Polbrook Gurney Colliery at Model Rail Live - this weekend!

A scene from the mid-1970's at Polbrook Gurney Colliery; a class 31 by Model Rail's George Dent arrives with empties as Austerity 0-6-0 tank 'Polbrook No.2' by David Warwick prepares a full rake.

This photo is not manipulated, other than the use of tools to extend the depth of field, content wise including the sky and lighting, it is all real and not meddled with - what you see, is what you get for real.

This layout will be at Model Rail Live this weekend  - www.modelraillive.co.uk  - see you there?

Model Rail: July 2013 (184)

Click to enlarge

Model Rail: July 2013 (184) published 13 June '13

Issue marking the Mallard 75 anniversary

News: Growing layout list for Model Rail Live. Computer design images of exclusive 'USA' 0-6-0T model.

Wishlist results

Reviews:

new releases from Graham Farish and Dapol

Layouts:

Meacham 'N'

Malham 'OO'

Halfway 'On16.5

Masterplan: Milton Keynes 'N'

Features:

The need for speed: Railway record breakers and how to model them

A passion for 'Pacifics' - Mark Allatt reveals his remarkable collection

Formation Flying: Authentic East Coast route trains (Gilbert Barnatt)

Quick on the draw(bar). Dynamometer cars, real and model

Modelling the Underground: History of Underground and LT models

Workbench:

How to paint people

Use Noch's miracle ballast

Create a better 'bone'

Present your layout

Motorise a plastic diesel shunter kit

Take your first scenic steps

Build a real timber shed.

Plus all the regulars, exhibition diary, Q&A, Show & Tell, Backscene

www.model-rail.co.uk

The cover photo; I shot a detailed up Hornby A4 Class pacific supplied by George Dent. You can enjoy more of George's wonderful creations monthly in the magazine as well as his blog http://georgedentmodelmaker.blogspot.co.uk/

Polbrook Gurney Colliery Update - running trains!

nevard_130514_PGCH_IMG_3911, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

Polbrook Gurney Colliery: this afternoon was spent running trains to see how it would all work.

I decided to add a couple of extra isolation sections to make the operation more flexible and interesting. Not relying on fishplates for electrical continuity makes this easy because it's just a matter of splicing in a toggle switch into the sub baseboard electrical circuit which provides the electrical continuity between sections of track. A 5 minute job.

This high level view is roughly what a 6 foot high operator will see from the front, the curved backscene and bright even built-in illumination being great for photography like this.

I'll be covering the above in detail, along with the construction of the new buildings and scenics in forthcoming Model Rail magazines issues.

• You can follow a detailed build of this layout in Model Rail Magazine www.model-rail.co.uk
• Follow the layout on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/chrisnevard
• See the layout in action at Railex www.railex.org.uk
• See the layout in action at Model Rail Live www.modelraillive.co.uk

Model Rail: May 2013 (issue182)

Model Rail: May 2013 (issue 182)

Featuring in this issue, out Thursday 18 April

FIRST REVIEWS: Heljan Class 128 parcels unit, Heljan 'O' gauge Class 31, OO Works LNER 'C13' 4-4-2T, plus the latest books, tools and accessories.

WORKBENCH: Rebuilding a layout, Making the most of a Parkside Dundas wagon kit, How to paint lining, how to weather 'N' gauge stock in just 15 minutes, better 'N' gauge couplings, and more.

NEWS: Bachmann 2013/14 range in detail (with exclusive pictures), Heljan Class 16, Model Rail exclusive limited editions update & much more

PLUS: Workbench Manual No. 7 – British Railways in Transition. A FREE 32-page look back at the 1948-68 era packed with superb archive photographs, background information and 'how to' articles.

Abbotswood

Abbotswood (OO) late 1960's early 1970's junction based on a real location in Worcestershire where you'll be able to enjoy a good mix of 'heritage' diesel motive power and trains in green, maroon, blue & grey and other such period delights from this rarely modelled era. This super new layout which premiers in Model Rail is also featured on the cover.

Chinley

Chinley (N), we wind the clock back to 1950's Derbyshire, to enjoy an exclusive first time viewing this extensive loft layout, again based on a real location. N gauge allows the capture of this well known Peak District station and environment to full effect with long passenger and goods trains in a big landscape.

Outon Road - extended

Outon Road (OO), we re-visit this classy 1990's era layout to experience yet more of Cavan Millward's fine workmanship, which doesn't only involve extending the layout but also includes the addition of overhead catenary along with more of some of the best scenic modelling out there.

Pempoul

Pempoul (1/50), Maggie and Gordon Gravett's iconic and hugely popular French metre gauge layout will be known to many. But for the first time ever we undertook a proper controlled shoot under studio lighting conditions to gain another angle on this wonderful layout, whilst giving the builders a chance to reveal some of Pempoul's scenic secrets.

Polbrook Gurney Colliery

Workbench: Polbrook Gurney Colliery (OO), last year we followed Chris Nevard's build of 'Polbrock' a little known cosy Cornish outpost near Bodmin; this year we return to see the layout extended to included his Mendip Colliery project. There is no coal in Cornwall, so Polbrock has moved across to North Somerset, losing a 'c' and gaining and 'o' to become Polbrook Gurney. This installment heralds the first part of a short series on its construction which, will culminate with it being shown at Model Rail Live 21/22 September at Newark Showground. Find out more www.modelraillive.co.uk/ 

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Cement Quay - Steam Style!

nevard_120927_CQ_IMG_0257, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

Cement Quay dates back to 2006, and after several months not doing a great deal, the September of that year saw nearly everything take place. Scenics can in fact be very quick to do, the basics here only taking a couple of days. Further detailing like weeds and extra static grass being added well after the layout's first outing.

Those who have seen Cement Quay will know that it's usually operated as a present day layout with Class 66, 59 and 37 locos in current liveries, but I've been toying with the idea of portraying it in the last decade of steam with a smattering of diesel power too. Apart from swapping out the LaFarge branding on some of the buildings and the addition of a few period lights like he standard to the right of the loco it's quite easy to backdate industrial locations like this, if only temporarily.

Cement Quay hasn't been on the road since 2009, for no reason other than I have several layouts to rotate through, and that there's always something new on the layout front. I don't do too many shows a year, 3 or 4 maximum being more than enough, but I am thinking about taking Cement Quay as a steam layout to Model Rail Live this time next year and possibly Railex 2014, again as a steam layout to make it different from previous incarnations.

Model Rail Live

nevard_120922_modelrailLive_DSC_9239, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

Sorry it's taken a little while to post a review of Model Rail Live, but the last day or 2 have very much been catch up time.

The weekend of the 22 and 23 September heralded the 3rd Model Rail Live at the famous and highly regarded Barrow Hill Roundhouse in Chesterfield. Barrow Hill is of course known to lovers of full sized railways, but for the third year running it was also to host model railways too, something which very much makes it a show with a difference that hopefully can appeal to all the family and not just old men with smelly breath.

This year I took the Polbrock along, my little Model Rail project layout that is currently being serialised in the magazine. My quest being to extract those with a fondness of armchairs out of them, alternatively hopefully it will show those who think that a model railway needs a huge space, that in fact something can be built in a small area not dissimilar to a tropical fish tank. I also wanted to showcase modelling techniques that maybe look tricky but are in fact very simple. Despite the layout's tiny size, I will thrilled with the interest it generated from a wide range of different people, and also enjoyed chatting to readers who may have been following my printed jottings.

Arne Wharf my OO9 gauge layout was also taken along, but sadly unlike Polbrock which performed really well, Arne Wharf didn't like the slightly dusty atmosphere, the tiny loco wheels clogging with gunge every 10 minutes or so. So, after an hour of so of much cussing I decided to leave the layout as a static exhibit which surprisingly had little impact on the number of people looking at the layout.

Luckily the event remained pretty well rain free apart from the last hour or so, just as well really considering much of the event is outside; the end of the show marking the beginning huge amount of rain that has caused all sorts of flooding in northern areas since.

All that's needed now is to thank all the readers of this blog who popped by to say hello and had nice things to say about the layouts - thank you!I must also thank Peter Harvey of PH Designs who gave up his Sunday to help me play trains.

Technique: Tree!

nevard_120917_polbrock_DSC_9151, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

A few more finishing touches in the form of an old Oak next to the crossing at Polbrock.

We were gardening today and hacked down a load of dead Ivy - great bases for gnarled tree, with this one rounding off the crossing scene quite nicely after the addition of a little pastiche and flock.

See Polbrock this weekend at Model Rail Live - link top right!

Just a week to go....

nevard_120914_polbrock_DSC_9143, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

With just a week to go to Model Rail Live, I'm  still performing the final touches to the scenic section of Polbrock with fiddle yards attached. The drape will be hung a tad lower to avoid the crease around the point control. The protective lacquer over the name plaque is still drying, it has now dried clear and the milky streakiness gone. In the background are various other projects in my den!

The big knob on the front is part of the point operation, it allowing its control from front of rear. I'm pretty well there, just need to build a few more cassettes. You'll be able to find out more about this project at Model Rail Live 22/23 Sept at Barrow Hill (see link top right) and read the final installment of Polbrock in the next issue of Model Rail.

Getting Arne Wharf ready for Model Rail Live

120803_arnewharf_DSC_7637, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

Model Rail Live on the 22/23 September looms closer and closer, the weekend really marking the beginning of the autumn with  equinox being only a day or so before. Hopefully though we'll have a little summer before then.

So with just 6 weeks to go, I thought it a good idea to pull Arne Wharf out of the cupboard and fire it up to check everything over as well as popping it in front of the camera for a few fresh snaps.

The shot above which I hasten to add is not fiddled with apart from the smoke (from a GWR pannier tank just to upset the nasally afflicted) depicts a clanky old wheezer on the head of a trio of ball clay wagons. The loco is a Roxey Mouldings 'Famagusta' all dolled up to look ready for a night behind the dustbins rather than one out on the tiles. The lack of handrails is simply down to the fact that I have yet to add them, but seeing this loco was built back in 2004 I dont hold any great hopes for much happening in that direction before Model Rail Live. My excuse being that that the loco was damaged when re-patriated to the UK and that they have yet to be replaced.

To upset H&S jobsworths, the barrel in front of the smokebox doesn't contain water but gun powder to be dropped off (literally) to one of the explosive teams at the new quarry that's just been opened further inland.

The quarry crushing plant in the background doesn't see much use these days, most of the traffic now being ball clay, but when it does get fired up the noise is so loud that it can be heard across the water in Poole and even Bournemouth on wind free days.

The ball clay wagons are resin models based on ones that used to run on Fayle's Tramway and were produced as limited edition kits by well regarded 009 expert and modeller John Thorne (the railway modeller, not the actor) a few years ago. John's narrow gauge layouts are always worth keeping an eye out for, his current favourite being 'Purbeck', hence the reason for the wagons.

If you want to find out more about the narrow gauge railways of Purbeck, the Purbeck Mineral & Mining Musuem has lots of useful information as well as offerening the opportunity to sample a recreation of one of these fascinating narrow gauge mineral railways http://www.pmmmg.org/ first hand.

Showcase: Arne Wharf

120502_arnewharf_DSC_4315, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

To those not familiar with some of my layouts, over the next few postings I'm going to have a look at some of the layouts I've built, starting off with Arne Wharf.

Back in 2003 I'd only been back in the hobby for a year or so, and wanted to build something small and compact which could be taken to shows. Since the mid 1980's when previously in the hobby, scenic products and techniques had moved on in leaps an bounds, so Arne Wharf would also be a chance to try out some new products and techniques as well as having a bit of fun chopping up a Walthers Glacier Gravel Co kit.

When at a show it's 4ft off the ground unlike here!

Arne Wharf is modelled in 009 (representing 2'3" gauge) and totally contained within 3' x 2'. My interpretation is based on a fictitious line running from Arne to Wareham via Ridge & Stoborough on the Purbeck Peninsular. The line was built to transport ball clay, lime stone, salt and oysters in addition to general merchandise. One of the delights of this scale/gauge combination is that almost anything goes - making for enjoyable escapism free from the hobby's more serious element.

The whole layout fits in a scenic footprint of 3ft x 2ft with and extra foot for a fiddle yard.

I'm hoping to take this little layout along with Polbrock to Model Rail Live at Barrow Hill on the weekend of 22 & 23 September 2012.