Category Archives: Garden Railways

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 →

Posted in 16mm, 3D printer, Garden Railways, Wood | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Wooden loco

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 →

Posted in 16mm, 3D printer, Garden Railways, Trains, Wood | Comments Off on 3D printing on a 2D printer

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 →

Posted in 16mm, Garden Railways, industrial archaeology, Trains | Tagged , , | Comments Off on How to fail at painting something to look like steel.

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 →

Posted in 16mm, Garden Railways, Trains | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Running on air

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 →

Posted in 16mm, Garden Railways, Trains | Comments Off on First run of my loco

Starlock Washers

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Justin

Long ago, I promised myself that I would build a steam loco. Progress is slow, but it is steadily progressing. The loco I am building is a kit from Roundhouse Engineering, and it has nice clear instructions. By the end … Continue reading →

Posted in 16mm, Garden Railways, Trains | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Starlock Washers

Model Railway scales

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Andy

Left to Right: 16mm/ft (1:19) Baguley-Drewry Diesel loco (Accucraft) O Gauge (1:32) Ruston (Triang Big-train) OO Gauge (1:76.2) Duchess of Sutherland N Gauge (1:148) 0-6-0 Steam loco (Fleischmann ?) more detail here: https://www.wis.co.uk/andy/16mm/scale-and-gauge.html

Posted in 16mm, Garden Railways, Trains | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Model Railway scales

Mixing hobbies – Lego train on 16mm Garden Railway (part 2)

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Justin

In my last post, I berated the fact that a inside-frame chassis on 16mm track wasn’t possible in Lego. The gauntlet was picked up by my friends in the adult Lego fan community, and a potential solution looks like this: … Continue reading →

Posted in 16mm, Garden Railways, Lego, Trains | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Mixing hobbies – Lego train on 16mm Garden Railway (part 2)

Mixing hobbies – Lego train on 16mm Garden Railway

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Justin

We have had Lego trains running on our garden railways before, using a chassis made of wood and metal, and bodywork made out of the famous bricks. Around Christmas 2018, someone asked in the forums of the 16mm association if it … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden Railways, Lego, Trains | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Mixing hobbies – Lego train on 16mm Garden Railway

A visitor to my line

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Andy

My brother came to visit. He brought a loco, and thus it became the first visiting loco on my line This is a Regner Konrad, kit-built loco. It’s a geared, oscillating-cylinder loco. The revering lever is on top of the … Continue reading →

Posted in 16mm, Garden Railways, Trains | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A visitor to my line