Category Archives: 16mm

Rebuilding the Shay (part 9) – setting things on fire again

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Justin

More work on my Steamlines Shay locomotive. At the weekend, I took it to the outdoor line at Brambleton model railway club, and it attracted a lot of interest. With much assistance from David Jones, we managed to get a … Continue reading →

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Rebuilding the Shay (part 8) – bogies

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Justin

It’s been a few months since I did anything with the Shay – life is like that. I believe that the wheels of this locomotive were originally designed for G-scale. I say this with reasonable confidence because the flanges are … Continue reading →

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Rebuilding the Shay (part 7) – setting things on fire

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Justin

If you have been following my previous posts, you will know that the boiler and gas tank are both sound. A friend from my local model engineering society encouraged me to try lighting the loco to see if it will … Continue reading →

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Rebuilding the Shay (part 6) – fiddly bits

Posted on June 16, 2022 by Justin

In my previous post, I described getting the boiler and gas tank tested, and promised to start putting the loco together. This has proved to be quite fiddly. The first fiddly bit relates to the bolts in the bottom of … Continue reading →

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Slate wagon kit roundup

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Andy

A quick look at the slate wagons kits available in 16mm/ft at the moment (Autumn 2021)… ‘uss_Raven74656’ on ebay – £8 – https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194296426551 3D printed model of the steel slate wagon The Lineside hut – £9 – https://www.thelinesidehut.co.uk/quarry-slate-wagons.html Laser cut … Continue reading →

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Wooden loco

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Justin

This is the result of my attempt to “3D print in plywood” – converting the 3D printer file to 2D, printing it onto paper and gluing it onto plywood. It’s not meant to be glamorous – it’s a first attempt. … Continue reading →

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3D printing on a 2D printer

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Justin

One of the great things about having a 3D printer is the vast online library of things that one can print. Sites such as thingiverse contain everything you never knew you needed – from an airbrush stand to Lego bricks … Continue reading →

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How to fail at painting something to look like steel.

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Justin

The short version: don’t use car touch-up paints for large flat areas. I bought a wagon for my garden railway a few years ago. I thought it was an oil wagon but it turns out to be a model of … Continue reading →

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Running on air

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Justin

I am building a steam locomotive from a kit. Last week, I tried steaming up for the first time, and it was a very exciting success. The instructions discuss correcting the timing, and then running in. To do the timing, … Continue reading →

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First run of my loco

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Justin

I am building a live steam loco. It’s a kit from Roundhouse Engineering, and it’s relatively straightforward to build. Last weekend I lit the burner for the first time, raised steam and tested to see if it would run. The … Continue reading →

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