Category Archives: blog

Merry Christmas 2025 and a little plan…

Firstly, to all readers, have a good Christmas and best wishes for the season, especially if Christmas isn’t your thing for whatever reason! In the usual carnage and chaos that is the run up to Christmas Day, tidying is done. … Continue reading

Posted in accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, barmouth junction, blog, British Rail, cambrian, Cameo layout, christmas, DC, DCC, dcc sound, finescale, Forest of Dean, Great Western, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Industrial, Inspiration, journey, Layout, layout design, life, man cave, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, peco, railroad, railway, realism, research, scale modelling, shelf layout, shelfie, shelfie1, shelfie2, shelfie3, shelfie4, throwback thursday, thursday throwback, toy train, track plans, train set, TT120, Uncategorized, Western Region | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hotel California

You can step out any time you like, but you can never leave. Thats branch or short line modelling for me. A brief chat with a viewer at the NEC in late November brought that thought forefront. They chatted for … Continue reading

Posted in accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, blog, Branch Line, British Rail, Cameo, Cameo layout, DC, DCC, finescale, Guyzance, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, iain rice, journey, Layout, layout design, makeover, man cave, Model Railroad, Model Railway, n gauge, NEC, northumberland, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, peco, realism, scale modelling, scenery, shelfie, shelfie1, shelfie2, shelfie3, shelfie4, toy train, train set, trees, TT120, Uncategorized, Welsh Marches, woodland scenics | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Wordless Wednesday Pannier Perfection?

Posted in 57xx, accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, blog, Cameo, Cameo layout, DC, DCC, dcc sound, finescale, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Industrial, Inspiration, Layout, man cave, model photography, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, Modelu, n gauge, NEC, new release, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, pannier, peco, railroad, railway, Rapido Trains, realism, scale modelling, shelf layout, shelfie, shelfie2, toy train, train, TT120, Wales, woodland scenics, wordless wednesday | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Accurascale’s 57xx converts Shelfie 2 to DCC

Having been loaned an Accurascale 57xx which is DCC sound fitted, it made sense to reconfigure Shelfie2 to run in DCC.

Posted in accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, blog, Branch Line, British Rail, Cameo, Cameo layout, Conversion, dapol, DC, DCC, dcc sound, Exhibition, finescale, first look, gwr, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Industrial, Layout, man cave, model, Model Railroad, Model Railway, n gauge, NEC, new release, O Gauge, OO Gauge, Oxford rail, peco, product news, railroad, railway, Rapido Trains, realism, scale modelling, shelfie, shelfie2, throwback thursday, toy train, train set, Uncategorized, Wales, Western Region, woodland scenics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wordless Wednesday Accurascale 57xx

Posted in accurascale, Albion Yard, blog, british finescale, British Rail, Cameo, Cameo layout, DC, DCC, dcc sound, Exhibition, finescale, first look, Friends, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Industrial, Inspiration, Layout, man cave, model photography, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, NEC, new release, O Gauge, o scale, OO, OO Gauge, Oxford rail, pannier, peco, product news, Rapido Trains, realism, review, scale modelling, seventies, shelf layout, shelfie2, toy train, train, train set, train show, TT120, united kingdom, Wales, woodland scenics, wordless wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seven Sleeps to go! NEC 2025

This time next Saturday I’ll hopefully be anticipating a cool one, it being the NEC model railway show hosted by Warners Publications. I’ll be taking Shelfie 2 there, Guyzance disposal point, and I’m thinking its only its fourth exhibition appearance, … Continue reading

Posted in #saturday, accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, black and white, blog, British Rail, Cameo layout, D&E, dapol, DC, DCC, Exhibition, finescale, heljan, ho scale, hobbies, Layout, Modelling, NEC, OO Gauge, railroad, railway, saturday, scale modelling, scenery, shelf layout, shelfie, shelfie2, trees, Uncategorized, woodland scenics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How it Started Bachmann’s 08..

This, ^^ this ^^ is how it started. A chance find on Facebook, advertised fairly as damaged and a poor runner. I wasn’t looking for one but the price vs condition made me think this is worth a punt. The … Continue reading

Posted in accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, blog, BR Blue, brassmasters, British Rail, D&E, dapol, DC, DCC, dingham, Eighties, Facebook, heljan, hobbies, Hobby, Hornby, Industrial, Layout, makeover, man cave, model, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, Modelu, n gauge, O Gauge, o scale, OO, OO Gauge, peco, railroad, railway, repair, shelf layout, shelfie, toy train, train, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TT120 TTown and TTrack Planning …

When TT120 was announced it caught my attention. A scale between N and OO/HO appeals to me particularly if the quality of products are good. My plan for a Forest of Dean system layout is one that at the moment … Continue reading

Posted in 009, accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, baseboards, blog, Branch Line, Cameo, Cameo layout, DC, DCC, Facebook, finescale, Forest of Dean, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Inspiration, justdoit, layout design, life, man cave, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, Modelu, n gauge, Narrow Gauge, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, peco, Peco TT, railroad, railway, realism, scale modelling, shelf layout, shelfie, skillset, Snailbeach, snowdonia, test, Toy trains, trainspotting, TT120, Uncategorized, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

#FEF The Greatest Gathering

This weekend I’m helping out on a friends trade stand at the greatest gathering in Derby. These rail open days and events really aren’t my thing, but having the opportunity to wander round some classic British first generation traction has … Continue reading

Posted in #FEF, accurascale, Bachmann, black and white, blog, BR Blue, British Rail, Cavalex, D&E, dapol, Eighties, ellis clark, Exhibition, fef, flying scotsman, friday flashback, fridayfunday, Great Western, heljan, ho scale, hobbies, Hornby, Inspiration, life, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, Modelu, n gauge, Narrow Gauge, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, OO9, peco, Photography, prototype, railroad, Rails of Sheffield, railway, Rapido Trains, realism, seventies, train, train show, travel, TT120, Uncategorized, Western Region | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Independence Day

Here’s a thing, often in the UK there’s a lot of emphasis on being in a model railway club or society for all the benefits and experience you can gain. At the moment I’m only a member of one society, … Continue reading

Posted in 4th july, accurascale, ak interactive, Albion Yard, Bachmann, blog, Cameo layout, dapol, DCC, dcc sound, Exhibition, feelgoodfriday, Heaton Lodge, HO, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, independance day, layout design, life, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, Narrow Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, peco, railroad, railway, scale modelling, shelf layout, shelfie, toy train, train show, TT120, Uncategorized, usa, woodland scenics, youtube | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments