in the last century, I used to paint all the bricks individually, until sanity prevailed when I realised I could do it far quicker with water colour pencil crayons. Windows will be from York Models.

 

[Galteemore]

Can’t blame you David. Delightful little prototype and will be very suitable !