Author: Retiarius

A 60 something web designer returning to railway modelling after a 40+ year absence.

Custom Model Decals closes

Unfortunately the provider of Custom Model Decals (custom-model-decals.com) has had to retire and cease trading due to Ill Health. Andrew Jeffcock (aged 70) suffered from a small stroke last year and has now been diagnosed with a significant brain tumour. The combined effects from these conditions now make it impossible for him to continue to […]

1:87 model ‘Chey’ station by Bob Dawson A.C.O.M.B Architectural Models, York

1/87 model 'Chey' station

I have been extremely fortunate to have employed Bob Dawson of A.C.O.M.B Architectural Models, York to make me a 1/87 model French NG station based on ‘Chey’. Bob has done a excellent job in making a model that captures the essense of the small stations used on the French narrow gauge lines. The original plans […]

One is never enough! Collecting model trains is addictive! The perils of visiting trade stands at model shows!

Roco H0e Mh4 with factory fitted DCC sound

As a keen HOe scale model railway builder and exhibitor of my layout “Die Keinnamebahn” my wallet is repeatedly placed under attack by the traders at these shows!  It means that I now have several versions of the same model in my rolling stock. This week’s addition is the Roco Mh4 H0e locomotive with DCC […]

Die Keinnamebahn at Mount Tabor Models Show, Cromford 5/6 March 2022

Die Keinnamebahn at Mount Tabor Models Show, Cromford 5/6 March 2022

I was fortunate to be invited to take Die Keinnamebahn to the Mount Tabor Models Nurnberg Spring Models Show at Cromford in Derbyshire on Saturday/Sunday 5/6th March. A small show but very satisfying to attend after more than 2 years of Covid restrictions. We were able to try out our new overhead LED lighting system […]

New Indian coach decals from Custom Model Decals

Indian Railway Mainline decals 4mm/ft

Custom Model Decals (https://custom-model-decals.com) have announced a new set of decals for the Indian Railway mainline coaches. These accurate Hindi-English decals could easily be used on an Indian narrow-gauge layout. The decals were developed with the invaluable help of Jeremiah Bunyan in India, his mother undertaking the Hindi translations and checking that the Hindi was […]

Custom Model Decals Darjeeling Himalayan Light Railway 4mm & 3.5mm scale decals

Custom Model Decals Darjeeling Himalayan Light Railway 4mm decals

The innovative decal design business Custom Model Decals (https://custom-model-decals.com (https://custom-model-decals.com) have announced that they have developed waterslide decals for the Darjeeling Himalayan Light Railway NDM 6 diesels and their accompanying coach sets in both 009 4mm/ft 1:76 and H0e 3.5mm/ft 1:87 scales. The decals use their innovative ‘film-free’ decal technology where accurate cutting out is […]

009 Society Members’ Only Shop Now Viewable by The Public

The 009 Society have always had a sales service for its members. They have had a private, viewable by members-only on-line shop since October 2020 which enabled its members to but second hand narrow gauge rolling stock, engines and the Society’ exclusive kits and regalia. The Society’ Committee have taken the decision to now allow […]

New decals for Ffestiniog Welsh Pony in 7mm

The new UK producers of waterslide decals, Custom Model Decals, have designed and produced 7mm/ft scale decals to fit the Mercian Models kit for Welsh Pony. These new decals are for the recently displayed new livery for the Ffestiniog Railway’s latest restoration project. More details on these decals can be found here: https://custom-model-decals.com/decal-news/welsh-pony-decals-to-fit-7mm-ft-scale-mercian-models-kit/

Custom Model Decals show readable 0.6mm high text on waterslide decals

Custom Model Decals decals on an H0e hopper

Custom Model Decals displayed recently their latest decals which have readable text at only 0.6mm high. The use of their high-tech printer enables them to produce high-definition custom decals in as little as 7 days for clients in many scales.  Currently Custom Model Decals are offering a 5% discount to members of several model societies […]

A New Custom Decal Service

Custom Model Decals

A new decal production service has come online. Custom Model Decals are offering a customised decal production service for waterslide transfers. Using a state of the art white+colour printer they can produce linings down to 0.3mm in width and will Initially provide lining and also the lettering for all the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway in L&BR […]

New H0e 10 tonne hopper wagon (schotterwagen) for Die Keinnamebahn

Scratch-built 10 tonne H0e hopper by Leigh Hulatt

I have recently commissioned a set of three freelance  10 tonne hopper wagons (schotterwagen) for Die Keinnamebahn. They are being scratch built by Leigh Hulatt and are nearly ready for delivery. This is one during its construction. I am proposing having the side panels selected from these test images. I will be trying to produce […]

A potentially dangerous mains powered soldering iron

Dangerous 60w mains powered soldering iron

I recently ordered a 60w mains-powered soldering iron with automatic solder feed via eBay from a U.K. supplier. I received the following message and a full refund. “Hi dear customer, Thank you for your purchasing. We are so sorry to tell you that because of some accident, we found that our product have some quality problem. Please […]

The 009 Society place their archive of the 009 News online

The 009 News

The 009 Society (https://009society.com) have now placed their archive of 009 News, the Society’s journal on narrow gauge modelling, online for access by its members. With nearly 20 years issues currently available this archive in PDF digital form is a history of narrow gauge railway modelling. The public can search the archive article titles but […]

Mitigation of radio frequency interference of DCC commands induced on trackwork

Revised wiring of Die Keinnamebahn to prevent mobile phone interference

I have now completely rewired the underside of the nine baseboards that comprise Die Keinnamebahn. The following tasks have been completed since our recent RF induced system failure at the Bakewell show. All power/DCC buses under the boards have been replaced with 2mm diameter solid copper wire. As many track feeds as possible have been […]

Radio Frequency Interference and a DCC disaster at an exhibition

DCC control signal pattern

We took our layout “Die Keinnamebahn” to the Chesterfield Model Railway Society annual show at Bakewell, Derbyshire for their weekend-long exhibition. We set up on the Friday evening and immediately had DCC control problems. Locos would start in the fiddle yard but would be jerky in operation and would ‘die’ about 1/4 of the way […]

A nice review of Die Keinnamebahn at Narrow Gauge North 2019

A review of Die Keinnamebahn in 009 News

009 News, the members’ magazine of the 009 Society, published this lovely comment on Die Keinnamebahn at its showing at Narrow Gauge North 2019  in April at Pudsey. SWMBO and I are, as we say up North, “well chuffed”! Die Keinnamebahn will next be on display at the Chesterfield Model Railway Society’s show at Bakewell, […]

Vandals destroy years of work and thousands of pounds of models at model railway exhibition.

Vandals attack model railway show

I could not believe the venality and sheer evil of the ‘youths’ who broke into the school at Welland Academy in Stamford, Lincolnshire, on Saturday 18th May 2019, where the Market Deeping Model Railway Club were holding their annual model railway exhibition. In a matter of minutes four ‘feral’ teenagers, who at 3am were away […]

ESU Loksound DCC sound decoder programming/mapping service in UK

ESU Loksound DCC sound decoders

I can offer a ESU Loksound sound programming/mapping service to customers in the U.K.  at an economical rate. I am able to program ESU decoders from V2 to V5 (but not the Loksound Select Direct decoders as these are not reprogrammable with a new soundscape). I can program any of the locomotive sound profiles available for download […]

New Roco 2095 OBB H0e scale locomotive with factory fitted sound

I recently bought a ‘surplus to requirements’ model of the Class 2095 narrow gauge diesel locomotive as used on the ÖBB line, amongst others, from a member of the Narrow Gauge Railway Modellers Online forum (www.ngrm-online.co.uk). This was an impulse buy, but the price asked and the wow-factor and reviews of this loco were irresistible. […]

Using DCC Concepts twin wire signals with the Train-Tech SC1 3-wire DCC signal decoders

Train-Tech SC1 DCC signal decoder

I wanted to use some DCC Concepts 2-aspect ground signals that I had bought. They came with two DCC Concepts Alpha Mimic LED controllers but at 50 UKP each, and capable of operating 24 LEDs each, they are too expensive to use on Die Keinnamebahn where only a few signals are on each board and […]

Using foamcore board to make a stockbox in a Ryman 4 litre plastic box with lid

Using foam core board to make stock partitions in a Ryman 4 litre box with lid

I decided that it was taking too long to unpack and pack my rolling stock at exhibitions by having to use the manufacturers packaging. I have therefore started to make stock boxes by adding an inner liner of foamcore board with partitions to keep the stock safe. Ryman, in the U.K., sell various sizes of […]

Don’t expect this Aldi alarm padlock to protect your model railway shed

A waste of money - Aldi alarm padlock

The Aldi Alarm Padlock is, in my opinion, a total waste of money. Publicised by Aldi as suitable for protecting your shed or garage it has a fatal flaw, one night of rain destroys the electronic alarm circuitry! The padlock has upward facing loudspeaker holes which have no effective sealing. One night of rain filled […]

The new Aldi folding box truck is perfect as a stock box carrier using Rymans 4 litre plastic boxes.

I will be using the 4 litre plastic storage boxes from Rymans to hold my unboxed rolling stock that I will be taking to the exhibitions I will be attending with my H0e Narrow Gauge exhibition layout Die Keinnamebahn. I will fit out the storage boxes with foam board partitions to protect the stock. To […]

Hide your SSID when using WiFi control at exhibitions

JMRI running on a Raspberry Pi

I have been developing a JMRI (Java Model Railway Interface) DCC (Digital Command Control) system for my exhibition layout “Die Keinnamebahn” that uses mobile smart phones as WiFi connected hand throttles connected to the JMRI software running on a Raspberry Pi Model 3B+ microcomputer set up as a WiFi access point.   I got the […]

Using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) on your model railway

Because we will be using a computerised, Raspberry Pi based, DCC control system with wireless hand controllers to control Die Keinnamebahn at exhibitions I wanted to protect the system from induced spikes or drop outs in the mains electricity supply. Dropouts can occur if someone accidentally, or inadvertently, unplugs a mains supply lead to the layout […]

Track problems on Die Keinnamebahn and how to painlessly fit fishplates

Two weeks to go to my first exhibition of 2019 at Chapel-en-le-Frith on 23/24 February and I am testing Die Keinnamebahn, my H0e exhibition layout. The point at the station throat was not polarising the frog properly and so I changed the Seep PM4 switching latched solenoid point motor. Testing showed it was now OK […]

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