Garden Railway Forum

Nothing wrong with basswood. I have just been reading an article in the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette where it is being used to build a box car, although in a smaller scale to 7/8"ths. Its fine grain may well make it ideal to represent "scale" wood grain in the built model you d...

I usually start with 240 grit and finish with 400 to get the wood's initial surface down to something that will be smooth to the touch suitable to work from. Various types of abrasive sheet materials are available - they all work well. Assuming you are working on flat or single curvature surfaces mo...

Nothing much there to interest the garden railway hobbyist from what I can see. Am I looking in the right place, I set the filter to railways. And what on earth is a "mantique" ? Max

If a natural wood appearance is what you want then wood stains every time, at least for me. Remember, always stain before any any other process, e.g. gluing, etc'. Obvious perhaps, but the stain won't soak in if anything else has got into the wood's grain. Then complete with a lacquer coat of the ty...

Vacuum pipes - Both following methods involve electrical shrink wrap. Either obtain a compression spring of the right diameter (soap pumps are a good source), cut to length and insert bent brass rod for shape and locating, then shrink the wrap over the spring.....or,,,,, use suitably sized long chip...

Coming on nicely. Fox has dragons in different sizes. I got mine from there and it's just about a perfect fit. I bought the 7 mm scale https://www.fox-transfers.co.uk/catalog ... /?q=Dragon

A lovely line in a beautiful setting with its unusual half scale locos of actual 2 ft gauged prototypes. I went there about 6 years ago. Lovely views of Barmouth and its bridge at the end of the line. Not dissimilar in feel in some ways to the RHD. Very much worth a visit, when you are in that neck ...

Has anyone any experience with getting a realistic brass effect on plastic items? I've never really been that impressed with simple paint finishes (Humbrol, Revell etc.) but have been recommended trying this item metal colour brass , which, once dry is apparently buffable to achieve a metallic fini...

I don't know if it's me or what, but I've noticed that epoxy doesn't seem to be what it was. I can remember Araldite being really effective when I was a teenager (50+ year ago), but whether it's no longer what it was or I'm viewing the past through rose tinted specs ....? I bought a secondhand IP E...

I have noticed that the move to rattle can paint suppliers applying tape to lids seems to have started with the move away from caps that required the twist of a screwdriver blade to remove - i.e. a secure self sealing system. In over 45 years of buying rattle cans, primers, colour coats and lacquers...

You have a good eye for colour. Max

Be careful when using Halford's cap coulors as a guide to colour matching - they no longer, like the old fully painted caps, directly represent the actual colour but might be described as a bit "generic" instead. Also take them outside into the daylight, even given the noted limitations. H...

Thanks Rik, it is good to know that if members can get some more information on scales, helps them with their interest in our hobby. There are people who come on to our site to explore and get some information because they are thinking of getting into 16mm garden railways. Maybe someone who has mor...

I started 18 years ago with a real mix up of track powered 1:29 US outline and 1:22.5 Euro narrow gauge. Slowly but surely I found myself switching to US outline Fn3, both D&RGW and geared logging locos. By now I am running a mix of track power and live steam. At the same time a 16 mm scale stra...

Reading the comics - Steam Railway, Heritage Railway and The Railway magazine over the past 3 months as this story unfolded - my understanding is that the railway's current insolvency predicament is mostly a result of issues regarding it's contract engineering services operations and not through lon...

And then there was this: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-w7NF3MS/0/O/i-w7NF3MS.jpg The doors lift off their hinges and can easily be swapped around. Quite why somebody thought the fuel tank needed a vented door is a mystery to me. Precisely my point. And it seems as the doors are configured in ...

The problem with a lot of mechanical subject matter that is modeled is that it evolves over time and its working life, sometimes in just minor details, sometimes in more radical ways.Take this loco in it's original form as Imported from SA, before it's evolution into a "Western" mini me we...

Maybe I am going blind but from the images I am looking at I cannot see anything seriously amiss or nothing I have not encountered with other, mentioned, makers' products. Did you speak the Perter Yatton before posting on here to trash his products and start the usual feeding frenzy with those who i...

Me too. Intrigued by the buy two get one free offer on the one I selected- Does it automatically add a 3rd to the delivery if you order 2 or does it discount the 3rd if you order 3. I have gone down the order 2 route as I did not see a discount if I ordered 3 in the checkout. sent the question to th...

Are you looking for steam or diesel outline ? Ready to run, 2nd hand or to build from a kit of parts ? There are a tremendous range of options and sources out there that fit that description.