O gauge

Baseboard update 09/25

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

I am trying to sort out my last few layouts. At the age of 76, it can’t go on for ever. Being realistic is the main problem as you grow old. But to keep stretching myself is vital for me to stimulate the old grey matter.

I have two unfinished layouts, both started over five years ago, but paused to do smaller layouts as we changed cars so that no space was available to take these larger layouts to Exhibitions. The list is:-

1/ O Gauge Station Terminus Layout – 17 x 2′ – Track laid, Electrified, Buildings made – last worked on 2018!

2/ O Gauge Stabling Point for Diesels 12 x 2′ – Track laid, Electrified, 50% ballasted – a little work this year, but no real progress.

I have now made two further baseboards – one 6′ x 18″ and one 8′ x 18″ – still researching scale and era, but probably O Gauge and DCC Sound. Photos below.

I also still have seven other layouts that need keeping in good order and sorting after the rigours of exhibiting, although some will be sold. I have already decided to finish exhibiting when I am 80 !!!!!!! But hopefully family and friends will be able to take my layouts out for many years to come.

Dark Lane – Exhibition 21/9

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

While doing the make ready for the lighting, I started to prepare the layout for the Bressingham Museum Exhibition this Sunday. The layout was given a good clean and check that all was ready for the day.

I did not pose any locos and thought it would be a novelty just to take a few photos of the empty layout showing the cameo scenes.

We will be running our DCC Sound London Transport circa 1965 option. I must admit I am considering using this layout for other steam era’s – watch this space.

This layout will also appear at the Chelmsford Exhibition and the Whitwell and Reepham Exhibition in October.

I will take some more photos on the day and post then on Monday – come and say hello if attending.

Added lighting to ‘Dark Lane’

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

On a recent to a trip to a local Exhibition, a friend was using a LED lamp for lighting his layout, it really was working very well. I decided to buy a similar item, so a search on Amazon with all the options I wanted was done when I got home.

I ordered a Hensam multi function Desk Lamp – it duly arrived within 24 hours. The only modification to the layout was to glue and screw a block of wood to the rear of the layout, this takes the clamp that would normally attach to a Desk. It has four brightness options and four daylight settings. The swan neck is easy to position and the head section moves well.

I have drawn the short straw at recent exhibitions and have had several ‘dark corners’ to contend with, this I hope will be a game changer. I am at an Exhibition this Sunday and will give it a good test, if OK I will use this feature on other layouts.

Cambridge Exhibition 2025

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized , ,

My sons layout that I made over 10 years ago and my Locos. Photos by my wife, much better than mine.

Many thanks to the Cambridge Club for their hospitality – great day.

The two 09 shunters – side by side

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

After putting photos of both my Class 09 shunters on here recently, I had several people ask if I could post a photo of them together, so they could assess the differences. Please find said photos below.

I have to say I have done a little more work on both Locos since publishing the earlier photos, In my mind a Loco is never finished! I think this degree of ‘Fade’ was quite normal, especially BR Blue shunters that could go many years without a re-paint.

You could go even further and paint one of the engine room doors in a different shade as typical of a quick replacement from a scrap or unused loco – just a thought.

Another Class 09 in O Gauge

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

After my recent Class 09 in very distressed condition, I decided to finish this one with a light weathering. This is just a re-numbering and weathering after adding all the high level pipes.

I would classify this finish as ‘six months from its last repaint/overhaul’

Two O Gauge Wagons (LMS/SR)

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

Here we have two brass kit built pre BR wagons. Both purchased by Graham at very reasonable prices, made and painted to a very good standard, all I did was to weather them.

MSLR Exhibition 24th/25th Aug

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized , ,

I spent the above days at ‘The Middy’, the Sunday and Monday of the Bank Holiday. We were last minute attendees as there were layouts that could not attend and/or pulled out. Anyway, four of our groups layouts plugged the gaps to ensure the rooms were filled.

I decided that I would run different stock each day on our layout Grub Lane – see under.

Sunday 24th – Industrial Steam

Monday 25th – BR Southern Region 1960

STD Class 4 tank finished

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

I have now finished my O Gauge STD tank. I have coaled the Bunker, added a crew, painted the back-head, painted the fittings and pipes as the prototype with brass and copper metallic paint, glazed the windows and given it a very light weathering.

That was quite a job, but was so satisfying. I found a photo of the prototype about a month out of works and tried to weather it as the photo.

BR STD 4 Tank in O Gauge

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized ,

This is a item I purchased nearly two years ago, it was plain black with red buffer beams and made by Bachmann Brass. I have to say that lining locos has very much taken a back seat recently, at 76 years old, I am not as good as I used to be, hence I kept putting it back for fear of messing it up.

Well, I picked up enough courage to have a go today, it went reasonably well, but one side is slightly better than the other, it took me seven hours to do what I used to do in half the time. I used Johnsons Clear floor polish (the old type), to get good transfer adhesion, the transfers were mainly Fox, with the logos being HMRS.

I can not say that I enjoyed doing it, but I did it, and that is the last loco I need to do for myself. I still have a lot to do to the loco, I will post again when it is completely finished.

I picked a Loco that was used on three different Regions of BR so that I can run it in all as necessary.