The layout is progressing apace driven by a, perhaps ill-advised, commitment to exhibit it in the near future. As is the way of such things, the need to progress matters throws up those issues that have been lurking in the too hard basket. One such is the fiddle yard. Another is disguising the hole in…
Here on the blog, I’ve pontificated on all manner of matters relating to Rewanui (real and model), but it has been a while since the line’s raison d’être has featured. The extraction, movement to the bins and loading of the coal is outside the scope of the model (taking place ‘off scene’ as it were),…
Interesting times here at NZF, where we’ve been reminded yet again of the pace of technology change. The trusty Solus 3d printer that we’ve been churning out casting patterns on for a few years has died, and been replaced with something higher resolution, faster and cheaper. While that has been going on, production of parts…
After a number of teaser posts, here at last is the finished 1:64 BP3688 30′ van pilot model. Like all pilots it has suffered the odd reversal and a number of parts have been remade and redesigned. There are one or two things about this build that will be altered for the kit release, and…
If you aspire to a model railway, the thing you need most of is wagons. This post is a little retrospective of my wagon-building journey and a preview of new kits on the way. I have a long-standing enthusiasm for West Coast coal railways and my first scratchbuilt wagon was a Q5. Scratchbuilt in styrene,…
As a manufacturer, there is nothing quite as rewarding as seeing others turn your humble offerings into really nice models. What’s particulary neat is seeing builds or finishing that are not how you envisaged the product at all. This blog post showcases a lovely build from the Gig kit (KS016) by Rick Schreuder. Rick’s natural…
Personally, one of the great joys and challenges of model making is to make something that is not only an accurate scale model, but also looks like the real thing. This is, I suppose, the crossover between the science and art of modelling. I have to admit with struggling a little on the artistic side,…
Every product reaches the point where I feel the urge to produce my definitive build, whereupon I move on to other things. Thus it was, and here it is, for the gig. I was rather taken by a photo on the web of a bright yellow gig. This may not be very typical of a…
Motivation is an untamed horse. There’s no knowing entirely where it comes from or what it’s going to do next. The drivers behind this little project where many, but certainly not aligned with any modelling big picture of mine. After all, there are no roads at Rewanui, so a car is somewhat surplus to my…
As the W kits get closer to shipping, I’m focusing on the few remaining details like the number and maker’s plates. That occasioned me to exhume the test shots I did for this a little while ago. Prototype plates were around 1/4″ thick, scaling out to 0.1mm, which is convenient as 0.1mm brass is readily…
While drawing up some buildings for current projects, Haydn and I embarked on this little 1:64 dunny as a test piece. The floor is about 15mm square. It is printed at 25 micron in X and Y with 20 micron layers. It was printed this way to simplify painting. Careful inspection will show that the…
