Happy New Year
Happy new year everyone.
Just a short note to say I’ve been without broadband for effectively the last 3 weeks. Hopefully it will be fixed this week but if anyone has sent me an email recently and not heard anything I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
5th January 2015
It’s a bit late I know but happy new year to visitors to my site.
For those who like to read my writings I have an article in the current issue of Finescale Railway Modelling Review. A relatively recent magazine from Bob Barlow and Tim Skackleton. Sort of pitching itself at the MRJ end o the market it’s a nice looking and feeling (I always like a decent paper to be used in magazines) publication.
My article covers the building of New Street’s lamp building along with some thoughts on what I would do differently if I were to build it now. I hope you enjoy it
15th September 2014
In less than 2 weeks, Calcutta Sidings will make its third appearance at a show, This time Scaleforum. For more details of the show please click here.
On the subject of shows I have added an upcoming shows page that lists upcoming appearances for Calcutta Sidings, Birmingham Moor Street, New Street and any demos we might be doing. You can find it in the other section or by clicking here.
Finally some of you have already found it but I have a new workbench section for a little side project I am working on. Much like the plank, it’s really a glorified test bed for stuff I want to try out for new street but this one will be more black country, more early 1960’s and (whisper it quietly) more steam! After a few name changes it called Brettell Road and you can find it in the workbench section.
25th July 2014
Not had an update in a while but I have been busy working on a few more wagons. Click here to go to the wagon section.
29th May 2014
Those who take an interest in my random scribblings might be interested to know that I have an article on my class 317 EMU in this months MRJ. Its an all D&E theme and also features Tim Horn’s Bass canning line building he built for Phil’s Calcutta Sidings.
On the subject of D&E this weekend is DEMU’s showcase in Burton on Trent where I will be doing a demo on multiple units, Hope to see some of you there.
13th May 2014
Just a quick update to say that we shall be at Expo EM this weekend with the second outing for Calcutta Sidings II
Pic ©Tim Horn and used with permission.
I shall be supplying a small amount of Stock and doing my best to fill up Phil’s car parks so please stop buy for a chat if you are going.
10th April 2014
Those who follow the workbench section of the site will know that I have been converting a Hornby class 110 into a class 114. Well its nearly done now (just a few tweaks to do) and a new page has been set up for it in the units section.
There are also new pictures in the coaches section and a new page for steel wagons (admittedly with only two to look at so far).
13th March 2014
Its been a good while since I wrote anything for Model Rail Magazine but this months issue has a short article on my model of LEV1 for those who like buses!
31st December 2013
Just a short post to thank all those who have followed the site over the last year. While i thought the comment-able workbench would be nice to have I never imagined it would take off the way it did so thanks to everyone who has taken time to read or comment on what I’ve been up to over 2013, its very much appreciated.
For those who like stats you can view the yearly totals by clicking here.
15th December 2013
With the completion of the platform canopies for board 3 I can finally start taking pictures that really sum up New Street. I do feel the layout is really ambien starting to get an atmosphere now. For more pictures like the one above go to the class 101, 50, 56 and HST galleries in the stock section.
19th September 2013
Well Expo EM North is over and Calcutta Sidings 2 is now in the public domain. The show went well for its first outing with not a huge list of things for Phil to fix before the next show (Expo EM in may) there were a few niggles but there are an awful lot of trains and track there and we weren’t exactly creeping arround at shunting speed a lot of the time. There was a down time on the Saturday when a Digitrax box got overloaded (power districts were fine but no commands were getting sent out) but thanks to Mike, Tim and John on WFRM the problem was diagnosed and sorted fairly quickly. Thanks to all who stopped by for a chat and to see some of Tim (H)’s pictures go to the Scalefour Society forum
Despite getting my HST refurbished for Expo EM I have also been busy finishing off my class 317 EMU which has been on my workbench for years and years. See the workbench page for more details.
29th August 2013
Some new things to look at.
As well as the class 25 picture above there are new images in the class 37, class 122 and HST galleries. On the coaching stock front there are new images in Mk1, Mk3 and None passenger galleries too.
I have also added a page for my small fleet of tank wagons, there will be more to be added to this page in due course.
Finally we are only a few weeks away from Expo EM north where Calcutta Sidings 2 and the Universal Fiddle Yard will be making their public debut. For more details click here and if you get along to the show be sure to stop by for a chat.
8th August 2013
Just a short update this time. There are several new images in the class 25 gallery as well as a new picture in the class 50’s. Click here to go to the class 25 page.
There are also several new pictures to look at in the coaches section, click here
14th July 2013
Just a small update this time. There are some new pictures to look at in the coaches section.
21st May 2013
I have been busy uploading quite a few coach pictures to their various pages.
You can also see more on the above conversion on my workbench pages. For those who are not all that interested in coaches there are new pictures on the class 45 page too!
8th May 2013
Last weekend saw the third and final test session for Phil Eames Calcutta Sidings 2 before its public debut at Expo EM North in September. The above pic is © Tim Horn and you can see more of Tims pictures from the weekend here.
On the subject of exhibitions, those in the Midlands will be able to see Birmingham Moor Street at the Bloxwich show the weekend after next.
28th April 2013
I few new things to look at this time. I have made a start on the wagons section and added more pictures to the coaches section.
I have also been working on a pair of blue and grey HST power cars, you can see more pictures of one of them in the Locomotives section.
17th March 2013
Just a small update this time. Aside from the picture above there are new images on the class 81 and Mk3 coaches pages. Click on stock to view them.
17th February 2013
This update sees some new pictures of DMU’s for you to look at, there’s a new image in the class 108 gallery and for those who have been following my workbench page there’s a new gallery for my class 100/105 hybrid.
To see the multiple unit galleries click here
30th January 2013
Just a quick news update this time folks! For those interested in my scribblings I have an article on my class 85’s in this months Rail Express magazine. Hope you enjoy it.
22nd December 2012
Hi All
Just a quick update this time to notify you that I have changed the structure of the ‘Goodies’ page so that you can ask questions if you want to. Subscribers will be notified when anything new is added as they are for the news page as well as the workbench page.
16th December 2012
Id just like to say thanks for all those that have visited or sent messages over the last year. Thanks also to those who have signed up to follow the workbench or who have added coments. Its all appreciated.
Theres some now piccies for you all in the class 45, 50, 85 and 155 (the unphotoshopped version of the above) galleries.
Merry Christmas everone and all the best for 2013!
24th November 2012
Some more changes to the site to report. You can now subscribe to my workbench if you would like an email to be sent to you when something is added. You will also get an email when there’s more news too. If you would like to subscribe, simply pop your email address into the box on the workbench page.
There are new pictures for you in the class 45, 86 and 122 galleries.
21st November 2012
Hi All
Regular and observant visitors to the site may notice that a workbench has appeared in the Main Menu. Here I will be posting what I am up to and you can leave comments or ask questions. Feedback is always welcome. Your first post will have to be approved but then you should be able to post straight away. Obviously any posts that are offensive will not be approved or deleted as will spam but I hope you find the workbench a useful addidtion to the site.