I am using 1” wide 2mm thick N-gauge track underlay which I am sticking down using 3M spray mount adhesive. The cork can be carefully bent to fit a 12” radius curve. I used low-tack masking tape to hold it in place whilst the glue dried.
Category: Notes & News
Building the new continuous circuit baseboards for Die Keinnamebahn
I have now got around to building the ten baseboards required for the continuous circuit version of Die Keinnamebahn using 4 prototype corner versions of the scenic baseboards generously donated by Tim Horn (timhorn.co.uk). Tim has redesigned the basic scenic boards to have 6mm moisture resistant MDF tops and, for the corner boards, the normal […]
Using removable pin split hinges as baseboard connectors
I needed a way to join together the new prototype corner scenic baseboards kindly gifted to me by Tim Horn so that the boards are tightly held together and located by pattern makers’ dowels. I decided that using small removable pin hinges would be a suitable and quick method of achieving this aim. Most split […]
My first home-made model tree
Die Keinnamebahn has, so far, used plastic trees obtained via eBay, from Hong Kong. Though cheap they are no very realistic and are only about 4 inches tall, a scale height of approximately 28 feet in 1:87 H0 scale and all looking the same with not a very good representation of leaves. I wanted to […]
Adding sound to a layout using inexpensive MP3 players
I wanted to add some ambient sounds to Die Keinnamebahn. Not wanting to have a wired in solution I found on eBay some inexpensive (<£5) self-contained mp3 players with 2 inch speakers. The units have a 4 hour rechargeable battery and can use mp3 sound files from either micro SD cards or USB thumb drives. […]
Developing Die Keinnamebahn for home use
At 12ft in length Die Keinnamebahn is too big for assembly in my home and so is only an end-to-end exhibition layout. For that reason I am trying to develop another layout that can be operated at home as well as being an exhibition layout. Using 400mm x 250mm boards developed in conjunction with Tim […]
Bravelady – the carte blanche loco
Well Annie and I took Die Keinnamebahn to the New Mills & District Railway Modellers exhibition at Chapel-en-le-Frith this weekend and I was most pleased that it worked well all weekend with only track cleaning required between days and the odd spot clean towards the end of the days. I thought I would share this […]
Exhibition readiness
I am now getting Die Keinnamebahn ready for its third outing. It will be being displayed this coming weekend (24/25 February) at the New Mills and District Railway Modellers exhibition at the Leasure Centre, Long Lane, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire. The revised servo powered uncoupler system is, so far, working well. The ESU SwitchPilot Servo Version 2 […]
New level crossing on Die Keinnamebahn
I was never really happy with the level crossing on Die Keinnamebahn. The plastic roadway was designed to fit HO/00 gauge track and did not fit the Peco mainline narrow gauge track. The original crossing did not have infill in the tracks. The original MKD gates and approach ramps were retained. Today I replaced the […]
ESU SwitchPilot Servo problems and the SPROG 3 solution
I had a problem when we exhibited Die Keinnamebahn at the Rainford show in October. The ESU SwitchPilot Servo (Version 1) I was using to operate the remote uncouplers decided to overheat and fail after only 10 minutes of the show starting! This was despite it working successfully for over a week at home! I […]
Faller sector plate for N-gauge announced for 2018
Faller have just announced that they will be producing a motorised n-gauge sector plate. This should be an easy conversion for 9mm gauge narrow gauge modellers.
An attic/loft hoist for Die Keinnamebahn – Adding a hoist platform
I obtained an old galvanised ‘Champion Bread’ bread tray from an eBay seller. By bolting four 1m chains to the corners and using 4mm carabiners to link the chains to a central 8mm carabiner I had a basic platform. I lined the mesh base with 4mm plywood so that small items could be carried. By […]
An attic/loft hoist for Die Keinnamebahn
Having built Die Keinnamebahn, my H0e scale narrow gauge layout, and its two storage crates, I had now to find a home for it in my house. My well-engineered attic, which was floored on 8″x4″ beams on 15″ centres, seemed ideal. A single attempt at getting one of the storage crates up into the […]
Fitting adjustable table legs for exhibition use.
I had bought two 6ft x 2ft 6in folding tables to display my layouts on at exhibitions. At their first outing it was found that the exhibition floor had a slight gradient to it which meant some stock ran away if uncoupled. I therefore looked at a way to make the steel tube table legs […]
Maintenance trains at Beddgelert on the Welsh Highland Railway
On a very wet Friday 13th in November I went to Beddgelert station on the Welsh Highland Railway ho[ping to photograph a passing Garratt hauled train. My mistake was not to read the timetable thoroughly – there were no passenger trains running that day. I was fortunate though to catch three maintenance trains stopping at […]
A cheap DIY model paint shaker
I bought an 12V vibration motor from China off of eBay, originally to see if it could help tamp down the loose ballast on my layout modules before fixing with glue. The motor, even on a 9V battery, vibrated the board so much that all the ballast soon was one stone thick in a layer […]
My modelling workshop
I have finally completed the construction and fitting of my new, and in fact first, dedicated modelling workshop. 7ft x 5ft was the maximum size allowed by SWMBO in our small back garden. I have to admit though that I nearly became a widower when, having spent about £1800 buying it, insulating it, cladding it, […]
Making a start in Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling
Welcome to this Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling newsfeed which will, aperiodically, post news on my modelling efforts to create a 9mm narrow gauge model railway. The articles will cover many aspects of implementing DCC controlled model railway layouts, general modelling articles and news about narrow gauge railway mode;lling.
Stop Press!
