scratchbuilding

A bit of background for this thread, I have for a number of years been building a garden railway in 16mm to the foot scale, narrow gauge. It comprises six stages of construction, stages 1-3 have all the support structure in place, stages 1-2 have all the trackwork down, stage 3 should have had...

Hi folks. Well, I've settled in here, had a good look around, and I rather like it. I think it's time I tried to contribute, and to that end, welcome to my workbench thread. This is a great format for me, as I tend to wibble and wobble from project to project. I am a builder first, and an...

Hello All, I am after some help with an idea I have had for a very long time. Basically I would like to make a Steam Reverser work on a 4mm SR Q class? Ideally it would work with changing the directional button on a controller, changing the polarity. I found this online after a heck of alot of...

Just got an email with this link... https://www.modelmotorcars.com/scalehardware/ JB.

One of the wagons on my informal build list has been the BR HYFIT based on a LNER design. BR built quite a few thousand in the early 1950s to several diagrams. The characteristic feature of these wagons were the pressed dimples in the body sides to make space for rope rings to be fixed inside...

As some of you may have realised I have a penchant for these things!! I have two GJH kits which have been much hacked about. I am doing a pair of them, one powered the other a trailer, through wired for pickups and cab lighting. I used one of my GJH ones as a reference for dimensions and came up...

Very much inspired by Mickoo's splendid 16mm project, I've started to knock out some parts for a model of a small Manning Wardle 2ft 6in gauge wing tank loco. It is absolutely not such a substantial project, being a very conventional outside cylindered 0-4-0 and only scaling at 170mm length...

Well I've bounced around the idea for several years now, basically trying to justify why I shouldn't make one or find valid reasons why I should, in the end they're all pointless mind arguments, so, as we say at work JFDI The next choice was scale, now Backwoods make a very nice rendition, but...

I'd thought I'd start off my first proper Thunder-thread with a picture of the most recent items to escape my work-bench. First is a P4 LSWR G6 built for a friend and beautifully painted by Warren Haywood; when I build my 7mm X6 I want it in that colour. And then there's my 7mm Ford B0-Bo...

I've been a big fan of the 18" gauge loco 'Jack' built by the Hunslet Engine Company for many years and have long harboured a wish to own a model of one. I got as far as purchasing some parts from Roundhouse a couple of years ago and started to research the build but as ever, my interests moved...

lm a gnats whisker from finishing my present kit and have started looking for my next project. It's no secret I have fallen for the yet to be released MOK 9f, which is strange as I thought I was going for a 33/1 ! However, the boiler is going to require rolling and I believe it should have a...

On my last couple of builds, I have remembered my youth, and gone back to silver-soldering wherever possible, instead of the more usual soft soldering. The easy availability of silver-solder pastes (in syringes) and small torches makes this so much easier and more viable. To be frank, I find it...

Here is the latest effort, the paintwork needs a touch up and some weather, but best done when on the layout. The signal arms are Mark Tatlow's Highland Rly, the rest is brass bar and strip etc.

A recently built model for a friends Midland Region layout. The arm is a MSE etch, and like wise the finial a MSE casting, the post is filed brass bar, and the landing is fabricated from angle and strip.

Two bracket signals I have recently constructed for a Pre War model of Middleton in Teesdale. The arms are from Mark Tatlow and actualy intended for the Highland Rly, but they are a very good near match. Apart from the ladders which are a modified etch, and the wire cranks every thing else is...

Over the winter I sketched out the idea of a small live steam G3 loco specifically designed for R/C shunting rather than high speed express running; and also to use as many off the shelf components as possible in its construction without compromising overall accuracy too much. The prototype...

My latest effort, ex GNRly bracket signal, and now fitted with UQ arms. The arms are much modified etches, and the "Wooden" dolls are filed from brass bar, the rest is a combination of etches and "Home brew". x

Another recently completed siganal, for a friends layout set in the mid '80's, and ence the "Spare Sawn Off" dolls. The usual mix of ex D&S etches and "Homebrew". The extremely tall doll in the first picture is only in place to ensure the "Doll Pocket" is soldered squre and true, far easier to...

Several people I know have sets of 1/32 scale etches for the ubiquitous Southern PMV, one of the most widely travelled Pre Nationalisation vehicles on B.R. - I personally saw one on my train to Kyle back in 1974 and photographs of them in service are very frequent right up until the 1980s...

My latest effort a ex LNER style of "Tall Signal", this one is 32ft 6ins, it appears the tallest tube used by the LNER was 30ft. The "Plate and Angle" base differs from the the more usual bracket signals. Etched arm and fittings etc, post fabricated from angle and strip.