Introduction At a recent model show, Dad picked up a Budd Rail Diesel Car (RDC) on a whim. This is not the normal kind of model we’d normally look at, but for some reason it stood out as a fairly decent model, and the price… Read More »Upgrading a Budd RDC
This is the first of two articles covering my upgrade of a pair of Airfix GWR “B-set” suburban coaches. These models pre-date me by a decade or so (they have 1975 written on the underside) and were given to me a long time ago. They… Read More »Airfix B-set: Part 1
I had some spare time while visiting Reading back in 2018, so I took a short trip one station down to the line to Twyford, to visit Berkshire Dolls House and Models. Whilst I was browsing, I saw an interesting looking wagon on the shelf:… Read More »JGA wagon upgrade
A lot has been written and said about Rapido’s excellent APT-E, so I won’t talk about the model’s merits here, except to say I’m really happy I took that chance to grab one when the second batch came around last year. That said, when I… Read More »Rapido APT-E: Sound upgrade
In this article I’ll be tackling a project that’s been on the back-burner for a while, but I seem to keep putting off – fitting working table lamps to a restaurant car. I bought a set of DCC Concepts’ working table lamps a while back,… Read More »Fitting working table lamps
Out of the box, my new Realtrack FLA container wagons are rather stiff runners. This is because the axles are held in the bogie frames without any bearings, and some of the holes in which they sit are rather tight. So much so in fact,… Read More »Makeshift bearings for container wagons
I’m pretty happy with my new Hattons Class 66s (review here), but there’s one thing missing from them – drivers! I’m generally a bit lax about fitting crew to my locomotives – it seems to be a job that gets pushed to the back of… Read More »Class 66 drivers
It’s finally here! After multiple delays, a false start around Christmas-time and certain global events threatening to affect its arrival, my sound-fitted Hattons Class 66 has finally arrived. Or rather, they have arrived – after placing my initial order for 66957 “Stephenson Locomotive Society” in… Read More »Hattons Class 66 review
Out of the box, neither of my Hatton’s 66s run smoothly, due to the rotating axleboxes not being aligned correctly with the holes in the bogie frames. This means that when the wheels rotate, the axlebox either works itself loose due to it constantly being… Read More »Fixing the axleboxes on a Hatton’s class 66
Whilst I await the arrivial of my Hattons class 66 (update: delayed again due to axleboxgate!), I decided to fit my trusty old Bachmann 66 with a sound decoder. I’ve had the loco for about 10 years now and it’s always been a good runner,… Read More »DCC Sound: Bachmann class 66