Wanted: Hornby Church R599

 

Having built one of the Tri-ang "Real Estate" range, I want more. Specifically, I fancy the Hornby church that was still part of the catalogue in the 1980s and beyond. The model was R599, and I think, related to the 1963 model. 

The older kit was available with and without chimes, but these were dropped long before the more modern packaging. 

Needless to say, when I didn't want one of these, they were everywhere. You couldn't pass a second-hand stall without at least one. Now, nothing. I've searched the web to no avail. 

So, does anyone have one of these stashed away that they don't want?

Tri-ang shop in "The Collector"

 

The latest issue of the Hornby Collector's club house magazine drops through the letterbox, and in it is my contribution, a build of the Tri-ang "Real Estate" Hardware store. 

I'd never heard of the range before, until I found this kit on Cheltenham Model Centre's stand at a show. I picked it up out of curiosity, and it's sat on the shelf ever since. Then I started building retro kits for The Collector, and it seemed like an excellent subject. 

If you'd like to know more about this range, I recommend this website. It allowed me to date my kit to 1962, as the range changed name in 1963.

Having built one, I'm now on the lookout for more, so if you have anything tucked away, and don't want huge amounts of cash for it, I'd be interested. More on this tomorrow. 

 

(Cake)boxing clever

 

For work, I produce a lot of dioramas - most of which have to be stored for future show use. In the distant past, this resulted (and occasionally still does) in a shelves full of odd shaped boxes in our storage unit. 

Once the idea of the Cakebox competition came up though, I realised I could standardise on these containers for my builds. Most of the time, an 8 inch scene is big enough for the article to showcase a series of techniques. As I say to people regularily - ballasting produces three photos, whether I do six inches of sixty feet. But the later is a month's worth of work that doesn't generate enough material for an issue. That's why I build little layouts...

Anyway, with a couple of dioramas to box, I searched around Leamington town centre for cake boxes. Nothing. 

OK, online, where it turns out I can buy 10 for a tenner from The Craft Company. There is now a stack of flat-packed boxes in the office, which will gradually find themselves filled, sadly, not with cake. 

With a bit of fiddling and glue, it's easy to reduce the height of a box too, making better use of the storage space. Handy things these.

Statfold Barn 2024

A few photos from last weeks' show. 

Bachmann launched their NG7 (7mm scale on OO track) range with some Quarry Hunslets. First impressions are that they are as good as we'd expected (the models have been rumoured for a couple of years, and much anticipated) and will convert a number of people to the scale. I am angling to do a magazine project with one...

 

 

I don't think I can use this in Garden Rail!

 

 

Filming The Titfield Thunderbolt. 

 

 

I'm not one for 3D printed locos, but this Russell looks really nice to me. 

 

 

I snagged the last piece of cake on Saturday. The barman was amazed to have gone through five during the day. I could have told him better. I should be a cake consultant. 

 

 

Nice 5 inch gauge Ruston 48DS.

 

 

Finally, my favourite layout at the show, a difficult choice as there were many excellent models on show. Look out for this in BRM in a few months time. 

Saturday Film Club: Let's look at a Black Five

The latest in the "Curator with a camera" series, looks at the ubiquitous LMS "Black Five" locomotive.