New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - Not working over the lead up to Christmas

Work on the new narrow gauge layout - the pizza layout has stalled. I am only just recovering from a viral infection and the thought of being down the shed in the cold has meant that I have not done any work on the layout for over three weeks. It will just have to wait until the new Year.

Merry Christmas to all.

Tony

Can you guess the game?

Something new.....

Can you guess what board game this is?

About three months ago and following the visit to Worcester museum to see the Terry Pratchett themed exhibit of artwork by Paul Kidby my grandsons, Finley and Charlie were showing an interest in the books by Terry Pratchett and in particular the board game THUD.

Mal suggested that a set of resin printed pieces could be sources and he would produce them on condition that I finish and paint the pieces as well as making two gaming boards, one for Finley and Charlie and one for him.

Here are the finished and painted gaming pieces (two sets - 2 stone pillars, 16 Trolls and 64 Dwarves) as well as the hand drawn gaming boards.

I added metallic helmets to the Dwarves,wooden clubs and glowing eyes to the Trolls and ground foam decoration to the stone pillars (foam that was produced with Finley from ground up sponge).

Finished gaming board number one.

and finished gaming board number two with additional decoration.

Finally, the two gaming boards complete with playing pieces next to one another. I was trying for a pub brawl set or well used gaming board effect rather than the pristine look of the shop bought, boxed game. Hence the stains! The gaming boards were drawn on to material backed off-white vinyl with alcohol based permanent marker pens.

They were great fun to produce but did take some time. But they were eventually finished and in time for Christmas. Thank you Mal for the resin pieces.

Tony

The Olde Barn - Miniature Wargames issue 513

The latest issue of Miniature Wargames features part one of a two part series in which I show how I first built and later (next month) painted this 28mm scale barn. For more information of the contents, see this link.

Enjoy.

Tony

Martha Blackard - day nine of the Orcs in the Webbe Advent 2025

Day nine of the Orcs in the Webbe advent calendar 2025 features a short story written by me called Martha Blackard. For more information, see this link.

The story is based on a relative of my wife's, who was a very fiery character. It uses a number of tales from Martha's actual background as well as story hooks from my daughter Holly and input from my two grandsons - Finley and Charlie. A true collaboration.

What is the Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar? For more information see this link.

Happy Advent.

Tony

Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar 2025 due tomorrow

Just one more sleep before the Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar 2025. I've already sent my 2025 content to Craig and am looking forward to seeing what he posts this year.

What is the Orcs in the Webbe Advent? Check out this huge free resource that Craig uploads every December. For more information, see this link.

Happy Advent.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - working over a cold weekend

Both grandsons are very keen on me getting on with this project but (very) cold weather this weekend meant that I didn't get that much done. The road crossing area has been built from some balsawood and coloured with washes.

I have also played around with some paper profiles in an attempt to get a workable building. The engines will enter in to the engine shed (right) and exit around the back. Getting the correct positioning has been challenging as I did not want to have the three part building dominate the layout but at the same time I wanted the engines to enter the engine shed, disappear and then re-emerge around the back of the extension.

Here is a better mock-up built from foamboard and balsa with wooden scraps used for internal support.

If the weather is better this week maybe I will get around to adding some detail!

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - ballasting the track

Progress on the new Pizza layout has been slow. Mainly down to the weather and me not being willing to spend time in the un-heated garage. But I have now ballasted the track. Just a quick up date - I am using PECO O-16.5 'crazy track', with one in three sleepers removed and the spacing stretched to fit. I am running 11mm = 1 foot scale engines and modified wagons or 1:27.7 scale models. which equates to a track gauge of 18 inches. A gauge that was used by a number of industrial narrow gauge lines. Because of this unusual scale/gauge combination there is a lot of scratch building on HO-OO mechanisms and wagons.

The ballast is a mix of shop bought ballast intended for HO-OO models, sieved sand and small stones collected from the beach and various odd samples of plaster, cement and soil found in the garden. The ballast has been laid on Mod Podge matt and then sealed with a diluted mix of Mod Podge and alcohol. Unfortunately (with the cold damp weather) it has taken ages to fully set or dry.

The final image shows one of the scratch built engines and a single wagon from the Yellow Pelican narrow gauge layout I built some time ago.

Hopefully I can get some additional work done on the layout soon. Although there is another cold snap due very soon. The December or Christmas dead line might be looking a little tight!

Tony

A spiky fence - Miniature Wargames 512

The latest issue of Miniature Wargames - issue 512 (December 2025) has this how-to article written by me. A Thorny Fence for Frostgrave or Trench Crusade. The three models were scratch built from slivers or splinters of scrap soft wood and glued together with superglue. The painting was simple with just a dark basecoat and drybrushing before the groundwork was painted, varnished and decorated.

This is the 70th (seventieth) consecutive article I have written for MW with the 71st and 72nd tutorials also safely with the editor, John. I told my daughter this earlier this week and her response was - "well you have to now go for 100!"

The magazine is now available from TG Jones (old WH Smiths) and all good model shops.

Tony

Cyrano de Bergerac at RSC

Sue and I went to see the RSC performance of Cyrano de Bergerac staring Adrian Lester in the title role with Holly and Mal. It was the first time Sue and I had been back to the RSC for some time and what a performance to see on our return.....

We laughed, we cheered and we cried, well I did anyway. A five star performance one of the very best I have ever seen and one I would recommend, if there were a tickets left. For more information, see this link.

A 10 out of 10 performance.

Later this year we have booked tickets to see Roald Dahl's BFG and I'm also looking forward to seeing this.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - more groundwork painting and a retaining wall

A number of steps this weekend. Firstly re-painting the groundwork in my dark brown/red basecolour then painting the area under the rails in a very dark brown/black colour and finally adding the retaining wall. You should also be able to see that I have painted odd sleepers in different colours to mimic their age and decay. Finley helped which meant that they were truly random!

The retaining wall was scratch built from some spare blue insulation foam, textured with a scalpel and then a pencil before being 'aged' by sanding and impressing a stone in to the foam. Painting was done over a neutral grey base with odd stones picked out in various colours before being drybrushed.

The wall was then bedded in to the existing groundwork with more home-made paper mache. Later the groundwork was painted.

Progress has been slow, but the Christmas 2025 deadline is still possible.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - modifications to the track bed

With the track glued in place I felt that the shoulder (the area to either side of the sleepers) was too narrow for my 1:27.7 scale engines ( I used the three engines from my Yellow Pelican layout as a test). So I mixed up another batch of home-made paper mache/Scuptamould (shredded toilet roll, Plaster of Paris and a touch of PVA glue with a drop of brown paint) and extended the shoulders outwards.

The paper mache takes some time to fully dry and I'm not sure that I added enough paint, but I am pleased with  the new wider rail bed.

I think the new rail bed looks better than the earlier narrow one and I'll be painting it up very soon.

The Peco O-16.5 track was laid to a radius of 300mm - 600mm from side to side. I will running 1:27.7 scale models which on the 16.5mm gauge track represents an 18inch gauge narrow gauge railway. Or NG11.

Tony

Figure International magazine haul

Earlier this week I picked up these five Figure International magazine for just a charity donation. Many years ago when the magazine was first launched I subscribed - this was when you would receive a free, limited edition miniature with the subscription. Somewhere in my collection I have a number of these painted and based figures.

I've enjoyed re-visiting this publication and found much to interest me, my particular favourite was the article about painting of Captain Alatriste in issue 4th Quarter - 2007. The figure by Elite Miniatures was painted by two painters - Pepe Gallardo and Jose Hernandez two show how painting different styles would produce different effects and finishes. It was by coincidence that I am currently listening to the Audio book The Corsairs of Levant by Perez Reverte and revisiting Captain Alatriste.

The Captain Alatriste books by Perez Reverte and the film staring Viggo Mortensen (2006) follow the adventures of a Spanish soldier after the wars in Flanders and through the street of Madrid. I first read Captain Alatriste some time ago and the stories and character remain one of my favourite book series.

Tony

la maison rurale en Normandie - 1. la haute normandie

Earlier today I picked up this French language book about the architecture of Normandy called la maison rurale en Normandie - 1. la haute normanie. Rural houses in upper Normandy. for just £1.00 in a local charity shop.

The book is full of line illustrations of both houses and structures - just the sort of book I love for inspiration when building terrain. I've searched for it on the internet but have only found a couple of copies each being sold for over 10 Euros.

A real bargain.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - laying the track

I have now laid the narrow gauge track. It is modified PECO O-16.5 Crazy Track (SL500) with one in ever three sleepers removed and the spacing extended. I have both glued (PVA glue) and nailed (PECO track pins) to the track as the tight curves needed reinforcing to stop them springing apart.

I have used two and a half lengths of SL500 track with metal connectors soldered in place.

I have used this scrap piece of softwood to ensure that the circle of track is uniform. The underside of the track end of this guide has a piece of 3mm thick plastic card glued in place which fits perfectly between the two 16.5mm or HO-OO spaced rails.

Obviously once laid I ran a couple of HO-OO wagons along the track to make sure that there were no pinch points. Any modifications were made with a sharp tap of a pin hammer and a hole punch with any irregularities smoothed out with a metal file and some fine sanding pads.

The next step will be to get the power leads fitted and run some trains.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - first paint

Finley and Charlie helped to paint the groundwork ready to add the narrow gauge track. I have used tester pots from B&Q for the colours and tried to have a darker colour where the Peco O-16.5 'Crazy Track' will be laid.

You can also see (very faintly) a white chalk line for the centre line of the 16.5mm track which will act as a guide when I come to glue and pin the track down.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - We now have a name for the layout

I have continued to add home-made paper mache over foam or toilet roll card to the base. In addition we now have a name for the latest narrow gauge project.

RED LION

LUMBER

Co.

I have also been experimenting with the building mock-ups and placement although I have now been told by my grandson's that these are two big and I will need to be cut down.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - starting the groundwork

I have used a mixture of polystyrene foam and card lattice to in-fill the corners and then covered this with home-made paper mache made from shredded toilet paper and plaster of Paris to which I have added a drop of PVA glue

In the final image you can see Finley and Charlie helping with the work. The only problem I have encountered with the home-made paper mache is the variation in drying times. Some mixes can be fully set in 48 hours others take longer. This maybe down to the fact that I have not been methodical with the quantities of plaster of Paris vs. toilet roll paper. The good news is that it does eventually dry to a solid crust.

Tony with help from Finley and Charlie

Adding colour to your miniatures bases - Miniature Wargames 511

The latest issue of Miniature Wargames, issue 511 for December 2015 has yet another article written by me, this time showing how I have used a wide variety of different materials to add miniature flowers or 'colour' to some Burrows & Badgers metal and resin figures. For full details pick up your copy from your local newsagents or friendly gaming store. Or better still take out a subscription.

Tony

New narrow gauge railway layout - NG11 - Pizza layout update

I have used second-hand battens to frame the layout base. These battens were glued in place and then nailed with small wooden blocks in the corners. I later glued the central circle back in place but slightly higher up than the track base. Two sections were cut and glued lower than the track base to give some variety and undulations to the groundwork. 

I didn't like the fact that the track was so close to the edges of the frames and decided to add another layer of MDF to give a wider layout footprint and make more room between the planned track loop and the edge of the layout. This MDF frame was glued and nailed in to position with 10mm spacers to the bottom edge which raises the whole layout so that wiring can be fitted underneath. It also makes the layout larger.

The right front edge was 'hacked' apart to model an even lower front edge drop off. The slot opening to the front is for the built-in controls which will be added later.

I should also admit to one very silly mistake.....

The plan was for the new narrow gauge railway layout to be easily transportable in the back of the car. With these new additions the layout does NOT fit in the boot and to transport the model back and forth to Leamington Spa so that the two grandsons can help build the layout, I now have to fold down both seats in the back of the car. Oops!

Tony

New narrow gauge railway layout - NG11 - The Pizza layout

With the IKEA Lack table firmly glued, it was time to add the Pizza track base. The ring was cut from MDF with my jigsaw and with a track centre of 600mm. I thought 600mm was about the minimum I could get away with without compromising performance of the Hornby 0-4-0 or 'Smokey Joe' chassis on the tight curve.

As you can see the track base just fits on the extended Lack side table.

I used small wooden blocks to raise the track ring as I wanted to have the groundwork extend below track level as well as above it. The wooden blocks and ring were glued and pinned in place which allows me to lift the whole assemble by the MDF track disc.

The plan is for the engines, wagons and buildings to be scratch built to the scale of 11mm = 1 foot or 1:27.7, hence NG11. The same as the OSO Salt diorama and Yellow Pelican layout (see earlier posts for more information).

I would expect more updates soon.

Tony