This is a post to introduce a new project to rebuild two Shays. The puntastic title is already dated as the project has expanded to being a four shay project. The project is inspired some treasure found on a shelf that I had forgotten about completely. Back in 2005 Keith Wiseman commissioned a Korean brass ..read more

Finally, its all in the car. There was a time when we’d be at a narrow gauge show every month and the whole show packing circus worked to a routine. We do a lot less now and the 7mm NGA in June was our last. I’m well out of practice! I’d forgotten the disruption to ..read more

I have a cunning plan. There have been times when I wished I hadn’t but in a saga that has gone on for too long finally we may be getting there! For a long while I have wanted to wheels to suit specific narrow gauge models as these are my speciality. They are poorly provided ..read more

If anyone ever wonders why I regularly run off to Wales to play with steam engines then have a look at this view. This was around 10am on Saturday 19th October 2024. I’d just backed double Fairlie James Spooner onto its set of carriages in 20 road at Boston Lodge and about to set off ..read more

Its been awhile since I did a blog post but things have been progressing with the NG7-14 version of the Bachmann Quarry Hunslet locomotives. I was hoping to be doing a post that ended with a 14mm gauge loco running but the conversion is taking a bit longer than I had hoped but for good ..read more

Been awhile since the last post. Since then Bachmann have revealed colour samples and sent out some review models to the press and they’re well on their way to the UK. The ship has gone the pretty way (the not getting shot at long way round) and thus the delivery will be a couple of weeks later than originally anticipated.  They’ll be here toward the end of June. I’ve been lucky enough to have the loan of one of these. When the models were first announced it took under twenty minutes for the first “are you going to be regauging them to 14mm?” request arrived. The answer is yes and the des ..read more

At last I can stop biting my tongue! Bachmann Europe have announced today (13/04/24) a complete narrow gauge range in 7mm scale to run on 16.5mm gauge track. The initial range consists of three locomotives, truthfully three variants of the same loco, three wagons, crew, buildings and a new coupling system. I’ve known about this for in excess of two years having been warned it was coming. The mystery is why its taken so long. I suspect it was initially going to be announced around two and a half years ago but the Lionheart L&B announcement stole their thunder. Doing it Right Well at least d ..read more

Archive Image Yesterday was the 2024 Narrow Gauge North Exhibition at the Pudsey Civic Hall and I attended, as usual, with the EDM Models trade stand. It was a excellent show by all account but because I was there on my own I only glimpsed bits of it (mostly on trips to/from the loo).  What was great was to catch up with customers and spend much of the day just talking. It was the memories feature on Facebook that reminded me that I didn’t take any photographs during the day hence the image of our stand from 2018. For some excellent pictures of the show I can recommend you have a look a ..read more

As I am still in the midst of the biggest regauging project I have ever taken on things with the otherwise superb Lionheart  Lynton & Barnstaple models the issues arising seem a bit relentless. The latest – the carriage roofs don’t fit properly in the DCC fitted coaches. This only affects the ones sold as DCC controlled lights by Dapol/Lionheart. The DC ones are fine.   Naturally, Dapol have used their own Imperium Function decoder and the problem is its a bit too fat. It fits between the lighting strip and the roof and forces the lighting strip to bend down which in turn stops t ..read more

There was a lot of enthusiasm for the subject when Lionheart Models announced their L&B models. After a long wait the models have arrived and they are superb. In a small corner of the modelling world their was additional excitement when they saw this statement. For the first time a manufacturer was offering RTR O14 stock or at least stock designed to be convertible easily. The models were announced in September 21 and delivered in December 23 and throughout many were asking how the O14 compatibility was to be delivered and no answer was forthcoming. I was fortunate enough to be able to spe ..read more