Gricer

I had a triangle of spare space in the corner of my shed layout and filled it with a small harbour. The water was made from several layers of old clear plastic OHP sheets cut to size and laid over a murky painted base. Round the edges I glued sand with rocks (small stones as used in fish tanks). The harbour areas were wood coffee stirrers cut and laid as decking with matchsticks as pilings. Add a few barrels, sacks and crates. At the time Langley models sold various fishermen and porters. I also bought seagulls that I strung up on light blue cotton. For fun I then scratch built a waterwheel (no kits available then) and attached this to a suitable plastic building in which I hid a small motor. Later I also built a lighthouse made from scrap tubes etc. with an LED lamp. Both of these are connected via batteries to bell pushes and amuse the grandchildren (and many older visitors!). My first boat was a canal boat kit (no longer made) but I also added two cheap wood fishing boats as sold in seaside tourist shops and suitably changed. Just a few thoughts – and not too expensive!

Can I add my vote for the PVA glue? I first used DIY PVA/wood glue and found it great - but realised that this is expensive. Of course it is designed to be strong enough to glue a couple of wood planks together! The PVA available from Early Leaning Centre or High Street stationers is lighter but much cheaper. Many years ago I bought a 5 litre bottle normally sold to schools and play groups. It’s now gone rather gloopy but it has paid for itself. Many of my card kits – particularly the Superquick brand - were made 30+ years ago and still survive in my railway shed at the end of the garden. Over the years I have replaced some due to warping through temperature extremes but never to glue failures. One tip to stop those boring minutes holding card together until the PVA glue goes off. Use paper clips or washing line pegs. If necessary put an offcut of cardboard or felt between the peg and card to stop the risk of pegs causing indents.

I don't remember who first told me, but on several occasions I have used my wife's nail varnish remover for this task. When rubbed over the decals with a soft cloth I have found that it will gradually wipe away the transfers without damaging paintwork.

I had not come across the Little and Often in my searches – many thanks LC&DR for this interesting original film. Now I move from the sublime to the silly. My grandson complained about lack of smoke on the layout and on a whim I broke the end from a cotton bug and teased out the cotton wool. I put the plastic stub into the chimney and – hey presto – I had an engine with a plume of white smoke. Total success with grandchildren but perhaps not so realistic with older modellers. I am sure that others have done this before so I claim no ownership but I put it forward as a (not real) smoke option in certain circumstances!

There has been discussion on the word or background to Ducket. It is actually an ancient word first used to refer to the defensive towers or protrusions added to a castle. They allowed defenders to view and defend what might have been blind spots from the main castle defensive wall positions. I believe that it is a Norman French term introduced to Britain with their stone castles. It appears that the railways simply re-worked the invention and used the word for guards to see blind spots etc. You have to admit that this hobby (and this Forum) does throw up some interesting topics!

I bought the Santa Express for an Xmas display last year as R1210 and had the 0-4-0 Holden tank in red and numbered 012. I also have the same engine as a Portnoy Collieries R2878 and as a GWR tank as R077. I suspect that if I looked further in my stock it is also a number of other engines. That bloke James Holden must have been a real genius railway engineer! And the textbooks say he was just making engines for the GER! Hornby has done him proud with all the engines he made!

Back in the 1970s Blackwells of Hawkwell had a shop in Hawkwell in Essex. It was always a mix or railways, construction kits, slot cars and dolls houses, but still had a wide selection of model railway stock and over the years I bought much of my original railway collection from them. They also did mail order spares. They later moved to London Road Westcliff Essex where the stress moved more to the non-railway items – although the basic stuff and spares department were still good. Their next move was to The Square in Rochford where they briefly had a small retail selection but I think they soon closed this in favour of what was their more lucrative mail order spares. They had a monthly advert. in several model rail magazines for many years. They closed a while ago – I assumed for commercial or family reasons. It’s interesting to see them reopen but doubt that I will travel from deepest Essex to Norfolk. Let’s hope they do on-line sales. I wish them good luck.

One comment above on buying from abroad is that “nobody wants to pay / get clobbered by the Customs, VAT, postage and Duty”. If you buy direct from another country then it is classed as a personal import and you should expect to pay the correct duty/VAT. Just as it is by Model Shops that buy from these manufacturers. You are not paying any extra taxes – and why should anyone be exempt from paying the same taxes as everyone else in the UK? Of course there is the extra postage to take into account but if you can’t get your model from a maker here in the UK don’t let the taxable element put you off purchasing from overseas makers if they produce what you want.

Recently a friend turned up with two Dublo tin plate coaches in BR blood and custard. He had seen them on top of a skip in his road and thought that I might like them. The house was being cleared by children of the previous (late) owner. They told him that a lot more had been put in the skip earlier - it was now crushed at the bottom and unaccessible. My children have shown no interest in my railway and my oldest grandson doesn't bother with trains now he is 12! I suspect that in due course his 7 year old brother will also abandon his visits to my railway shed. I have insisted that my layout should be given away if they can't be bothered to use it or sell it. I do fear for the long term future of this hobby. Oh yes - 67 years old, by the way. Sorry to post a rather depressing item. The good news is that I have two rescued Dublo coaches!

The 1977 Silver Jubilee Freight set was R684 and produced only during that year. However 13,400 sets were produced so there may be a lot of modellers with a dusty box tucked away in the loft. This will affect the second hand price, so it may be better to just run the set and emjoy it. Good luck.

I moved into a garden shed in the late 1970s when the arrival of children forced me out of the spare bedrooms. I got a replacement only 5 years ago as a retirement present to myself, so they can be a long term solution. The advantages are many. Mine is 20 x 8 foot and few of us have a spare room that size for a large permanent layout. If I have to stop in the middle of a project I can just walk away without having to tidy up. It’s set at one 1 metre height so I can store spare equipment in cupboards below (both railway and garden!) and have stock on shelves above the background scenery. Against this is the need to go to the outside tap for water (and back indoors for the loo) I’m in the sunny south east and it can get like an oven in summer so I have added ventilation and a fan. On my first layout I fully ballasted some of the track and found the sun had twisted rails out of the sleeper webbing. It all had to be replaced and I had to learn how much ballast I can put up round the track without this happening. I also use a heater on chilly days and find it’s only in the worst winter days that it’s too cold to use. Then I do kits or repairs indoors.