Tales from The Room of Doom. Dipping a toe in various bucolic backwaters.

[Flaxfield]

Evening all.

The current details are here.

Uckfield Model Railway Exhibition 2026

Uckfield Model Railway Club, catering for Railway Modellers in 2mm, 4mm & 7mm scales in Uckfield, East Sussex, England.

www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk

 

[Phil O]

Ohh, goodie, I'm going to be in Eastbourne on the Friday night for a concert.

 

[Simon H]

Evening all.

The current details are here.

Uckfield Model Railway Exhibition 2026

Uckfield Model Railway Club, catering for Railway Modellers in 2mm, 4mm & 7mm scales in Uckfield, East Sussex, England.

www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk

I'll have to see whether I can engineer a trip. It used to be local (when I lived in Eastbourne/Bexhill/Hastings), a bit less so from Hamstreet, but it's a blooming long way from here!
I went in 2022 and got Covid, didn't go in 2023 because we'd picked up Covid a few days before on our honeymoon, and by last year we'd moved...

 

[Flaxfield]

Afternoon all,

With SWAG pretty much done and dusted, aside from the last bits of admin to attend to, I'm hoping I can finally get on and do a bit of modelling.

18th May will see Sheep Dip at Stowrail. There are a few jobs I want to do before then, mainly refreshing the scenic side of things. It's actually pretty presentable but I want to replace some of the static grass as I think I can improve upon it.

I may also look at adding some stock to the roster, as in weathering a few bits, including some of the Accurascale 16t minerals.

Hopefully, I'll be able to post a few 'in-progress" images rather than waffling on about it.........

Rob

 

[Flaxfield]

Morning all,

Well, things are ticking over and there is a definate upsurge in modelling interest hereabouts. One of the reasons for this can be attributed to fellow Western Thunderer, Will whose PECO RAIL200 project has inspired me to also acquire the necessary baseboard from PECO. His thread is below

Thread 'Fordwich Arms' Fordwich Arms


So, back of envelope sketching can begin.

Rob

 

[AdeMoore]

Morning all,

Well, things are ticking over and there is a definate upsurge in modelling interest hereabouts. One of the reasons for this can be attributed to fellow Western Thunderer, Will whose PECO RAIL200 project has inspired me to also acquire the necessary baseboard from PECO. His thread is below

Thread 'Fordwich Arms' Fordwich Arms


So, back of envelope sketching can begin.

Rob

Peco Rail200 tempting! But my track record of finishing anything is a hurdle! Already watching over on Wills Fordwich Arms..

 

[Osgood]

Layout Touts no doubt - look out for inflated prices on resale sites

 

[AdeMoore]

According to the Peco website all the RAIL200 baseboards have been sold CLICK HERE

Tim

Ah a lucky escape! the £30 price tag was very cheap! Best a quick Goofle comes up with is £33 on eBay for a 600 x 300 so even that is 150mm short in actual fact.

 

[Flaxfield]

Yes, I'm looking forward to mine arriving. As I said earlier, I've got an open mind on entering but I just fancy having a play.

Rob

 

[James Spooner]

Morning all,

Well, things are ticking over and there is a definate upsurge in modelling interest hereabouts. One of the reasons for this can be attributed to fellow Western Thunderer, Will whose PECO RAIL200 project has inspired me to also acquire the necessary baseboard from PECO. His thread is below

Thread 'Fordwich Arms' Fordwich Arms


So, back of envelope sketching can begin.

Rob

Yes, I was tempted and comments from friends in the local EM area group prodded a bit further. Having measured the area I want for the next step in the Elmham Market saga though, it isn’t the right size or shape so I will duck out now…

Nigel

 

[Allen M]

According to the Peco website all the RAIL200 baseboards have been sold

I had been tempted to get one and rebuild my 'demonstration layout' but now problem solved
Regards
Allen

 

[asterix2012]

According to the Peco website all the RAIL200 baseboards have been sold CLICK HERE

Tim

They are back 200 available now

 

[Captain Kernow]

They are back 200 available now

But presumably they'll only send you one if you enter this competition?

 

[Flaxfield]

But presumably they'll only send you one if you enter this competition?

Hi Tim,

Purchasing the board is the ntry but there's no obligation to actually enter if that makes sense.

Essentially, buy board, plonk something on it, photograph and submit photos by 30th Sept. '25.

Rob

 

[Flaxfield]

Afternoon all,

There is much plotting and planning ongoing hereabouts. One thing that has been on the radar is the Peco Rail200 competition. While I await the arrival of the board, 3D planning has been ongoing this morning.
I'm going for a variation on the plan mooted for the Welsh Colliery micro, Yr Ddôl. The extra 15cm or so of length and extra 4cm of width allows a bit more flexibility in the idea. ( I nearly said design but there's little of that here )

Details will follow but suffice to say, I'm really happy that I'm pretty much there. The delay is simply to actually get one's paws on the board as I want to add a detachable fiddly stick thing ( which cannot form part of the entry ) as I want this to be a working layout.

Rob

 

[Phil O]

Hi Rob,

I look forward to seeing your cunning plan!

 

[Flaxfield]

Evening, all.

The Peco comp board arrived earlier today. So, having just clipped it together ( glueing and clamping pencilled in for tomorrow ) I've been playing planning in 3D and here's the basic idea.




Efail Yr Abaty.

A small engine shed, belonging to a small industrial railway somewhat implausibly constructed within the ruins of a former Cistercian abbey and built from the stonework left behind following the attentions of 'the Kings visitors'.









I did say it was somewhat implausible......

Rob

 

[Osgood]

Well - not a million miles removed from this scene courtesy Peter Brabham:

https://flic.kr/p/SCh5Um

 

[Flaxfield]

Well - not a million miles removed from this scene courtesy Peter Brabham:

https://flic.kr/p/SCh5Um

Yep, I have that image salted away. In fact I know Peter as he is one of our regulars in the shop.

I do wonder about the purpose of that wagon behind Norma.

Rob

 

[Osgood]

Well do please thank him from me - he's made some wonderful industrial and other railway scenes available to us (e.g the John Wiltshire collection), I like the way he is able to edit what can sometimes be very average quality (e.g. grainy) photos and turn them into quite stunning, stylish images.