May, June & July 2026

Allan is building a 7mm rendition of Cole on the much-lamented Somerset and Dorset main line, just south of its crossing over the GWR Berks & Hants line. The period that Allan is modelling is the late 1940s, hence the white lining to the platform edge. The building paint colours are LMS cream and brown. Purists will be critical of this. It was most likely the colours were SR green and cream (the restored Midsomer Norton station is in these colours) but in his choice to model the LMS he just couldn’t bring himself to see his black locos and maroon coaches trundle through a SR station!

The station building is a replica of the real thing. Now a private house, Allan was able to measure and draw it thanks to the kind permission of the owner. The signal box, up platform shelter, shed and bridges are based on photographs and are near replicas of the real thing

Allan has yet to build more than a placeholder for the goods shed which will be mostly imagined; he has one photo of it just peering above a passing train! It was demolished in the very late 1940s.

Allan’s recent project has been the creation of the very elaborate starting signal, shown clearly in this crop from a well known photo album. And the finished signal below.

Our new Chairman, Richard, has been fettling some truly superb Edwardian Great Western locos in 7mm scale. A particularly nice feature is working inside motion.

3277 was a Duke Class locomotive built in January 1897 for working the gradients of Devon and Cornwall, but these locos were spread around the GWR region in early 1923 when they were replaced by newer locos. In May 1930 the name was removed from the loco when it was rebuilt as an ‘Earl’ or ‘Dukedog’ class of locomotive. 3277 was withdrawn from service in April 1939. The model is from a Finney kit (builder unknown) and was painted by Alan Brackenborough.

The Armstrong Class were a group of four locomotives designed by William Dean and built in 1894 with 7 ft 1.5 in (2.172 m) driving wheels. In April 1915 no. 16 Brunel was rebuilt with 6 ft 8.5 in (2.045 m) wheels and piston valves, having already been fitted with a Standard No.2 boiler. It was renumbered 4169 as a member of the Flower Class. The model is from an MOK kit, built by Bob Merry and also painted by Alan Brackenborough.

The completed Big Bertha (it needed brakes) running round “The Summit” in July. It ran faultlessly and is now home with its owner John, who is very happy with the result. Some details of Dave S fitting the brake gear: Big Bertha Repair in 7mm Scale, 0 Gauge – Part 3

With the Class 156 finished Steve made a start on the build of the Lion Class Stour, from his own design of etches and 3D printed parts. By June the superstructure and chassis were substantially complete and ready for wheels and chassis ready to be painted LSWR Umber.

This is the revised boiler printed on his Mono 4K. It’s much more accurately formed with thicker walls (1.2mm), and was supported on a grid with knife edge supports to start the print properly. It has fixed cutouts for the splashers and variable cutouts for different gauge wheelsets, and as a result it is a much better fit to the etched parts. On the question of unfeasibly tall chimneys, the K’s chimney is a scale 5′ (same as the driving wheel diameter). A photo of the original Lion suggests that this relationship is entirely feasible, and as it happens it’s just a little taller than that on the AW Diseasel.

The chassis has the equalising beams and HLK RoadRunner gearbox built up and fitted. A steel wire has been soldered in as a sprung central pivot to give the crew a more comfortable ride. The grate area has been filled with sheet lead contributing a fair bit of weight. The rear motor shaft still needs to be removed. There will be some scope to add weight round the motor and above the wheels at the front of the rear splashers, as well as in the domes, smokebox and boiler. Seen are the fixed cutouts for the splashers and the additional cutouts needed for EM Gauge wheels which of course are inboard of where they should be. There’s plenty of room for the M1220, but only with the ends filed off the protruding motor fixing lugs. The centre bearing hornblocks and gearbox bearings had to be drastically thinned to get the 0.5mm side play required for a 3’6″ minimum radius curve.

On mature reflection (in conjunction with someone who should know), the regulator has been moved to the middle and two gauge glasses fitted, one a mirror of the other. Whether they should have guards in 1884 is moot. On the left is a JH Beattie version of the revised backhead test fitted in the JH Beattie cab. In the middle the same in 7mm scale, printed with a view to encouraging a friend to build a 7mm scale Lion. On the right a nickel silver version of the smokebox front with handrail and lamp iron rivets set using a less pointed punch in his GW Models rivet press – with that it was much easier to centre the tool in the half-etched holes, thus ensuring that the embossed rivet is accurately placed.

Steps assembled and fitted, and the rear splashers now soldered on. Quite fiddly, but no problems other than the slots being a fraction too wide. So far only 188C multicore solder has been used, carrying the solder to the job to burn off the unwanted resin flux in the process. The forward steps were a later upgrade to the Lions. Rather than cut the second shaft off what turns out to be his only M1220, He ordered an HLK 1219 coreless motor, and removed the M1220 so that the loco could be posed with the backhead in place. The motor is further forward in the Vesuvius and there might therefore be scope for a flywheel needing at least some of that second shaft. The reverser lever has been assembled (foreground). Height of top of the chimney from rail height is 54mm which is a scale 2″ greater than the LSWR loading gauge of 13′ 4″.

Handrail and etched handrail brackets fitted and 0.5mm steel wire loose fitted to confirm alignment (0.35mm wire looked too thin). In this photo something has been fretted out that looks like a reversing crank and rod between the leading wheels, in this case soldered to the outside of the narrow EM frames. The assembled reversing lever has also been soldered to the inside of the splasher in the cab. If this was 00 gauge there would be a temptation to solder it to the top of the splasher in correct alignment with the firebox sides. The cab has also been soldered in and some white Milliput used to fill some gaps, hollows and scrapes. The handrails have been fitted in the slot formed at the rear of the cab splasher and secured with the Milliput. Unfortunately it was very slow to go off and took a week to harden so suspect it’s actually ‘dried’.

As usual it’s a photo (not the mk1 eyeball) that highlights that the smokebox door might not be fully home. 3D printing the buffer beam presented a problem in that it has two fair faces opposite each other, one of which must perforce be peppered with supports. Steve’s solution was to print it in two halves with a knife edge support at the bottom of each support and the fair faces printed at 20°. Both halves had to be thinned to compensate for ‘additive kerf’. A nice sliding fit was required for the AG buffers the shank of which was 3/32″ or 2.4mm. The housing was printed at 2.5mm diameter internally and that gave a perfect fit, but that took a couple of iterations to get exactly right. In the process Steve has been able to thin the walls of the housing to a nominal 0.34mm. As before the supports were added via Blueprint Studio and it was sliced in Anycubic Photon Workshop.

Also seen is his attempt at a copper capped chimney. Not being a GWR modeller Steve had no idea how nasty copper was to machine, but with files and cordless drill he eventually got somewhere close. The later Beattie chimney had a sloping top to the flange unlike the earlier ones, and Stour would have had that later chimney. Steve needs to cut chimney and cap square losing 1.5mm of height in the process, and that will be his next task, followed by painting wheels and frame LSWR Umber ready for assembly.

March & April 2026

David’s Open Day in April featured both Nethercreech Junction and his new creation Lyme Regis. Some photos taken by YMRG members of Nethercreech Junction follow:

A Model of the Barn that Houses *Nethercreech Junction* and *Lyme Regis* painted in Estate Colours with Ivo Peters’ Bentley outside – as it really was on the Open Day!

Looking North towards the Level Crossing

And now two views of Lyme Regis. Member and retired architect Allan has been responsible for the buildings and excellent renditions they are too:

Finally, two further cameos at Lyme Regis:

Is this the best flower bed on any layout in any scale anywhere?

Pete C reports: The Maunsell coaches that the club bought from the estate of Simon K have had a few modifications and some repairs, one being a new bufferhead which had fallen off from a whitemetal buffer. A piece of brass was filed to shape and a spigot soldered in a hole in the buffer head to attach to the whitemetal housing. He then noticed that the cowling over the droplight windows had never been fitted, these were cut from plasticard and painted (luckily Railmatch paint was the same shade) then stuck on with thin superglue. The other noticeable missing items were the very prominent wooden handrails behind the corridor windows. Copper wire was painted and fitted to clips made from plasticard. The remaining job is to drill some holes in the solebar to secure the footboards properly.

Steve has been steadily working through the many issues of 3D printing his LSWR coaches from the 1860s (in 4mm scale EM Gauge). Courtesy of Keith, not the Downton Train Crash formation of 1884, but a very close coupled rake of 3D printed coaches of all the required types crossing Bob Alderman’s viaduct on South Junction. The 1864 Passenger Brake is leading two 1865 Thirds, an 1862 Second and 1862 First, with the 1859 Passenger Brake bringing up the rear.

The Black Motor 30692 is the least inappropriate engine that he currently has to haul them, although it is at least a Sal&D engine. Built from a Jidenco kit by someone who had some idea of what they were doing and bought secondhand. The somewhat undercooked Jidenco 00 Gauge underpinnings were replaced using Persy chassis kits built to EM Gauge. Those familiar with Steve’s projects will guess that this could be made more complicated than it really needed to be: https://yeovilmrg.org/black-motor-re-chassis-in-em-gauge/

Finally Part 2 of the Big Bertha saga that could be a trilogy if it includes fitting the brake gear.

Big Bertha Repair in 7mm Scale, 0 Gauge – Part 2

January & February 2026

Jim has concluded that CS2 is not the best place to try and make something of the ‘Aberdeen White Elephant’, otherwise known as the ginormous 2mm finescale fiddle yard that I carted down from its namesake in north east Scotland (ie Aberdeen!) in the summer of 2019 and done little with since, due to (a) Covid and (b) his house move to Exeter in 2022.

Despite the loft in his bungalow having insufficient headroom to stand up in, and the loft hatch being unable to accommodate 8ft long baseboards, he has decided that he can make a better fist of it there than he first thought, and it will remove the need for regular 100 mile return trips back to Somerset.

Accordingly, he ‘bit the bullet’ a few weeks ago and carefully cut a few millimetres out of all the rails (36 at every baseboard joint with 18 parallel storage roads) followed by gently sawing through the MDF baseboard top to convert three baseboards 8ft long into six baseboards 4ft long. All six boards are now up the loft at home and, simultaneously, I am adding raised flooring to gain access right down the length of one leg of the roof space. Below is a picture showing four of the boards, with two more to be added at the far end, before a corner is added:

The second picture is taken from the other end and shows the fifth “half-board” added and more of the new flooring to the left. Of note is the relatively little vertical leeway Jim has to insert cross struts to support the boards more positively.

In May, the 2mm Scale Association is having its usual show at the Derby Conference Centre and this year it is all weekend, rather than just Saturday, and the star of the show will be Dunallander, which this fiddle yard was originally built for. Included in the van from Aberdeen this time will be the Perspex sheets that cover the fiddle yard boards which Jim forgot to collect in 2019!

A reminder that the scenic side of the layout has yet to be started but, in comparison, will be very simple and comprise a double track main line, with overhead 25kv catenary (!) and mineral exchange sidings and a branch leading to Littleton Colliery, near Cannock in Staffordshire. In contrast, the Grampian Area Group of the 2mm Scale Association, who was persuaded to save the scenic side of the original layout, have strived to construct an almost exact copy of Dunblane Station and its immediate environs, involving many, many buildings – see photo above at the Elgin Show. In contrast Jim’s rendition of Bungham Lane, Penkridge only needs one building, the junction signal box!

February saw Part 1 of the Big Bertha Repair ending on a cliff hanger see the link below:

Big Bertha Repair in 7mm Scale, 0 Gauge – Part 1

Next up Steve’s Lima Class 156 Upgrade incorporating his own and Hurst Models resin 3D printed parts:

Lima Class 156 Upgrade in 4mm Scale EM Gauge

Steve is modelling Verwood in EM Gauge, and needed a Stevens style lever frame for the box plus a Stevens style Knee frame for the ground frame that was at the West Moors end of the loop. He’s 3D modelled these in QCAD and OpenSCAD and is 3D printing them in 4mm and 7mm scale on his AnyCubic Photon Mono 4K in AnyCubic ABS-Like Water Washable Resin 3.0. Both can be configured to have LSWR or SR style plates and with any number of levers. Could the models be 3D printed though?

This is a 7mm scale version of Steve’s 3D printed LSWR style ground frame for Verwood with some overly thick tails fitted to the locking frame. The clearness of the text suggests to Steve that his BR(S) smokebox plates (with curly 6s and 9s) could probably be printed vertically rather than on the bed allowing me to batch them up on a raft and remove and prepare them as required.

A test print showed that when tilted up on supports for 3D printing, the void under the tails needed to be more realisticly modelled (almost empty bar framing) so that it could drain of resin and water during washing. Win-win!

On the left a reject ground frame with coat of Humbrol Dark Grey to bring it to life. Also ‘Privett’ LSWR era frames in 4mm and 7mm scale with just the FPL levers reversed, as these frames were for most of the day waiting for something to happen. These sort of frames were not untypical of the Meon Valley and other somewhat overbuilt lines of the same period.

On the left a lever frame for Verwood in the final version of the support cradle. As with the ‘Privett’ frame on the right, what should have been the only FPL is pulled awaiting the next train – that was a mistake as it should have been Lever 4! The Privett frame was fairly easy to release from the final version of the support cradle with nicely aligned levers. It looks like some of the supports for the Verwood frame went AWOL but recovered just in time! There were a lot of iterations of the support cradle before it worked reliably every time.

November & December 2025

Allan is making good progress on his 7mm rendition of Cole. Platforms have been started and landscape formwork started. The platform surface was finished using fairly fine emery paper dusted with weathering powders (and brushed off outside as the stuff gets everywhere!).

This is a recently acquired LMS Period 1 all third coach built and painted by the Sidelines man himself Malcolm Binns. Jim couldn’t resist it even though outside his period as the lining is outstanding. Unfortunately Jim had to refix the seating and entirely reglaze it – old model, old glue!

AnC - Crucaern Track Plan — Plan of Proposed Layout

Andrew has been busy planning and ordering parts for his O gauge layout Crucaern Station (Anglo Saxon for Crewkerne. “Cruc” is hill and “aern” is a place or building). He’s taken delivery of a large box of points and track from DCC Train Automation.

iTrains Schematic showing where everything needs to go

Below a few words to describe what should happen.

System Description for Crucaern Station O Gauge Layout
The control system for the Crucaern Station layout is built around the YaMoRC YD7001 command station, which provides the DCC command signal, LocoNet communication, and accessory power for the layout. The layout is divided into two electrically isolated track power districts to improve reliability and fault handling. Each power district is supplied by its own DR5033 booster.

Track Power Distribution
Track power within each district is delivered via dedicated red and black wiring from the DR5033 boosters. The two power districts are electrically independent, allowing one district to continue operating if the other experiences a short circuit.

Booster Communication (LocoNet-B)
The boosters receive their synchronised DCC control signals from the YD7001 via brown LocoNet-B cables. These connections ensure all boosters operate consistently and maintain a stable DCC output across the layout.

LocoNet Communication Network
A network of orange LocoNet cables interconnects the command station, feedback modules, boosters, and display units. This network carries system-wide communication including block occupancy data, device status, and accessory control.

Block Detection and Feedback
Each district includes a combination of DR4088LN-CS and YD6016LN feedback modules. These units provide current-sensing and ground-sensing block detection, reporting the presence of trains to the control software via LocoNet. This enables automated operation, route setting, and visualisation on the layout mimic panel.

Accessory Power
Accessory devices such as point motors, relays, and signals are powered using a separate accessory DCC feed from the YD7001. This keeps turnout and accessory operation independent from the track power feeds to ensure stable running.

Power Meter Displays
Digital display units within each power district monitor voltage and current draw in real time. This provides clear visual status information for operators and helps diagnose faults quickly.

Control Interfaces
The YD7001 connects to a computer for layout control software and to wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets for handheld throttle operation. A screen-based mimic panel provides a graphical overview of the entire track plan, including live block occupancy and turnout positions.

Technical Overview
This layout is divided into two power districts, each managed and monitored to provide reliable DCC operation, feedback reporting and accessory control. The wiring scheme uses a combination of power buses, boosters, feedback modules, point motor drivers and signalling components, all coordinated through the YD7001 command station and LocoNet.

Power Distribution
A pair of red and black solid lines represents the main DCC track bus. This bus supplies traction power to the entire layout. The bus is divided into two separate power districts, each protected and managed independently. Dotted boundary lines identify the equipment assigned to each district.

Boosters and Command Station
The YD7001 acts as the central DCC command station.
It provides:
– Booster outputs (brown lines) feeding the DR5033 boosters via LocoNet B. Each DR5033 supplies regulated track power to its respective power district and provides short-circuit protection.
– Auxiliary power outputs (blue and brown lines) used to feed point motors, accessory decoders and other low-current devices.

LocoNet Communication
All digital communication between devices is carried by orange LocoNet cables, linking the YD7001, boosters, feedback modules and accessory controllers into a unified network. This ensures reliable synchronisation of power management, occupancy detection and signal control across the entire layout.

Block Detection and Feedback
The track is divided into several blocks, each identified by blue labels.
Every block contains two feedback sensors, represented by red labels, providing precise occupancy detection. These sensors report directly to the feedback modules via LocoNet, enabling automated signalling, route setting and train monitoring.

Points and Signals
Turnout control is handled through green-labelled point motors, each connected to the accessory power bus and controlled via LocoNet accessory commands.
Yellow-labelled signals are positioned at block boundaries or key junctions. They respond to feedback events and route logic, ensuring accurate line-side indications for both manual and automated running.

Overall System Function
All components operate together as a coordinated digital layout control system:
– The YD7001 provides command, logic and accessory control.
– The DR5033 boosters supply isolated, protected traction power.
– Feedback sensors deliver block-level occupancy data for automation. Accessory devices such as points and signals respond intelligently to LocoNet instructions.
– LocoNet interconnects the entire system, maintaining consistent communication.
The result is a fully integrated DCC control environment supporting automated operations, realistic signalling and reliable running across the layout.

Andrew also informs us that there are only two boards left of Heyno Junction to wire up before trains can run complete circuits! [Ed. Something I can understand!]

September & October 2025

For the last few months most of the work at CS2 has revolved around getting Evercreech New ready for its second appearance at Taunton Railex. Happily its appearance was an outstanding success and the team involved should feel very proud and pleased, especially given the hard work involved. The Somerset Railway Modellers were brilliant hosts and Taunton School a superb venue with proper puddings. A few pictures from the event follow:

The infamous viaduct stillage (when loaded the size of a small car), with Prestleigh Viaduct on the bottom and Pecking Mill above. The castor painted green is key to the loading procedure – there are actually six castors on the stillage, and it has to be carefully pivoted on the outside edge of the tailboard on the green castor since the stillage is too wide to go in sideways.

This is why we do this!

The fiddle yard, with the operating area of other layouts behind.

Prestleigh Farm, which is unfortunately mainly hidden from the viewers by the viaduct, although Dave H constructed a high level background mirror to help with this. Next a few pictures taken during loading at CS2 and unloading at Taunton School:

With more scenery than last time, will it all fit in the lorry? Maybe……

The the new landscape boards (left) and original station boards waiting to be loaded.

Early stages of setting up on the Friday with a good three hours to go before it will be ‘ready to run’.

Meanwhile, In his large purpose built railway shed Allan has been working away at his new project, Cole (S&D) in 7mm Scale. The trackwork has been constructed from C&L components on plastic sleepers and the three way point was ‘particularly challenging’. [Ed. The ballast and colour of the sleepers I find pretty convincing, and doesn’t it flow nicely.]

The bridge over the lane going up to Sunny Hill School. Will the Austin 7 need to reverse to make it up there? The arch was laser etched and cut by Mike of Jurassic Models.

July & August 2025

The project that has gripped Jim over this period was improving an ex-LMS 4F 0-6-0 which he bought some while ago via the Gauge O Guild ‘Sales and Wants’ on its website. A kit of some description, it had been constructed in true ‘Tri-ang fashion’, with the motor/gearbox installed horizontally so the lower part of the boiler had to be removed. Jim managed to re-install this with the motor sited vertically in the firebox some while ago, but he has now got around to filling in the missing part of the boiler and remodelling the inside of the cab so a crew could be added. A false floor was constructed out of plastic card to match the level of the tender and a flap of very thin plastic card added to bridge the gap. Hopefully the crew won’t now fall out!

The main efforts in CS2 have been directed towards developing the scenery on Evercreech New ready for its appearance at ‘Rail-Ex Taunton’ in late October. At a recent visit to CS2, Allan took some pictures of the area around the two viaducts. As can be seen things have really started to come together on Evercreech New.

New bridge sections have arrived, made in a flexible ABS-like resin. They’re much easier to fit and are currently on the workbench getting some weathering treatment to help them blend in nicely. Over on the Pecking Mill Viaduct, the scenic team has been busy with the static grass, and the area is really starting to look the part. Fences and hedges have gone in too; which adds a lot of depth and character. Some very neat 3D-printed telegraph poles have been made up. These are destined for both the Pecking Mill section and the station area, and will add another great detail once in place.

Dave H has been building a signal box from a laser-cut kit and now has the fun of the interior, using the etched brass kit from Severn Models

This reminded Jim of the signal box he had constructed some while ago for Littledean, from an LCut Creative kit, that included a full interior.

Allan has been beavering away at his 7mm rendition of Cole, and recently added an LMS 2-6-4T to his loco roster. Made from a Gladiator kit, the Fowler 4P has always been Allan’s favourite tank engine. He recalls seeing them in Manchester in his youth, but it is unlikely they ever appeared on the S&D. But what the hell it’s beautiful! [Ed. who wonders what that chimney is going to be when it grows up.]

This is where Cole stands currently. There will be a hole in the shed wall beyond the overbridge so that through trains can run on into the garden – not much point in modelling a through station otherwise. [Ed. 0 Gauge in the garden – where there’s room for it – what’s not to like?!]

May & June 2025

Although not quite finished, in May David S held an Open Day to show his superb new 7mm layout of Lyme Regis in its entirety.

Alongside his work on Lyme Regis, Allan has continued work on his new 7mm layout and built the platform shelter for Cole (S&D) Station. Allan didn’t want to model the sag in the roof. Those props may well have been added to combat the sag on the real thing. Below is some additional rolling stock for Cole.

Since the last blog, The Summit has been exhibited at the two and a half day Bristol Show at Thornbury and acquitted itself well. Glimpsed in the background the scenic boards are back in their stillages and all hands have been diverted to Evercreech New which is due to appear at the Rail-Ex Taunton in late October.

Pecking Mill Viaduct is a complex structure and a curve has had to be introduced to it so that it fits on our layout. Because of the curve the 3D printed girders for the skew bridges cannot be quite parallel or exactly the same length. All this has led to a potential lack of clearance if the girders are not precisely placed. There is a timber walkway outside the girder and the railings for those pretty much align with the outside of the piers leaving just enough clearance for model coach and loco overhangs. The girders may be very slightly outboard of where they should be as a result. The girders were printed in two halves, the farm bridge girders being similar but shorter, and it was vital (there was some confusion), that only the long half girders were used on the A371 bridge. (Ed. We kid you not!)

This wing wall was also replaced with an embankment – because there never was a wing wall there! The painting of the viaduct is complete, and looks good. Once the bridge girders are in place work on the groundwork, fencing etc. can start to make the place look real. There’s a good base layer of grass on some of it, it just needs a bit of variation, and longer grass on the embankment inside the railway fence. The road needs a camber on it and some attention to texture and colour, and there’s a small stone bridge over the stream needed too. Dave H was trying to explain Pecking Mill Viaduct to his father (he was a civil engineer). He thought it was something we’d made up as a modelling challenge, not a real place!

The scenery for The Summit was quite deliberately built ‘light’ as it only needs to hang off the rigid backbone boards that carry the track. This makes it vulnerable to damage as it’s ‘persuaded’ into and out of the stillages. Seen here, repair work is in progress with reinforcing of the tunnel boxes with paper mache joints. The scenery board has had the scenery detach from the frame for about 50%. Again paper mache, i.e. several layers, should be enough plus a couple of wood blocks glued in.

From Pete C, a 4mm Scale EM Gauge Ruston 88DS built from a Judith Edge kit, and perhaps more interestingly a weathered 7mm Scale Tickford bodied Land Rover intended for The Summit. These Tickford built Landies were marketed as a ‘Station Wagon’. They were better equipped than the standard Land Rovers and thus attracted Purchase Tax limiting sales. About 900 were produced, most were exported and few survive.

Yeovil Model Railway Group (YMRG)

Making The Biggest Layouts That Will Fit In Our Huge Clubroom – since 1974

Tag: 0 Gauge