Model of the Month

By David Jackson Many cash strapped railways often converted road vehicles into rail vehicles to provide locomotives or railcars.  When I saw this model of a Piaggio Ape pick up, I could also see the potential of converting into a permanent way scooter. The first task was to strip it down to its component parts [...]

By Marcus Klugman This is the most bizarre thing that I’ve ever made. I posted some pictures of it about 2 years ago to Facebook, just as I was completing the main build; there are also pictures on the ‘Shed of the Year’ website from 2 years ago. What is it? Well, it’s a small summer [...]

By Martin Haywood Of the few locomotives built by Kay, the modified one that worked at Knostrop Sewage Works alongside a pair of Tin Turtles is possibly the best known. Whilst the Motor Rails eventually entered preservation, the unusual Kay was dismantled in the mid-1960s. Demonstration train from the Kay catalogue. Using basic [...]

"Arkwright! The management of the Stella and Corglass seemed puzzled. Did you convince them we could grow sugar cane in the back yard?" By Peter JDK Dawes, Stella and Corglass Light Railway Illustrated as a grey scale line drawing in “Fowler Locomotives in The Kingdom of Hawaii” by Jesse C Conde, Narrow Gauge Railway Society [...]

By Simon Fletcher When thinking about entering my Ffestiniog Brake Van No 6 for the 2019 MOTY at Peterborough, I noticed something in the small print: something along the lines of ‘bring your own track on which to display your model’.  Simple enough, right?  But then thought, if you’ve spent ages on something of which [...]

By Bob Gamble. Header photo: Ted Robinson It all started when the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers published their “Penrhyn Quarry Railway Modeller’s Guide”. I had not really paid much attention to Penrhyn Quarry before, but the guide inspired me to acquire several steam locomotive models of the originals used on the system. I [...]

by Robert Hannaford As use of my garden line progressed I realised a steam outline battery powered locomotive would be a useful addition. My aims were an engine that looked good enough to keep the uninitiated happy, and cheap enough that if damaged when being used by little fingers my wallet did not go into [...]

By Simon Fletcher I was doing some poking around on t’internet on the disc signals during the closing stages of completing the Roundhouse disc signal kit.  It seemed that some odd little creatures called ‘capstans’ were intimately associated with this type of signalling system. A few photos existed courtesy of the Festrail and Festipedia websites [...]

By Philip Elwin To set the scene, I had been very impressed with the idea of carrying standard gauge wagons on narrow gauge transporters having seen it done during annual holidays in Switzerland. Eventually this resulted in an idea for a wagon designed to carry gauge 3 trucks, representing standard gauge, on my 32mm gauge [...]

By Simon Fletcher As an avid follower of Model of the Month and noting an appeal for new material, I thought I’d write something in response.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I am always inspired by the ingenuity of the contributors; every article has something that piques the interest. My modelling background is [...]