Category Archives: prototype

#FEF The Greatest Gathering

Posted on August 1, 2025 by bawdsey

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 Bachmann, british rail, Exhibition, fef, Hobby, Hornby, Model Railroad, Model Railway, photography, railroad, train | 2 Comments

Snailbeach Sunday, 009

Posted on June 29, 2025 by bawdsey

A couple of days back I wrote about Red Wharf Bay, memories of an Iain Rice plan, jogged by standing on a beach watching the tide roll in. The beach features in this post too, but of an entirely different … Continue reading →

Posted in 009, 1914, accurascale, Bachmann, baldwin, Branch Line, Cameo, Cameo layout, dapol, DC, DCC, dcc sound, finescale, freelance, Hattons, heljan, hobbies, Hobby, iain rice, Industrial, Inspiration, Layout, light railway, model, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, Narrow Gauge, new release, news, O Gauge, o scale, OO, OO Gauge, OO9, peco, product news, prototype, railroad, railway, realism, research, review, scale modelling, shelfie, Snailbeach, toy train, transformation tuesday, tuesday transformation, Uncategorized, wagon, Wales | Tagged Model Railway, model-railways, OO Gauge, railway, travel | Leave a comment

Throwback Thursday, Anglesey

Posted on June 26, 2025 by bawdsey

Why’s this a throwback? Well, standing on this beach took me back to 1991 and Iain Rice’s Light Railway Layout Designs book. These two books, a year apart, really caught my imagination. I love the way they draw you in … Continue reading →

Posted in accurascale, Albion Yard, Bachmann, blog, book, cambrian, Cameo layout, DC, DCC, finescale, freelance, heljan, ho scale, hobbies, Hornby, iain rice, Influencer, Inspiration, Layout, layout design, light railway, LMS, man cave, Maps, mindfulness, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, peco, prototype, railroad, railway, Rapido Trains, realism, research, scale modelling, shelf layout, shelfie, snowdonia, throwback thursday, thursday throwback, toy train, track plans, TT120, Uncategorized, Wales | Tagged Branch Line, HO, Hobby, Layout, Model Railroad, Model Railway, OO, throwback thursday, train | 6 Comments

Heljan 02 Review

Posted on March 12, 2025 by bawdsey

Heljan have a good record of producing interesting OO gauge diesel shunters and the 02 production sample seen here seamlessly fits into that range. The 02’s were made by the Yorkshire Engine Company of Sheffield as a batch of twenty … Continue reading →

Posted in accurascale, Bachmann, blog, BR Blue, British Rail, Cameo layout, D&E, dapol, DC, DCC, dcc sound, EM, finescale, first look, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Industrial, inglenook, Inspiration, LED Lighting, man cave, Midland Region, model, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, new release, news, O Gauge, OO Gauge, peco bullhead, product news, prototype, railroad, railway, Rapido Trains, review, shelf layout, toy train, Uncategorized, woodland scenics, Yorkshire | Tagged Art, china, first look, food, heljan, Hobby, Model Railroad, Model Railway, OO Gauge, railroad, railway, review, train, travel, writing | Leave a comment

Accurascale’s Diagram 1/108 and 1/109 16T Mineral Wagon Review

Posted on February 16, 2025 by bawdsey

Into the man cave this past week or two Accurascale’s 16Ton minerals have rattled across the doorstep. Two varieties have arrived a set of Diagram 108 re-body, and a set of Diagram 109 riveted body vehicles. They are packaged in … Continue reading →

Posted in accurascale, Bachmann, blog, British Rail, Cameo layout, D&E, DC, DCC, Eastern Region, Eighties, finescale, first look, Forest of Dean, heljan, ho scale, hobbies, Hobby, Hornby, Inspiration, man cave, Midland Region, model, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, monday motivation, motivation monday, n gauge, new release, OO, OO Gauge, peco, peco bullhead, product news, prototype, railroad, railway, Rapido Trains, realism, scale modelling, seventies, shades of grey, shelf layout, Southern Region, toy train, train set, Uncategorized, wagon | Tagged Bachmann, Hornby, Layout, Model Railroad, Model Railway, OO, railroad, railway | 3 Comments

Aberystwyth To Carmarthen Book Review

Posted on January 27, 2025 by bawdsey

A recent publication that immediately found its way to my book case is: Aberystwyth to Carmarthen by Geraint Roberts. Published by the Lightmoor Press it weighs in with 304 pages and a price tag of £40.00. Put like that it … Continue reading →

Posted in accurascale, Bachmann, bachmann 74xx, book, book review, British Rail, dapol, DC, DCC, first look, Great Western, heljan, ho scale, hobbies, Hornby, Inspiration, library, man cave, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, monday motivation, motivation monday, n gauge, new release, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, pannier, prototype, railroad, railway, reading, reference, research, TT120, Uncategorized, Wales, wild swan | Tagged Branch Line, Hobby, life, Model Railroad, Model Railway, pannier, railroad | 2 Comments

The Background Balance, Start at the end..

Posted on January 18, 2025 by bawdsey

A while back I wrote about trials I was undertaking, Throwback Paint with a mix of paint types. This was the result for Shelfie2 under natural lighting which I was quite pleased with. That then was used to fill in … Continue reading →

Posted in #saturday, accurascale, Bachmann, barmouth junction, blog, Branch Line, British Rail, Cameo, Cameo layout, dapol, DC, DCC, dcc sound, finescale, Forest of Dean, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Industrial, inglenook, Layout, layout design, life, man cave, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, Oxford rail, pannier, peco bullhead, Peco TT, prototype, railroad, railway, Rapido Trains, realism, research, scale modelling, shelf layout, shelfie, shelfie2, toy train, train set, TT120, Uncategorized, Western Region | Tagged accurascale, Bachmann, Forest of Dean, HO, Hobby, Hornby, Layout, Model Railroad, Model Railway, OO, peco, shelfie, trainset | Leave a comment

#FEF

Posted on November 1, 2024 by bawdsey

There are some models that just ‘do it’, and the past week or so has had me just enjoying the Accurascale class 31. It’s funny how those connections work, 31’s aren’t the glamorous express, high profile engines, but almost the … Continue reading →

Posted in #FEF, accurascale, Bachmann, black and white, BR Blue, British Rail, D&E, DC, DCC, dcc sound, Eighties, fef, finescale, friday flashback, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Inspiration, Layout, man cave, model, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, Narrow Gauge, O Gauge, o scale, OO Gauge, peco, prototype, scale modelling, seventies, shelfie, Toy trains, train, train set, Uncategorized | Tagged accurascale, Bachmann, Hornby, life, Model Railroad, Model Railway, OO, toy train | 1 Comment

Wordless Wednesday J68

Posted on September 4, 2024 by bawdsey

Posted in accurascale, Bachmann, black and white, blog, buckjumper, DC, DCC, dcc sound, Eastern Region, EM, finescale, first look, heljan, ho scale, Hobby, Hornby, Inspiration, j67, j68, j69, Layout, LNER, man cave, model photography, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, Modelu, n gauge, new release, OO Gauge, Oxford rail, peco, product news, prototype, railroad, railway, realism, scale modelling, shelfie, toy train, train set, wordless wednesday | Tagged Hobby, Hornby, Model Railroad, Model Railway, review, toytrain, trainset, wordless wednesday | Leave a comment

HELJAN CLASS 153 in OO Gauge

Posted on August 14, 2024 by bawdsey

HELJAN announces new high specification ‘OO’ gauge Class 153 railcar and Class 155 ‘Super Sprinter’ DMU for release in 2025. With calls for a high specification, high quality ‘OO’ Class 153 growing all the time, HELJAN has responded with an … Continue reading →

Posted in accurascale, Bachmann, blog, Branch Line, British Rail, Cameo layout, D&E, dapol, DC, DCC, dcc sound, Eastern Region, Eighties, finescale, first look, heljan, ho scale, hobbies, Hobby, Hornby, Inspiration, layout design, man cave, man-cave, model, Model Railroad, Model Railway, Modelling, n gauge, news, O Gauge, o scale, OO, OO Gauge, Oxford rail, peco, product news, prototype, railroad, railway, Rapido Trains, realism, scale modelling, shelf layout, shelfie, toy train, Uncategorized | Leave a comment