GAUGE O GUILD

Robert Brown described his layout “Llanidris” and talked about the idea of “atmosphere” in a layout and how he has tried to build it in from the conception at the thumbnail sketch stage.

He explored how he tries to work with perspective on a flat backscene, without it clashing with 3D scenery, and how colours and tones can create apparent depth. Robert explains the use of forced perspective in his model buildings and the various ideas and methods which may help people trying to do something similar. He showed how he has gradually compressed the depth of buildings in Llanidris as they approach the backscene, and how he arrived at the distorted shapes that were needed.

Robert explained his methods for creating wall textures, which are mostly done with DAS clay, and his slate roofing methods – particularly looking at how to reconcile rectangular slates with distorted, forced perspective buildings

You can watch a video on YouTube of Llanidris.

Jeff Langham and Peter Reynolds talked about signalling on the real railway and how to apply it to your model railways.

A convincing model railway, of any size and of any era, just cries out for working signals. This is considerably easier in 7mm scale than in the smaller scales to achieve. Members of the SR7mm Group talked about the planning, and implementation, of convincing signalling in 7mm scale, methods of operation – including an ex-Western Region NX panel – for the 11 colour light, and around 80 working semaphore arms and disc signals on their railway.

Before the evening, attendees were asked to watch a YouTube video which may also inform your viewing of the recording of the evening.

Thomas Hoy and Colin French shared their experience of designing and building small layouts.

Colin’s layouts range from 25.5 inches long to 4 feet long; all are pointless. The space that would be taken up by points is used for other features.

Thomas Hoy has a layout 7 feet long designed to entertain him, fit into a space in his bedroom and is easily transportable. Thomas’s layout features a single point, a three way point and a sector plate; a really unusual feature is a DCC operated yard crane.

Their collective experience and ideas show that O gauge in a small space really does work.

Pete Scarborough has been building and running 7mm scale wagons for nearly 40 years. He shared his experiences of kit-built, scratch-built, and ready-to-run wagons from pre-grouping to late BR steam.

There was also be a nod towards industrial and narrow gauge examples.

You can read more about Pete in this pdf document.

The event was live via Zoom on 26th September 2021 at 20:00 BST.

Ellis Clark has spent a life surrounded by railways, growing up in the National Railway Museum and digging through the odd model railway collection his dad, Andrew of Andrew Clark Models, acquired in the trade.

It has almost been a decade since Ellis founded Ellis Clark Trains, with recent years taking him into the realm of ‘Ready-to-Run’ manufacturing.

Join Ellis as he takes you from A to Z on how a project/product makes it to market. He’ll be taking you behind the scenes, explaining in detail every step, including the planning, preparation, obstacles to overcome and where Ellis Clark Trains is heading next, and indeed their long-term plans and ambitions.

Ellis answered questions about the business and current projects.

The event was live via Zoom on 26th August 2021 at 20:00 BST.

Tim Stubbs is relatively new to railway modelling. Having spent a lifetime working in 12 inches to the foot, he took up 7mm modelling just a few years ago. He was blessed with a substantial garage, a garden and some spare time and undertook the building of the Peacehaven branch from a zero start.

He has no regrets that his first decision was to join the Guild. This has brought him into contact with a wealth of advice and in the process, he has made many good friends.

Tim walked through his Peacehaven garden railway, an end-to-end tour describing the layout design, construction, methods used and the way the layout is based on a fictitious but plausible SR branch line. Operation is to a timetable with interlocked signalling and block working, highlights being the 'running days' when, (Covid permitting), modelling and other railway friends gather for a spell of nostalgia, brought to life.

Nick Dunhill was formerly a Research Scientist, a Gardener, a Vegetarian Café owner and now builds model locos for a living. It was a long apprenticeship. Eventually he realised he could make a better living, building locomotives rather than cooking vegetarian food.

Join Nick for a real time, step by step presentation on how to build a smokebox from scratch using only simple tools. Nick will showed the process from drawing out the parts required, to the correct scale, through to assembly, and you will see that scratch building isn't as daunting as it may at first seem.

Jim McGeown of Connoisseur Models described how O gauge enabled to him to journey from the dole queue to being his own man.

Jim was just a callow youth of 16 when he switched his modelling scale to O gauge. He also started serving his apprenticeship to become an electrical craftsman. By 1987 Jim found himself disillusioned by the job and unemployed.

During his 'Evening With' interview, Jim recounts some of the key points that enabled him, with the assistance of the 'Enterprise Allowance Scheme', and his modelling and electrical skills, to create the O gauge etched kit range that has supported him in being his own man for 34 years.

Jamie Guest talked about his layout based on Lancaster Green Ayre. He described how he got into O Gauge, the inspiration behind the layout, the research and planning that went into its construction,  how it was exhibited and the logistics involved in moving it to France.

He also described what is happening now and how things have progressed in its new home.