From just before Christmas, Steve Purves's There and Back Light Railway, set up in Leamington Spa. Complete with speed hump in the middle of the line!
Sadly, Mr P cannot be persuaded to take a proper run-up at it, and to get some big air under the loco...
Update: Sorry, Blogger appears to have bu**gered this up.
A bit of a flying visit to the show this year, but enough to find a few interesting things to photograph.
My favourite was this Meccano model of the "Never Stop Railway".
The principle was simple enough - carriages were pulled along by a rotating screw. The pitch of this changed along its length. This allowed the carriage to slow (but not stop) in the station, while speeding up away from it. While I knew a little of the line, chatting to the builder made everything clear. Quite how he managed to bend the bits of metal into suitable forms is still a bit of a mystery though!
Edith is a boat made of cardboard, built in 1914.
Throughout her life, she's been refitted with different propulsion methods (currently a two-cylinder steam engine, but there are some early electric motors displayed) and control systems. And she is still sailing - that must be some sort of record.
In the "things I'd like to build" category, is this 7mm scale, 9mm gauge mine layout.
It's a really attractive and well-modelled scene. Those red sandstone cliffs really look the part. OK< so it's a novelty, the train just runs round and round, but certainly an eye-catching one.
The other model I'd love to have built, is this DeWinton loco in 16mm scale.
Handily, at ME shows, there is normally a sheet explaining the model. The kettle, a standard feature on DeWintons apparently, is the water top-up valve!
Finally, some food I've love to eat. Jacket spuds cooked in the smokebox of a miniature traction engine.
There are more photos from the show, over on my Flickr feed.
So, Engineering in Miniature magazine has reached the end of the line. This is a shame, but not a great surprise.
I have an affection for the publication, because I edited it for six months, back in 2017. At the time I did my best, but knew I wasn't the right person for the job, Andrew Charman, who took over the editors' desk was a far better fit.
During my time, the biggest struggle was to find people willing to write for the magazine. Repeated enquiries at shows were met with very little success, and not a few rude responses as though it was wrong of me to even ask. Andrew enjoyed more success, but the regular appeals for new content in the editorials, suggests it was hard work.
One problem is that this isn't a big market, and it's not growing, but is served by three magazines. EiM, Model Engineer and Model Engineer's Workshop. I suspect that very few people subscribed to all threee, yet there were a trio of outlets looking for content every month. Content that is highly technical and often needs to include working drawings.
So, while I'm not privy to all the details, my understanding is that the magazine was losing a little money, and no one could work out how to reverse the decline, not helped by the readership (judging by the attendees at the Midlands show) being on the old side, so it was time to close. At least there was suficient notice for Andrew to wrap things up properly, something that the publishers didn't have to do, but care enough to do so.
Hopefully, the readers will transfer to one of the remaining publications. Perhaps it might even remind the market that if you don't use it, you lose it!
Off to a hall that smells faintly of oil, for the MMEE 2023. As ever, a hall full of incredibly high-quality models, but IMHO, the best was this stunning, large, Severn Trow. What a beauty. Not just well made, but well painted, with a lovely weathered finish.
I think I'll stop there, and just point you over to my photos on Flickr, to let the pictures do the talking.
Since I live as far from the sea as it's possible to get in Britain, for the members day, I decided a Saturday night in Minehead would be nice.
Travelling down in the morning, I arrived around lunchtime, partook of a lovely jacket spud and beans in the cafe at the West Somerset Railway station, and then strolled around the town.
Frustratingly, many of the most interesting shops closed early. A classic case being the antique shop with a large scale loco in the window. While I'm not in the market, I'd liked to have had a proper look, at this, and the one inside.
It wasn't the only thing that caught my eye either.
See also "Sweets and Models" - a model shop with a sideline in jars of sweets. I am looking for a can of red spray paint too, and they had paint racks...
I drove a train!
The train in question is James Finister's Tug, running on Steve Purves's There and Back Light Railway. The line had been laid at the top of the Parade, in Leamington Spa. A message on Facebook made me drop what I was doing, and head into town to see it.
On arrival, Steve was running trips up and down the line, then it rained, and the crowd hid. The sun came back out and Steve offered me a drive without passengers to drum up interest again. I'm not that big on driving trains oddly enough, but having had a go on his Scamp some time ago, the larger Tug looked like it should be simple enough.
And indeed, it was. The basic Pheonix loco has been fitted with a tramway type controller that is really lovely to use. I'm told this is about a third of the price of the loco - but it's worth every penny. The handles feel properly chunky, and it is just like driving a real tram.
Despite being electric rather than diesel, the loco has plenty of grunt for a couple of bogie coaches. The route here includes a low speed bump, which you don't even notice. The whole thing is smooth and easy to use. Even a novice driver like me finds it easy, especially as the conrol acts and a brake when you notch back. After a couple of attempts, I felt in charge, in a good way, when I reached the end of the track.
For big, fat blokes, Tug is a much nicer drive than Scamp. You sit in it like a proper narrow gauge engine, rather than perching on top. In fact it looks like a proper NG engine. And would make a nice model. Mind you, with the price being similar to one of the better 16mm scale live steam engines, I can see the appeal of owning the real thing!
After leaving the Stratford show, I decided that I quick run to the Poo Museum (Leicester Pumping Station) would be possible. Google said it would take and hour, my satnav suggested a bit less.
By the time I arrived, and tangled with the parking machine in the adjacent space centre car park (the Pumping station shares the fascility), I was a bit peckish, but as soon as I got through the gate, there was a coal-fired fish and chip wagon, offering comes of piping hot chips for a couple of quid. Well, it would have been rude not to.
The main event takes place in the vehicle store, which is partically emptied for the occasion.
The smell of meths is thick in the air - fortunatly, I've always thought it was a nice pong and have admitted missing it from model railway shows now gas-firing has taken over the 16mm scale world.
Hundreds of tiny engines were thrashing away with thier owners looking on proudly. There's too much to describe everything, but I picked out a few highlights.
Asteam-powered gramaphone? Properly, and brilliantly mad. I know the builder reads this blog, so he's obviously a top chap. He also owns some of the steam boats you can see at the top of this post. It's great meeting people covered in oil who enjoy getting their hands dirty, and whose enthusiasm is infectious. That's how you get people into a hobby.
One very useful spot was this steam launch. It's an attractive boat, and I just happen to have the same hull sitting in my stash of projects. Bought for a song at a boat club auction, probably because no-one else wanted it, I have a steam unit for power, but had assumed that the hull was a one-off. Not so it seems. Mine needs a bit more work, but at least I know it should sail OK!
Inside the museum, past the display that allows visitors to flush a plastic poop down a clear sewer system (chasing it is a rite of passage for people in Leicester it seems as one mum watched her child do it, and explained she'd done the same as a kid) was a lovely large scale Mamod road roller.
This is the sort of idea that takes a lot more doing than you might think. Chatting to the builder, the scale is based on the size of an available tube for the boiler. After that there was some superb casting and finishing of the aluminium wheels, and creating a spark eroder to handle the Mamod logo on the front, pantograph milling not being capable ot delivering a sharp enough result.
Therewere trains of course, a selection of Mamod's and some really old live steam models from Bing, Bowman, Falk and Carrette - the last two being new to me.
Since the vehicle shed was needed for displays, a couple of fire engines, buses and this superb tower wagon, were outside for viewing.
Aside from the chips, the cafe was serving up some limited cakes and tea. I've had better, but they were cheap, so no complaints. One of the beam engines was working too, and amazing sight.
And the trade. A marque of second hand steam engine dealers mainly, at prices for the keen collector in the main. However, the proprietor of the much-missed Midway Models, extracted the last bit of cash I had on me for a boat.
The 3551 Suzanne fishing vessel is a rare model, and this one isn't perfect. But then it cost me £23 and is ideal for radio control. At 47cm long and 17cm wider, there will be plenty of space for motors and RC gear. A hatch should allow easy access to a bettery, and the deck is held in place with five screws. In my head, this is a quick project - but then they always are!
As an unusual event, this was a real pleasure. I think you can sum the day up with a look at the organiser.
I need to up my exhibition clothing game!
There is method in the costume - it's easy to find the man in the top hat in a crowd - but I just think it looks great.
With a long break from exhibiting, and being shut away in their workshops, it's nice to see a rush of new models appearing at the MMEE this year.
Competition classes, which have been a bit thin in the past, were bursting with models of the highest quality. How the judges were supposed to seperate the 5-inch gauge locomotives, I have no idea. Both a GWR and MR single stood out to me with their elegant lines, but I think I'd have gone for the Dock tank as it's a prototype I like. In the event, a Schools Class won.
Plenty of boats on show too, but not very much in the garden railway scales. I found enough for a GR "Seen at the show" page, but it wasn't easy. The lack of live steam layouts (did I imagine 16mm and G1 test tracks in the past?) meant it was a static show apart from the collection of traction engines outside.
Still, a good event and busy. Nice Brie and Cranberry burger too.
Photos from the Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition on Flickr.
A high-production value look at the Edinburgh Society of Model engineers. OK, not the most detailed look ever, so one for the general public, but it's beautifully filmed and worth a look for inspiration. And it treats the subjects well too. They come over as hard-working knowledgeable enthusiasts, which is what they are.
Ignore the title, the YouTube idiot stuck on this - it's a fascinating film showing three Disney people and their railroads, including Walt's own garden line.
Nice bit of filming, as you might expect, especially the segment with Kirk Douglas driving a train.
At the recent N gauge show, I was doing my usual thing, rushing around trying to talk to as many people as possible, and snap plenty of photos. Several times, I passed a stand selling second hand model engineering tools - on top of which were these drawers.
Each time I passed them, I looked. And I liked what I saw. Except the price, a whopping £250.
The trouble was, I kept looking. I opened a few drawers and they slid perfectly. I tapped the top and it's a lovely bit of wood. At 58cm wide, there's plenty of space for "bits", and any modeller has plenty of those in need of organisation.
Obviously, I recognise the lineage. If you have ever seen an wooden engineers toolbox, you'll realise they have the same maker.
Based in Ashford, Emir were until very recently, still making high quality workbenches and toolboxes. Sadly, they were a casualty of Covid. When furlough ended, they had no orders to re-start the business with, ending 89 years of trading.
It's a crying shame when a firm such as this disappears. Firstly for the staff, but looking at the bigger picture, for the skills that will be lost.
My set of drawers is a beautiful thing. After much deliberation, I negotiated a 50 quid price drop at the end of the day. That's one of the most expensive pieces of furniture I own, and I'm not disappointed. A quick look online found only one other example - which was tatty, missing a drawer, and twice the price. OK, cheap plastic drawers will work just as well for a fraction of the cost, but I won't love them like I love these.
The only problem is that I need to work out how to label the drawers. Writing on them is obviously out of the question. Maybe I can use the silhouette cutter to make some labels that can be held in place with the knobs (these screw in), but that's a problem for another day. For the moment, I'll just enjoy them.
A couple of weeks ago, I was filming with the There and Back Light Railway, and Steve generously let me have a drive of his petrol-engine backup loco, a Scamp.
For those that don't know, Scamp is a 7 1/4" ride on locomotive designed by Colin Edmondson. Rather than waste space here, head over to the website for all the details, including those of the kit to build it.
That's right, this is a kit-built loco. Yours for £2375 RTR, but a grand less than that if you pick the far more fun option to build it yourself from what is, I am told, a really easy to construction set of parts.
There's more on Scamp over at Apa Valley.
Now, I really don't need any more projects, but if I did, I could be very tempted. Steve's Scamp moves at quite a rate, and since he had only just put the track down, offered a bit of a white-knuckle ride when I drove it. This thing is terrific fun. OK, I look ridiculous, but that's pretty much par for the course.
One challenge is that Scamp is tiny, and you need to balance the loco, especially if you are a tall and fat bloke. That means leaning back in the seat to keep your centre of gravity over the wheels, all while juggling the various controls (throttle, revs, clutch, brake) and trying not o break anything - both me and the loco. I'm sure Steve was more worried about the later!
Later in the day, I was also handed the controls of a steam loco, and it was also very enjoyable too, but Scamp was the one that really got me wishing I had the space for a small line...
Does anyone remember the April Fool's story in Railway Modeller years ago, where someone had built their layout under the floorboards of the house? I know I was fooled by it for a long while.
Well, it seems that life follows art, and here we have a special effects laden video showing someone really building a miniature railway in the crawl space under their floorboards.
The story of the development of a Gauge 1, steam powered, tilting TGV. German with translations throughout. I don't claim to understand the technology, but it's fascinating.
Between 1963 and 1966, Tri-ang produced a 10 1/4" railway system. Yes, a real ride-on railway.
Obviously these are very rare, but a surprising number still exist in various stages of repair. If you own one, you really need to join the Tri-ang Minic Narrow gauge Railway society.
Normally the in-house magazine is just for members, but the latest issue has been made public, and it's well worth a read with interesting articles on the history of the models.
And if anyone has one of these going begging, let me know. Heaven knows where I'd put it though!
My TV is full of snooker, which tells me that today, I should be driving in to London for the Model Engineering exhibition. It's always fun to see the tables of baize in the foyer of the exhibition centre. Quite an eye-opened for me the first time as I'd never seen a full-sized table in the flesh.
I've never enjoyed driving in the capital, but by using the M1 rather than M40, and travelling on a Sunday, means it's not too bad. Getting back is slightly trickier as the satnav aims at the M40 but I like to keep the North Circular miles to a minimum.
Anyway, the London ME is my favourite of the breed. There's less engineering and a wider selection of model-making disciplines on show. It tends to have a wider audience too with families enjoying the show. That's probably why there is Lego, Tamiya trucking and even steampunk. The "Imagineering" kids engineering section would have appealed to a younger me.
For grown-up Phil, there are plenty of boats and some garden scale railways to enjoy. I like the engineering, but you can see the same models several years running with little progress in between. Mind you, I often find I've photographed the boats more than once too!
Hopefully, this time off will see some new exhibits appear if we are ever allowed out again. Since the engineers are largely at the top of the list for vaccinations based on age, maybe they stand more chance of a show than most?
If you'd like to re-live those heady days in the past, my blog posts and photos for each year can be found here:
