Mid Suffolk Light Railway

I have been working with a small team to organise an O Gauge Exhibition at the MSLR (Middy) on 9th June 2024.

We have Ten plus layouts, five Demos, five Displays, two Societies and five various Traders. Steam hauled trains running and the Mendlesham Airfield Museum will also be operating.

Also on site are the Middy Shop, Real Ale Bar and hot and cold refreshments. there is ample free parking and disabled parking.

We are part of a group promoting all forms and derivatives of O Gauge modelling – we welcome all questions about the gauge and can give advice – we want to help.

Pegasus Cement Works – Progress

I had a meeting with Graham, the owner/maker of this project today. He has asked me to do the hard standing on the layout based on a concrete loading/unloading area.

As usual in O Gauge I am doing this 3mm Cork – after an overall application I add strips to simulate the blocks as laid by the reinforcing method. The gaps give you a chance to add a few weeds etc. later. Next step is to lay cork between the tracks and fill as necessary.

After completing the above it will be coated with Railmatch concrete paint and then weathered and detailed. It will then be handed back to Graham for completion before a final weathering overall. We are already booked for two Exhibitions later in the year.

Stanier 8F in O Gauge.

Another recent purchase of one of my priority Locos that I wanted to obtain. This is another Loco at the right price – but in need of some restoration.

Thanks to the Post Office there are now a few more repairs needed, in spite of a very well packaged item from the seller.

Thankfully it is a great runner still, with a multi stage gearbox and a very good motor, even the paintwork is reasonably good, although the weathering is not of a great standard.

This Loco will be a medium term project along with the recently purchased V3.

Two HUO hoppers in O Gauge

These O Gauge hoppers are Accurascale HUO 24.5T variety. My friend Peter purchased six of these wagon for an existing Club Layout.

I never seem to have enough wagons when I do weathering Demos and Peter usually gives me a few wagons to help me out – I did two at the Dereham Exhibition earlier in the year and did another two yesterday at another Demo. Just two more to go!

Gresley V3 2-6-2T in O Gauge

I have recently purchased this loco for what I consider a good price. The loco runs perfectly and has a multi stage gearbox. I can only describe the paint work as a little tired, but it is a very well made loco. I am likely to touch up the paintwork, re-line and possibly re-number.

As numbered at present it is a North Eastern engine, but they were also allocated to the Scottish Region, I am also doing some research on the engines that came down to East Anglia in 1950-51, these were drafted in before the L1’s arrived in numbers.

It would be really great if I could find one that served in Anglia, Northeast and Scotland between 1950 and 1956.

O Gauge Class 20 – weathered

Although I have said that I weathered this Loco, it was in fact a lot more than that. When I received this loco it was in a bit of a state! It was a very poor repaint, with ‘orange peel’ finish and poorly applied weathering powders. I do not think the shade of BR blue is quite right and looks to have been some sort of ‘faded blue’. The original colour was R/F Grey and some of this was still showing through! It was also numbered into the centre head code batch of Locos although it was a disc variety! There was a half hearted attempt to put on a orange cantrail stripe and some parts of the original black window surrounds were still present. Overall a real mess! I wish I had taken some before and after photos – but did not! Anyway below is what I have turned it into after nearly five hours work. It is now backdated to 1968-70 with the slightly faded paint and scuff marks being left.