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Tales from my workbench, shows reports and build project updates for my models and model train layouts.

I didn’t mean to do that

spilt fluid
How working on the model river lead to flooding one of my points with masking fluid! [...]

Making a river, exhibition layout

Photo of a river on a model railway closeup.
Starting on the scenery. [...]

Mission impossible: The impossible railway

I've seen some bonkers model railways over the years but nothing compares to this. [...]

Building an OO scale mill house

wills kits ct22 kit
Building a mill house. [...]

Revision, exhibition layout

With the baseboard construction and track laid down, I've had a chance to plan some of the detail of the layout and typically this highlighted a problem. [...]

Laying the track

laying model railway track
Now for the fun part. [...]

Backscene Selection

Tamar valley
For me, the back scenes of layouts are critical. [...]

Track planning on modular base boards

Track plan
My exhibition layout has been designed with a track plan finalised but track plans for modular baseboards are slightly different to normal layouts. [...]

Making my first exhibition layout

modular baseboard
It was just another email. [...]

A present to myself

wooden tool box
I don't smoke. Or take drugs. And I only drink moderately. What I do have a weakness for is... [...]

Organising and storing my paints

MRE at the workbench
Life in lockdown continues, as does the move to our new house, which is putting a damper on my man-cave activities.  Instead, I've been looking at ways to [...]

Update: a move and new space for train tinkering

The loft of our new home
For a good reason posts have been lacking here recently but with a little luck that will change after Christmas. [...]

Can you help?

BRMA 2019 Logo
It's that time of year again when we share love and goodwill.  [...]

Triang Merton Factory

One of my layouts, the Wandle Valley, will feature the old Tri-ang factory in Merton. Sadly, the building is no longer there which makes modelling it difficult [...]

A family visit turns into railway reconnaissance

It wasn't planned but a family visit turned up an expected surprise and a massive aid to my layout construction. [...]

Rebuild, revise or carry on?

change or modify model railway
Well that's annoying. [...]

A trip down memory lane

As mentioned in a previous post, I've recently rediscovered a few of my long lost childhood trains. [...]

Which are you?

Front cover of Railway Modeller June 72
Recently while making space for some of my father's things, I came across an old issue of Railway Modeller magazine. [...]

Richard Leaning, Dad.

dad
This isn't a post I expected or wanted to write. [...]

£35 Model Railway In A Box Conclusion, part 8

Although the core of the model railway in a box challenge wasn't completed last time, there were a few little bits around the layout I wanted to tidy up. [...]