Just in case you haven't read this logbook before I'll give a couple of sentences about what it is.  The logbook section is where I write all that is or isn't happening on the Daruma Line.  Some months have more than others.  This reflects how much time I had to do things in the garden or in the workshop (well, on the kitchen table or in the shed).  July and August will undoubtedly be longer as I get much more time when the summer hols start. 

You can click on the month or just scroll down.

2005     December

2006     January   February   March   April   May   June   July   August     September     October      

             November      December 

2007     January   February     March     April     May     June     July     August     September     October

             November

2008     January    

7th

The platelayesrs Hut is finished and out on the line.  See what you think.

The wokmen have acquired a wheelbarrow to aid their work. 

There is a new page all about signals.  This is still in its infancy, but I will be adding to this quite a bit.

More modifications have been carried out to 'Vincent'.  A new photo documents these on the Locomotives Page.

Also on the Locomotives page is the first photo of an experimental speeder.  Unusual motive power to say the least!

Here is a photo of the new points and siding.  Eventually there will be a turntable, engine shed, station and carriage sheds, but all that will take time as I will have to build it all.

The locos and rolling stock conveniently hide the bits where the track just ends in nothingness.  Buffers and buildings will be added as time permits.

Stoneleigh

Yes, I know it was 29th of March.  The 16mm show was fantastic this year, a much larger hall with proper restaurant too.  We stayed until the end of the prize draw this time (no wins again) and had a picnic lunch inside the hall.  My daughter loved the Timpdon layout and kept wanting to go back and see it again.

I was able to chat with a few friends and also met the new 16mm Today magazine editor (what a nice man).  Following Tag's advice I bought a replacement gas inlet valve (from Chuffed2bits) for my Vincent and after getting home fitted it with great results.  I can now hear the gas going in to the gas tank amd see when it is full.

I also got 2 sets of points for the soon-to-be sidings, station gas lamps and other signs from Lineside Delights, some more Peter Barnfield cards, a few back issules of 16mm Today, some books and a few other bits.  Broke but happy!

Dan Keen's Garden Railway

My first ever visit to a garden railway as a great success.  Dan Keen, my secondary school metalwork teacher, made my wife, daughter and I feel very welcome.  He has a lovely garden with a fantastic railway.  His honeysuckle tunnel is truely gorgeous! 

He had two of his fine live steam locos all ready to run and gave me the chance to operate them both.  Even my wife had a go, wearing her 'don't talk to me I'm concentrating' face.  My daughter took some lovely photos which will appear on the website soon (just as soon as I ask Dan for permission).

Roundhouse Katie and Russel were steamed and ran faultlessly.  In fact, I was so impressed with them I have decided to save up for a Roundhouse Billy.  We also saw his Brandbright Cricket lined in orange on green bodywork.  The weather was mild and no rain, a blessing England having had snow in March and April now.

This is Katie coming out the back of the fantastic Honeysuckle tunnel.

This is a Brandbright 'Cricket' lined in lovely orange.  Don't you just love those droopy front windows!

14th

I have added a report of the latest steam up of Vincent in the Locomotives page.  Current projects include a lineside hut being made from basswood (I think that is the term), a Brunel Disc & Bar signal kit aquired at Stoneleigh from a great 16mm member 'Lester' and plans for the long awaited Takasaki Station.  Today I painted some parts of the signal.  Should be done a a few days.  Also more modifications on Vincent progress.  Cladding the steam pipe under the cylinder/flywheel with string is nearly finished.  The buffers have had a couple of coats of red paint now.  Next will be the addition of a front lamp, colonial style roof and coal bunker.  I shall have to wait until my birthday before I add dummy oilers and bucket.  More later..

Here is an image of the Brunel Disc & Bar type signal.  Now wait a bit and compare it with the new addition to the railway.

21st

There is a piece on luggage on the 'Bits & pieces' page with a photo.  This is about making luggage from balsa wood.

There are some more photos about 'Vincent' so go and see!

A few photos of how the red carriage was built are now on the rolling stock page.

Along the line has been totally replaced with a pictorial journey 'along the line'.  You can now see most of the railway in sequence as a train might follow the line around the railway.  Let me know what you think.

25th

Two more photos added to Along the Line page.  Now you can see two views of the back straight.

28th

Soon to come to these pages are photos of a lineside hut constructed from wood as many real huts would have been.  I have added lighting to this building too.

The Disc signal is almost done so a photo will appear this week (no really, I promise!)

Work is continuing on 'Takasaki Station'.  So far I have made the 4 walls, cut out windows and am in the process of adding window strutts.  This station will take some time to do, but should get finished some time in May.  This Thursday is my birthday so I am expecting some goodies from my lovely wife & daughter and my brother (Brambleton fame).

I have added a front lamp to Vincent.  Next step is to finish the lagging of a steam pipe and get on with making a roof for the cab.

17th

Work is keeping me very busy.  I have managed to build a new carriage.  A full report will follow with a link to take you straight there from here.  I have also been making luggage.  I discovered balsa wood and the fact that it accepts a very cheap water based wood stain I have and is also very easy to sand into useful trunk shapes.  Teak and walnut are my favourite stains.  These items of luggage will appear in due course with a link to get to them too.

20th

A photo of the latest carriage is in the 'Rolling Stock' page.  Production uggage for the rook rack has continued so much that it has become a hobby all to itself.

1st

Vincent has arrived!  Press here to see what he looks like.  The thatched cottage is also finished and in place on the line. Go here to see all stages of construction and the finished building complete with old biddy.

24th

What a month!  Fighting illness and exam season in full swing has left me either with little time to myself or too tired to be bothered to do anything.  I have managed to nearly finish re-painting one side frame of 'Vincent'.  I sanded the frame down to the bare metal, sprayed on some metal primer, then primer and then two coats of matt red paint.  I've just finished lining in black and will spray a flat matt varnish over the top this evening to protect the new paint.  This is all because I used the wrong kind of lubricating oil.  The frame came odd 'Vincent' very easily and I'm looking forward to putting it back on and starting the other frame.  I decided to do one frame at a time so I would have one as a reference to follow when refitting.  Hate the thought of having one left-over screw.

I'm still debating whether to beging construction of a new and larger station building or make a couple of coaches.  At the moment the coach project looks like going ahead as it shold be a simpler job.  I want a station that has a 100-year-old look that will represent a small station during the Meiji era in Japan.  I would want it to have lighting and a full station master's office interior.

I'll post a photo of the repainted frames when they are finished.

11th

No time!  For the past few weekends I've been wishing for some time in the shed, but I have only had fleeting moments to get back on projects.  The Minka has had a Rowlands Mix base laid around the walls and subsequently had watery wood glue soaked in.  This has resulted in an earthy woody ground which is solid and will not allow mud to splash the walls when the heavy rains come.  Next I will add a few more details and then it will be ready to be positioned on the railway.  Some time in December, touch wood.

16th

The Minka is almost ready to position outside, though I've not got round to doing it yet as pre-Christmas stuff is taking away my free time.  I'm building an outside toilet Japanese style, which will have a thatched rood to complement the minka. 

11th

It continues to rain, so no trains running.  The thatched cottage is nearing completion now.  I realized that it is a little too high and the roof should be more prototypically larger in proportion to the walls.  To rectify this I am constructing a second roof that will be a porch roof, though it will be the whole length of the front wall.  This will have the effect of lowering the height of the wall.  In reality it just means that less of the wall height is seen.  I predict another couple of weeks to completion.  I'm already thinking of details such as a traditional sitting porch, firewood store, washing poles, rustic rubbish and a little old biddy to sit outside doing farm work in the sun on the porch.  Photos to come when the weather turns...

20th

Progress on the thatched cottage continues.  You will find three new photos HERE.  I am now in the process of basing it.

30th

Horror of horrors!  Things took a distinct turn for the worse as I attempted to waterproof the Minka.  I thoroughly coated the roof with clear waterproof exterior paint/varnish, then inverted the cottage and further applied the paint so that it would seep into the thatch.  A few hours later when I turned the cottage the right way up I happened to touch the thatch and found to my horror that the contact glue used to secure the thatch to the roof had softened.  I assumed the worse, that it would slowly drip into a messy smear of glob.  Hoping for the best I set it in the sun, yes we get plenty of winter sun in Japan, and waited a few days.  Very luckily it set even harder with a lovely deepness to the colour of the thatch.

With this emergency over I have turned my attention to the details.  A low porch has been made and just needs weathering with my usual vinegar / steel wool mixture.  Another mini thatched lean-to roof is nearly finished for a fire-wood storage on one side of the cottage.  Next will be the surrounding Rowlands/earthy ground to go around the cottage to create a 1cm base.  This will stop heavy rain from coating the walls with mud splashes.

24th

I've added a couple of bits, a Wayside Halt, and a few pictures elsewhere.  Go to the Structures (part 2) page to see progress on a thatched cottage.  See the new position of the workman's abode.

26th

As you might expect, things are pretty busy at the moment at work.  This season brings with it lots of extra events at school.  The one at the moment is the school speech contest.  This involves trying to put into readable English the students' speeches and then getting them to read them with some sort of emotion.  This leaves me 'knackered' so when I get home I often have no energy to apply to the railway.

Having said that, I have beek ploding along with a body for my O-gauge clockwork 0-4-0 chassis.  This has evolved into a speeder contraption to speed the delivery of the post.  I first used brass as the base which slowed it down so much that instead of one circuit of my railway, it could only manage half a lap.  This meant that I had to make the body as light as possible to preserve its running duration.

So far, and a picture is on the way, the body and half roof is complete with a cowl for the engine (clockwork spring) and a metal mesh net at the front to catch mail bags as they are tossed aboard.

The other day I did buy a couple of brooms.  These will form the thatch for the roof of a small traditional cottage.  Following John Constable's construction techniques (from his book 'Landscapes in Miniature') I hope to build a real thatched cottage Japanese style.  The walls will be concrete with wood beams and wood details.

I've also added a piece on Summer in the Window on Japan page.  It is a bit od a moan so I'll try to ballance it with some of the things I enjoy about summer later on.

17th

Track has been laid and planting up is in full swing.  See the progress HERE.  Owing to the extreme heat (36 degrees for more than 6 days now, top 40.6) I can only do half an hour to an hour without having to come inside, shower and re-hydrate.  Roll on Autumn!

18th

Go to the New railway update page to see the progress of late.  Also go to the More Rolling Stock Page to see a preview photo of 'Nashi' the new 0-4-0 battery steam outline loco, scratch built from nothing.

31st July

It has been a horribly busy month both at work and at home.  Nevertheless, work on the new railway is going well.  This being the last day of the month and the first entry I'd better get straight to the news.  Last week I finished brick laying and now have a lovely 4 brick high wall enclosing what will become the railway.  Today two 2-ton trucks arrived with the earth to go in the middle, so to speak.  My nephews and father-in-law came over to help barrow it in to the raised bed.  All done now, including my very sore back.  Now I'll wait a few days for the soil to dry out and then begin leveling so it is perfectly flat.

The trees, shrubs and ground cover plants will go in over the weekend after I put down the track with ballast and Rowlands Mix.  There will be some hills but no tunnels or bridges yet.

Well on the way to completion is a whimsical 0-4-0 steam outline loco, lined by me.  The IP Eng. deluxe chassis has been modified to include moving piston and associated coupling bits (Thanks Peter - see Rea Valley).  Pictures will go up in various places on the website with links from the Logbook later this week, no really!

11th

Rain rain go away... this weekend all it did was rain, relegating me to the shed.  I did manage to dig some more of a trench for the concrete footings for the retaining wall.  This, of course, is for the new layout with raised level and four high brick walls.  First I have to clear small trees and groundcover, then make the footings, build the walls, fill in with lots of earth and then lay track and plant up.

In the shed, progress continues on a new loco.  This uses the chassis from 'Sage' (IP Eng. deluxe chassis) with an all new loco body that I'm building from plastic card and the usual bits'n'bobs.  I took my daughter to a model shop on Saturday and she picked out a rather bright green as a main colour for the loco.  The design is very roughly based on the 'Peter Barnfield' locos of the 'Portersfoote Bunting Light Railway'.  That means, small, quaint, diminutive with a definite tongue-in-cheek inclination.

8th

One month since the last Logbook entry and life is getting back to normal.  The patio is finished and I just need to extend a gravel path a few metres and I can get back to the railway.  Rough plans have been drawn up for the new raised layout with a brick retaining wall.  The footings will go in this month along with purchase of the first load of cement blocks (for the back part ) and mixed red bricks (for the front visible part).

In the workshop, a recently aquired MOD low loader from IP Eng. is being constructed.  This was a great pressy from my brother in England.  I was also very lucky to get a 1/18 scale Austin 7 as a load for it. 

The next brewery wagon is nearly done.  This one is a flat wagon with curved planks to hold two beer barrels, also finished with vinegar/steel wool mix and stained varnish.  The combination of a coat each of the vinegar mix and then varnish gives the barrels a deep oak colour.

When I'm inside I'll get to work on the next brewery wagon, a 3-plank coal wagon.  Time in the garden will be for building the outer walls of the new layout - a bent dog-bone about 2 metres wide.

12th

Rolling stock!  Go and see the new stuff HERE.    The beer barrel wangon is almost done, a pic is up on the linked page.  Also an MOD low loader complete with Austin 7 can also be found here

16th

Finding a spare hour in the hectic day and as I'm well up with my next test prep. I decided to move things around on the website.  Actually I have two websites, the other a continuation of this, because FREEWEBS has a limit of 100 photos/illustrations one can upload.  With two sites I have doubled this to 200.  So I'm in the process of moving a few pages over to the second site to make room for the new stuff here.

The rest of the month?  Well, I've a 1:1 scale path to finsh off and then I can begin the footings for the walls whithin which the new railway will be confined.

17th

I've just added loads more links to sites I think truely deserve a good rummage around in.  Take a look yourself!

23rd

A Cambrian Models signal kit has just been finished and is about to have a second coat of extrerior varnish before it is off to the garden for a few pics.  The kit was relaxing to make and hence I have ordered another.  Next to do is a lamp hut for the signal.  I've already got a good roof, very Japanese, and I'll make a solid cement block for the walls.

With the latest brewery truck nearing completion I was lured into the garden to take a couple of snaps.

The small coal truck is the newest one.  Go to the rolling stock pages for more details.

10th

Well, the 16mm association show at Stoneleigh was fantastic.  I thoroughly enjoyed the show and was able to meet some really nice people there.  I bought some barrels for the brewery at 90p each.  They will need some work before I'm happy with them, but at 90p they were just the ticket.  I got a few wheel sets anf axle boxes and some more Peter Barnfield cards for my collection.  I met Tag Gorton, for the first time, who impressed me with his friendliness and genuine good nature. 

Back in Japan now I will get to work on another brewery wagon, this time a flat wagon with two beer barrels on top.  Then it will be on to a 3-plank wagon and then a guards van.  This is just in the evening as I have a patio to finish at the weekends.

March 14th

Happy 'White Day'!  Don't you know about White Day?  Here in Japan on St. Valentine's Day only the women givve presents to the men.  Then, on White Day, the men return the favour with chocolates and cookies.  This isn't that romantic a day as most of the presents are 'giri' which means that they feel a duty to give something rather than actually want to.  Yes, I know, most Japanese couples, especially the married ones, loose all knowledge of romance quite soon.  You will be happy to know that I don't suffer from this apathy.  In my house we celebrate the UK version of Valentines Day and hold to the Japanese traditions too.  More pressys!  Who could complain about that!

Actually, White Day was invented by the big chocolate companies as a way to sell more of their wares.  I think this is perhaps true.  It sounds like something they would do anyway.

On the Daruma Line there has been very little activity.  This is due to my heavy workload at school.  Lots of exams to make, give and mark.  I'm getting ready for a trip to England soon as well.

There is some news though.  The next Garden Rail magazine will have my article on the Platelayers Tool Wagon kitbash.  This is GR152 the April issue, out on the 15th of March (tomorrow).

Also, in the pipeline, is an article on the whole railway.  That nice editor of Garden Rail has accepted my article and it will be printed this summer.  I'm really looking forard to that.  The only thin is that my daughter wants to have her picture in the magazine too.  She's too young to understand about protecting our privacy and the darker side of the world in which we live.  Never mind.

I have finished the Japanese castle / signal box building.  It is 95% concrete and is a fair first attempt at building with cement.  A pic will be put up very soon, no no really!

60% of the track has been taken up now in preparation for the patio.  Progress continues...

March 15th

Here is the castle signal box, in case you missed it on the homepage.

March 24th

Here is the link to the other TLR site 'Rolling Stock' page.  Go and see the new Beer Van!  There are three pics to view there.

February 14th

Well, it has been a long time since I wrote anything.  This has been a tiring month in more ways than one.  My father passed away at the end of January which gave rise to an unexpected trip back to England.  Things have been difficult so there hasn't been all that much time for updates.  This year Valentines Day is a little over shadowed, though it's good to find something to celebrate.

I got out in the garden and pegged out the proposed patio.  This is going to take most of my free time for the next couple of months.  The only chance I'll have to work on it will be the weekends I'm not working.  Nevertheless, the signalbox is progressing  and is about ready for the roof.  I'm going to attempt to form one from poured cement with a plastic mould.  I've made a wooden beam structure that fits on/into the roof cavity.  Once the cement is poured into the mould I'll lay the wooden structure on top, hopefully it will adhere without the need for glue.  I've put small tacks into the wood beams just so that the heads stick up, which should sink into the wet cement and secure it to the beams (well, that's how it looks inside my head).  Time allowing I'll snap a pic so you get the picture (sorry).

Good news, Tag Gorton, the editor of Garden Rail, has told me that my Platelayers Tool Wagon kit-bash will appear in the (GR152) April edition of GardenRail.  Still working on the article of the whole Takasaki Light Railway.  That should go off to the magazine this month.

I got my advance tickets for the National 16mm Garden Railway Association Show in Stoneleigh.  If you are going to be there and happen to see me (most probably with my Japanese wife and little daughter) please say hello.  Let's hope the weather allows us to have a picnic!

15th

Last year I entered a few pitures in the GardenRailwaysMagazine (the US one) photo contest.  I didn't win as in retrospect my pics were not quite up to their high standard.  This year will be a different story though.  Anyway, I got an Email from the editor asking to use one of the pics for the back page photo.  So, probable about half-a-year later you might spy a pic from the Daruma Line in the US mag.  Something to look forward to.  It has also inspired me to get together an article for the US mag. about the Takasaki Light Railway.

January 5th

Happy New Year!  This has been a busy holiday so far, lots of things done and still doing.  The signalbox (Japanese castle tower-eske) is coming along well.  The stone base is done and I'm now working on the second floor (so to speak).

I've been building a wagon to house the 'Locolines' sound module, which is taking shape as a part coal tender and part tool chest thingy.  There is no prototype as far as I know (so not far then) so it should fit in well.  Photos as and when...

Two signs are now done, one for the brewery complete with traditional tile roof the other is for the 'onsen' spa.  Photos will follow this weekend 6th/7th.

January/February will see the construction of a 1:1 patio, moving the railway into a bent dog bone layout.  This, in the fullness of time, will be raised a foot (30cm to all living in the 21st century) with a retaining wall, paths and totally redesigned planting.  More track will be needed for the extra curves involved.

Expect a great deal of updates this month and through to the summer.  Well, I do rattle on a bit.

January 10th

Afraid the weather was less than kind for taking photos this last weekend so I'll have to wait until Sunday 14th.  The Sound coal tender/tool wagon is awaiting running gear.  Most of the upper part is done save a small hinge for the tool cover/lid.  This should get done before the weekend and have a test run on Sunday.

January 15th

Well, this has been a weekend to try and forget.  I hurt my neck on Friday and have had an uncomfortable time which still continues.  No progress on the railway so I'm looking forward to getting better.  More when I do.

January 22nd

A couple of new pics aded today.  Go to the rolling stock page for one of them.  The new pic for the homepage has a new sign for the 'onsen' or hot spa.  Now I'm going to concentrate on the signalbox, which should be nearing completion sometime in February.

Jaunary 28th

A map of the railway route has been added to the Along the line page.

January 30th

There isn't going to be much happening on the webite in February as I have to return to England for a funeral and then attempt the construction of a patio after I get back.  I'm planning to go to the 16mm National Show at the end of March (in England). 

December 9th

Tests at school have left next to no time for updates or for getting on with projects.  Just a couple of weeks to go before the winter holidays and then there will be lots of time.

What is Father Christmas bringing you?  I asked for a few things but I can't tell you just yet.

The very next project for December is the building of a signalbox.  This will be made mostly of cement and stone.  The idea is to make a Japanese castle tower and convert it to a signalbox.  That way I can use cement, which will stand up to the extremes of weather, and I will have a more Japanese feel lineside.  I'm working on a drawing which I will scan and post so you can see the idea.

December 12th

I've staeted experimenting with cement.  I have a couple of sheets of Spanish Tile plastic roofing 1/24th scale but looks good as 1/16th scale Japanese roofing tiles.  I used children's modelling clay, pushing it in to the reverse of the sheet, using cooking oil as a release film, and then baking the resultant clay tiles.  They look good, though I have reservations as to how long they will last outside.  So...I am trying to do the same with cement, pouring it into the reverse of the plastic sheet.  But I have no idea whether it needs to have the same treatment as footings, I mean keeping it wet so it can harden off without cracking.

I'll let you know how it goes.  The cement is quite thin as a sheet so I think I'll have trouble with cracking.  Now I'm thinking about reinforcing it with a wooden lattice just as a tile roof has an underlying wooden rafter structure.  I expect I'll get it right eventually.

It's flipping cold at the moment here in sunny Japan so I'm not all that keen to freeze my fingers off in the garden.  Rather, I will invest some time in making some things that I can enjoy when the spring comes.  Christmas will bring a few things I've been looking forward to and with them more ideas of what the Daruma Line really needs next, so no hurry to get into the next loco or piece of rolling stock.

December 22nd

Recently I've been experimenting with cement as a matercial for walls.  I screwed some 1cm square stripwood to a thick-ish sheet of plywood and mixed up some pouring cement/concrete (without any gravel bits).  I poured the cement up to the top of the stripwood forms so the wall would be 1cm thick.  I left it for a few days and then unscrewed the stripwood sides and turned the wall out.  It appears to be firm and without cracks.  In fact, the finish is rather good, so good that I've done another and have one to do this evening.  In another few days I'll have four walls from which to make the base for the signalbox.  As I said before, it will look like a 16th century Japanese castle tower.

I'm still collecting flat rocks to use for the outside of the signalbox base.  These I'll attach with mortar.  After the success with the cement form I want to try a form that I can add a block for a widow and door.  This just means putting a wood block the size of the window on to the plywood base and pouring the cement mix around it.  I use cooking oil as a release agent, I brush it all over the plywood base and stripwood sides.  The cement walls just slide out after they set.  The roof will be a bit trickier as I want to have a gradually sloping Japanese tile roof.  I will try pouring cement into the plastic tile sheet I have and when it is solidifying bend it to the curve I want and then let it harden.  Even as I type this it sounds like it won't be at all easy.  More with pictures when I get some more success.

November 4th

Visit the 'Window on Japan' page to find a new section on Sliding Doors.  Something you might not consider being part of Japanese culture but is actually very old indeed.

The new carriage (the one made from a tin can) is coming along well.  Should be finished very soon.

November 6th

There wasn't much chance to get in the garden this weekend, though I did have a couple of hours in the shed working on the tin can carriage.  Most of the underside is made now, with wheels from Cambrian Models and axle blocks from strip wood.  Next thing to do is the steps at the end and the balcony.  After that I'll do the roof and all the fiddly bits, like door handle, grabs, overhead lamp and lettering. 

When I get back home today I'll post a couple of pictures to show the progress so far.

November 10th

Just added a small piece titled 'Memories of scratch building' in the Scratch building page.

November 14th

Go to the rolling stock page to see how the latest project is coming along.  Yes, the tin can carriage is taking shape!

2nd October

First up, new on the line is a row of rather Japanese fencing.  This is made from bamboo and is tied together with twine.  Go to the Along the Line page for more.

Next, is the new telegraph poles (for the telephone lines).  These will also be features in the Along the Line page, when I get round to it.  These were a joy to construct and cost next to nothing (okay, 25p/50c each).

The Aveling & Porter loco is progressing very slowly.  I can't say I'm enjoying it that much at the moment, though I will continue to add to it as I really want to see it finished.  I think it will be done some time this month.

The cards I ordered from Beter Barnfield came last week.  Brilliant!  Fantastic!  Full of character and charm!  I will most certainly be ordering more.  The Christmas card versions are very clever.  My wife sees me looking at them and keeps saying "Merry Christmas."  My next project will be a 'Whimshire' inspired quaint Japanese signal box (not that I need one, but who cares!).

3rd October

Due to gremlins in the website, the Guestbook has been replaced.  The old entries are listed in the Guestbook Archive and you can now leave new messages on the NEW Guestbook.  You can also leave messages on the GUESTMAP, which is more fun!!

13th October

Well now, this lack of updates doesn't mean I've been idle.  In fact, I'm presently trying to perfect a moulding technique for tiled roofs.  I recently bought a sheet of PS-116 Spanish tile roof patterned sheet from Plastruct of JEMA in Japan.  One day I'll use the actual sheet, but I turned the sheet over and started wondering whether I could make my own tiled roofing sections using the sheet as a mould.  Well, it seems to be working.  I flattened out some modelling clay and pushed it onto the reverse side of the tile sheet.  It stuck so I subsequently oiled the sheet with cooking oil.  Left the clay overnight, gently pealed it away from the sheet and baked it in the oven for 10 minutes.  The first try was quite good.  Encouraged, I made another slightly larger mould, leaving a few millimeters of smooth flat surface on the reverse side to the mould to enable me to have a good solid slab of roof and left it overnight again.  It looks pretty good now.  This means I can make my own roofs from this mould and any other style I want to try.  Incidently, the Spanish tile is a very close approximate to the traditional Japanese roofing tiles.  Give me another week and I'll post a pic to prove it.

Also in the pipeline are a couple of very easy trucks, the bodies of which come from wooden boxes bought from a 100yen shop.

The signalbox, of a few paragraphs earlier, will now take the shape of a small telephone exchange (very small) with the very first Takasaki public phone, attached to one of the exterior walls.  I have the telephone poles now so why not a mini-exchange.  This will be whimsical in nature with the phone line running through one of the walls.

16th October

Moulding of the roofing continues.  The second roof section has been moulded, baked and had the first coat of black paint.  This will get another coat and then have about five runs of dry-brushing to get the lowlights and highlights.

One of the trucks is almost done.  It needs a simple buffer and hook and a few (plastic-card) riverted metal braces on the corners and door.

All but two telephone poles are in position around the track.  Now I need to find some suitable phone wire, from a 100yen shop, of course.  

24th October

Work on the A&P loco continues to progress slowly.  I estimate another couple of weeks. 

Phone wire has been added to the telephone poles.  This was bought at a 100yen shop and is just the right thickness to make it visible to the eye, yet not over-scale.

Not much else has happened as I'm rather busy at work.

28th October

A new truck with picture can be found on the Rolling Stock page.  This is the first of a new line of old and warn trucks and vans, all weathered with my steel wool/vinegar solution.

4th September

Not much to update.  The single dwelling is finished but has yet to be photographed.  Next weekend will have to do.  I'll crank on with the A&P traction engine loco now.

5th September

I've deleted the photo album because it uses thumbnail images.  The more thumbnails I have the less space for the other photos, hence all the photos are scattered throughout the site.

I have made a page for MEIJIMURA, a fantastic place in Japan, featuring one of the oldest working steam locomotives and functioning street trams (2 actually).  There are now three photographs on the MEIJIMURA page.  More to come...

12th September

I put a new pic of the single farmer's dwelling in the Stations & structures page.  This isn't the final position of the new cottage but that will be decided in time.

I must say something about 'Steam Pencil'.  This is the truly brilliant artist Peter Barnfield.  You just have to go and see his site and then get the catalogue.  I'm hooked!  This "Whimshire" art is exactly the inspiration I needed.  I now know how I want my railway to progress.  Whimsy Japanese style - not sure yet? Oh, it will seem so natural, but my fingers run away with themselves.  I'll work on it and keep you updated.

15th September

I've just bought some more bamboo fencing panels , which I will prepare and line some of the inner side of the track (the bit that sides the lawn).  This, I hope, will define the edge of the railway somewhat and provide the track with a clearer boundary.

I have some lovely miniature trees awaiting a break in the rain, to be planted on the approach to 'Gunma Station'.  They give a great representation of medium sized deciduous trees. 

Also, a few more links have been added to the Links page and all have been 'hyperlinked'.

22nd September

I've put links to all my Yahoo groups in the Links page.

All the trees are in the ground now and I've turned my attention to the bamboo fencing.  I have 13 20mm lengths which I am getting ready for the garden.  I must get some more as I have seen the exact same fencing in real life when I drove into the mountains recently.  The fence was outside a really old Japanese style house in the mountains of Gunma.  Now I have a reference for these cheap ffencing panels.  So, off to the garden.

August 7th.

Some things progress, some are on the back-burner and some new ideas have taken over the 'main things to do' positions. 

A new, unusual, loco (is there any other kind) is under way now.  This is a salute to the Aveling & Porter locomotives which were really traction engines that were converted to railway use.  They really do look odd and were used on broad gauge lines and not narrow gauge.  Because they looked so small on broad gauge I think they would have looked just right for a small narrow gauge line.  Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  The larger than usual wheels are plastic pulley wheels with double flanges that I found in a Tamiya construction kit set.  I want to have a flywheel spinning slowly (which I got out of an old VCR).  This is the best website I've found about these odd locos HERE.

Telephone poles!  Not often seen in garden railways but that won't stop me.  I want to have a pole row with just one or two lines of telephone wire.  No idea what to use for the wire yet, though I do have some suitable wooden poles.

August 11th

Coming soon are pictures of the new avenue of trees planted today.  The trees resemble pine or spruce (not too sure) and are about 30cm tall.  They cost me 50yen each, which translates to 25p or 50c!  I got about 12 of them and still have some to plant.  I'll take some pics tomorrow, weather permitting.

August 15th

The Aveling & Porter loco is progressing well.  It is slow but I have confidence that it will be worth the effort.  The colour will be a reddish-purple, simply because I have a can of that colour and I don't have anything in that colour yet.

A new Japanese building is being designed.  It will have a close-to-lineside position and will be a single-dwellers small cottage.

August 19th

The single cottage is progressing nicely.  All four walls are glued together, the wall trim is on and I'm working on shigles for the roof.  Paint will follow completion of construction, then I'll take some pics.

August 22nd

I've tried to improve some pages with the addition of 'paragraph jumps' or whatever one calls them.  Also I've started a piece on the brewery on the 'History of the Line' page.

August 29th

I've edited the LINKS page and added a few new links too.

July 3rd

Something new.  I decided recently to enter the Garden Railway Magazine (US) photo contest.  Well, it couldn't hurt.  I don't hold out any hopes whatsoever other than that it will push me to build new things for the daruma line.  I've decided on three mini-scenes and will try my best to get them ready by the middle to end of the month.  The deadline is August 10th, which means they will need to be photographed and sent a couple of weeks before that.

July 11th

Last night I finished the new railcar.  A driver and two passengers will spend a good long time travelling together.  The old guy standing on the back balcony is garbed in a summer kimono called a 'yukata'.  It awaits a test run and photos, hopefully this weekend, if it stops raining.  Did I say we have lots of rain here?  The rainy season is living up to it's name and not allowing me to cut the grass or do anything else in the garden.  Rain rain go away...all together now!

By the way I now subscribe to the magazine 'Locomotives International', a great little mag all about old and often unusual locos.  This comes four times a year and doesn't cost that much.  I've already got an idea for an unusual tram inspection loco.

July 13th

The rain persists and so I'm engaged in the construction of a bicycle!  This one is 1/24th scale so it is on the smaller side of bicycles though I think it will look just fine.  I have (or will after I write this) written a piece on this mini-project in a new page 'Bits & Pieces'.

July 15th

Today the sun came out and let me snap a few of the newly finished railcar.  Click me to see what it looks like.

July 18th

Well, the sun went off to Europe and left us with nothing but hard rain.  Not a chance of getting in the garden to test run the new railcar.  This forced me to focus on the continued effort to make the railway more permanent.  I decided that we could do with another rustic and dilapidated old shelter which has evolved into a place to evade the torrential rain and energy-sapping sun.  To this end I have begun a quick and more than anything cheap building.  The roof is from a 100yen shop with beams and posts from left-over wood.  The idea is to give the roof a few holes, have just a couple of walls still standing and a tattered tatami mat as a floor. 

This coming weekend is the scheduled time for a major photo session.  With a bit of luck I'll be able to get a couple of pics worthy to send off to the Garden Railway Magazine photo contest.  Well, one can always dream...

July 24th

No chance of any photos as it rained most of the weekend.  It is raining as I type this.  With a little luck I'll get in the garden perhaps Wednesday or Thursday.

July 30th

I've put up some more photos in the Bits & pieces page and in the Stations & Structures page. Go have a look!

This is the month many in Japan see as the beginning of summer.  In the school I teach at, the students are allowed to remove their ties due to the hot weather.  As with all school related occurrences the specific starting date is all important, who cares if it was over 30 degrees in May!  'June bride' is a phrase that refers to the desire to have a wedding in June as it is seen as romantic.  Actually I had my wedding in June and it poured with rain.  This is because June is the official rainy season month.  Nothing much yet, but it will begin soon.  That means many nights and a number of days of continuous hard rain.  often the majority of the rain falls during the night and leaves the days hot and humid.

With the Plate Layers Tool Van finished and the two workmen happy to undertake all manner of repairs along the line, with the obligatory brew-up, my attention turns to other things.  Trackside plantings are enjoying a period of growth, filling out and looking more established now.  The thyme mounds have been cut back a couple of times and now resemble overgrown brambles.  I still have plenty of things to buy in the form of edging and groundcover, evergreen plants and other miniature shrubs.

Project-wise, I have begun a long-delayed Japanese railcar.  This was originally a conversion of a human-powered 6-8 seat carriage fitten with a gasoline/petrol engine, extended roof and back balcony.   You will get a better idea of what I plan to make from the following link HERE.  I am using a 3-SPEED CRANK AXLE GEARBOX (58:1 reduction)which cost me less than 500yen ($5 or 2.50quid).  It has a 130motor and two AA bateries, so it should be able to pull a few small carriages without any problems.

I also want to add to the structures in the garden.  To this end I will build a small workmans shed from the procedure in the latest Garden Railways Magazine.  This uses a 4*4 with planking from plywood and details from stripwood.  I've cut the basic  shape and now have to cut 2.3mm plywood to cover the block.  The roof will be a 'lean-to' roof with a door and perhaps a window.

Haruna Station is still waiting for fencing, ticket booth and platform roofing.  I've painted three more Daruma, as I did the one on the new plate layers tool van, which will serve as added detail as fence post caps.  I wonder how many I will end up making.

June 15th

I put the railcar project on hold as I had to re-invent the drive gear of 'Rose' (soon to be called Rosemary).  The original nylon gear on the main axle had had more than a few teath stripped or severely gnawed down.  This resulted in a worn part which invariably was where the worm gear stoped and consequently couldn't get going again.  Well, I couldn't find a suitable replacement for the few yen I was prepared to fork out and so ended up buying 2 motor-gearbox kits (Tamiya) from the local hobby shop.  They cost 475 yen a piece (total of under 5 pounds) and this week I have fitted them underneath, between the solebars.  They fit perfectly!  The fly cranks were re-superglued back on and amazingly work very smoothly.  Each motor, a 130-type 3volt motor is powered independently by two cells each, but is connected together by the cranks and connecting rods.  A double pole switch is rigged simply to provide forward motion, enough for now.

That done, I want to add grabrails, nameplates, cab steps and a few other add-ons while it is in the works (the kitchen table).  This shouldn't take lond and then I'll be back to work on the railcar, which I'm itching to get back to.

June 23rd

Haruna Station now has fencing, complete with Daruma fence caps.  If it stays fine I'll get some pics over the weekend.

The small shed/workmans hut is almost finished.  All the sides and roof have been glued to the 4by4.  Next is the extra bits - door handle, hinges, sign and some posters from Kabuto Brewery.  I did put a window on one side with the glass painted cream from the inside so it looks like a dirty/opaque pane.  Again, if it is fine I'll take some pics over the weekend.

The railcar now has four sides painted and attatched to the chassis.  Next is the panel lining and a roof, back panel and interior detailing.
 

May 1st:

Today is my birthday!  That means I am 39 years old now, a fact of which my daughter keeps reminding me.  I am also at work so I can't really enjoy it.  Today is 30C outside which makes it worse as I can't get into the garden.  On the positive side it means the start of a new week and plans have already been made for 'HarunaStation' to become a true station.  It has the concrete platform and a proper waiting room.  Next on the list is fencing, a platform canopy and a ticket kiosk.

May 9th

Well, the fencing for the platform is coming along well.  I decided to add a few daruma dolls as fence post caps.  This entails painting small wooden beads (see the signal finials) a bright red and then individually painting the daruma faces.  Should be fun!  As usual I'll put up a pic when it is finished.

A brilliant pressy from my brother back in England in the form of an IP Plate Layers Tool Wagon kit has got me thinking again.  Rather than making it as a bog-standard MOD wagon I have decided to modify it slightly.  Well, not slightly, quite a bit actually.  I thought that there should be space for the actual workmen to park their bums, so I'm going to reduce the overall length of the tool compartment and build in a bench for the guys.  The lids of the wagon look a tad plain, so the addition of some Japanese style roof slats and hinges so it actually opens are in the cards.  The, of course, I'll have to make a couple of suitably reclining workmen for the bench.  The timescale of this mini-project is this month, with the possibility of sending an article to GardenRail.  I wonder what Mr. Gorton will think?

May 13th

Well, 'Tag', who thinks I'm to polite calling him Mr. Gorton, said he would be interested in the kit-bash so I'm 'full-steam-ahead' at the moment.  The main panels have been painted a couple of shades of brown and have had lots of dry brushing to build up the wood grain effect.  Today I'll paint all the strip wood and build a wooden front rail, bench and steps.  With luck I'll be far along enough to snap some pics soon and show you how it goes.

May 23rd

Sorry, no pic yet, but things go well with the new kit bash.  I've made two suitably slouching workmen to relax on the bench.  One looks okay, the other will require a large conical farmer's hat to hide his rather ugly mug!

Yesterday I finally, finally received the Hornby clockwork 0' gauge loco from Ebay.  It has taken close to 3 months as it was sent by sea, a banana boat perhaps.  I tested it today and it runs well.  It will do 3/4 circuit but the key that came with it only stood up to two winds before becoming useless. Where can I get a key?  I suppose I'll end up making one.

May 29th

The kit bash of the IP Engineering Plate Layers Tool Wagon is finished!  A pic will go up today in the evening, when I get back from work.  Click here for the pic.  Now my  attention turns to  the long overdue Human-powered gasoline converted railcar.  This will be a 9 seater.  I have plenty of styrene/plasticard so I shall attempt this one in plastic.  I have the motor/gearbox, a Tamiya 500yen ($5) job with wheels added from a Coopercraft undergear set.  If I can I want this done by the end of June.

The clockwork loco?  Well, I need to slow it down as it hurtles along at break-neck speed.  I'll try brass sheet, but this will be a new venture for me so progress will be slow.

April 2nd:  See a picture of the new signal here.

Also see the progress on the Decauville loco, now almost finished here.  You can also see a very short video clip of a test run on a windy day.

Well, this little big loco is taking on a character all of it's own now.  I worked out how to make brass hand rails and holders so they have been added to the tops of the side tanks and top of the smoke box.  Crude mini-coal bunkers have been put on each tank top.  Also a dummy whistle is now in position mid-spectacle plate.

'Sage' has undergone reduction treatment in the height department.  10mm has been cut off the height of the cab roof in an attempt to bring it closer to 16mm scale.  It now looks much better, especially with a driver.  A photo will be here very soon.

Haruna Station has had a concrete platform laid.  The main waiting room is done but I'm working on a platform roof section, ticket kiosk and fencing.  All will be done this week as it is GOLDEN WEEK here in Japan and I get 3 extra days in the garden.

Garden furniture is a priority so the railway will have to wait a tad until I can put together a couple of chairs out of what wood I have.

Sunday 30th April:  Made a chair!  It cost nothing about 100yen or $1 or 50p just for the screws.  The wood came from a cupboard-size shed that I no longer use (you can see the new shed I made in some of the photos on this site) so true recycling.  When I get round to sanding and painting it I'll put up a photo.

Since the last posting I've been busy at school as it is test season, well, yet another test time.  Having said that, I have been plodding on with the next loco.  If you have had a look around the site you will know that my lovely wife gave me a deluxe chassis kit from IP Engineering for Christmas.  The chassis was built and tested, but it looked rather sad running around my line without any top. 

So, I wanted a small loco to take inspiration from and I found just that in an issue of GardenRail.  There is an article about 7/8ths scale steam locos and a couple of the photos were of Decauville 0-4-0 locos.  These French locos are small and full of character.  The best thing about them is their front end.  The smoke box is concealed behind a front plate which makes modelling it a little easier than other more British prototypes.

Well, I'll put up some pics of the progress so far and you can see for yourself.  The body is taking shape and is all plastic card with wooden struts for support.  The boiler is an empty deodorant can.  The funnel will be a marker pen.

Also...on a rainy afternoon I began trying to fashion a couple of signals.  Inspired by an article in the GardenRailways magazine, I wanted to make a very simple (that's the basic theory behind all my ventures in modelling) signal.  It didn't have to actually function as I have no desire to rush around flicking levers in the garden.  Photos will follow this weekend (11th/12thMarch) so come back next week and have a look.  I will give a description of how they were made after the photos appear. Sorry, no pics yet, it was a busy weekend.  But the Decauville is progressing well.

Just added a piece on Japanese meetings, something that plays a significant part of a teacher's life over here.

Garden Rail magazine April issue will be on sale this week (today 16th) so I hope you can get hold of a copy.  That increases the fire under my bum to get to work on the article about the whole Daruma Line.  Photos will wait until late spring, when the garden is a tad greener.

22nd:  Decauville is getting more and more like a loco.  However, the size is larger than I had expected due to the height of the IP chassis.  Never mind.  I guess this is a case of Japanese modification.  Sorry, no pictures yet but very soon.

Haruna Station has had one of four walls almost completed.  This will be a very traditional building, being loosely based on a number of 'Minka'.  Construction is a little slow but very satisfying.  Completion will hopefully be towards the end of this month.

Update:  Haruna Station is finished so I will take a photo and put it up this coming weekend (26th or 27th Feb),

Yes, it be done!  Have a look!

Also I have installed a Guest Map where you can stick a pin where you live. 

Please have a look, it is just a bit of fun!

Recently re-fitted the original box van has a new pic HERE

On the list of things to do for this month are the following:

Making 'Haruna Station'.  This will be based on a picture of an old building that was used in a drama set in Hokkaido (the northern island of Japan).  This will be all wood (as usual) with a wooden roof, front bench, and a platform (probably made of concrete with a layer of bamboo or planking for the top level).

Construction of the IP Engineering deluxe chassis that my lovely wife gave me for Christmas.  So far I have assembled the gearbox/motor and sprayed the chassis frame matt black.  I plan to use this chassis as the base for two locos, one, a small saddle tank loco, the other, a small side tank loco.

One loco will be based on a Decauville (French) small side tank loco.  This has real character and has the added attraction of being easier to make than a loco with open  smoke box.  Look at this picture and you will see what I mean. http://www.sandstone-estates.com/heritage/rail/locos/hlg027/hlg27.htm.

Another closed van replica of the green IP van I made in December.  This time the colour will be pale light blue.

A coaling stage for either Haruna Station or Misato Station.

Fruit, fruit and more fruit!  Not to mention all the vegetables, but where are they?  Well, this will be remedied with the construction of some wooden boxes.  First will be closed boxes and later open with the wares visible.

Also I must do some boxes for all the Daruma dolls that the locals make.

Just finished - One more addition to the goods fleet, a small four-planked wagon.  Go to the rolling stock page for a pic.

Also, the People page has four new pics of some of the model figures I've made so far.

Christmas has come and I am lucky enough to have a wife who understands my interest in garden railways.  Thus, I joyfully unwrapped her pressy to me, which was an IP Engineering Deluxe Dual Gauge Chassis.  Plans for another steam outline loco are on the drawing board.  Also my brother made me smile as I discovered he had sent an IP Closed Goods Wagon kit (my first true kit) from which I will either build a brewery wagon or a wagon for the transportation of Daruma dolls.  I'm leaning towards the latter at the moment.

The first guard's van is well on the way.  I shall make a trip to the DIY store for some brass rod for the ends tomorrow.  I should have if finished and a pic up on the site by the second week of January.

The water tower is almost done.  This week I will finish the water tubing and some kind of chain release.  It will find a home near 'Misato Station'.  The next structure will be a rudimentary coaling stage. 

The Guard's van is finished!  Go to the rolling stock page for a new picture.

The Water Tower has also been completed.  Go to the Structures Page to see another new picture.

Update: It's finished so go to the rolling stock page for a new pic!