The Murquick Mine layout is a small Narrow Gauge Model Railway Layout in OO9. The board is a mere 30in x 24in and represents a hillside mine nowhere in particular.

The purpose of the layout is to provide a modeling test bed and test track for small OO9 locomotives. The intention is to ultimately automate and maybe exhibit the layout.

Apr192011

A Conversion of the Whiteley Tram to OO9

The Roxey Mouldings 4mm White Metal Kit built and converted to Narrow Gauge

With serious issues in the build of the Nigel Lawton Chassis holding up progress, I opened another box! This one has all the parts for the Roxey Mouldings white metal kit for a Whiteley Tram as ran on the East Sussex County Asylum Railway at Hellingly. As Murquick Mine has no OHL the tram will be built as a diesel critter and powered by a Caramel N-Gauge unit.

Hellingly Railway Tram Loco 1906
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Apr42011

An O&K Montania RL1c Diesel Tractor - Nigel Lawton Kit Build

The body construction is completed

The construction of the body of this highly detailed and somewhat complicated kit Nigel Lawton kit for the O&K Montania RL1c is now complete.

By no means, a simple kit to build it has many small detailing parts that are a real challenge. Completely soldered construction as usual, with the exception of the resin cast axleboxes it requires a little care and a little too much fiddling for my liking. There is a limit to the detailing that can be seen on a layout and my overall impression is that this model takes it just about to the extreme.

The chassis for this locomotive, also from Nigel Lawton, is next up on the workbench.

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Mar292011

Prototype Numbering of the Lister Rail Auto Truck

The lists of the Lister Rail Auto Truck numbering, delivery details and preservation notes.

A complete list of the Lister Rail Auto Truck works numbers and delivery details on leaving R A Lister & Co.Ltd. has been uploaded along with a separate list of the Lister Rail Auto Truck current locations and historical notes for those preserved examples. These are presented in support of the Lister Rail Auto Truck kit build.

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Mar212011

An O&K Montania RL1c Diesel Tractor - Nigel Lawton Kit Build

A start was made on the O&K Montania RL1c.

Today, I reopened the little box of tiny parts that go to make up the Nigel Lawton kit for the O&K Montania RL1c,
This kit builds into a model of the Orenstein & Koppel "Montania" tractor which is in preservation at Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre as "The Major".

© Andrew Neish
I have heard alot of rumours about this kit from the "impossible to build" to the "very challenging". It is certainly no beginner's kit and it is not claimed to be by the designer. Yet you only have to take one look at the instructions to have your confidence increased. They are comprehensive and well illustrated.

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Mar172011

A Lister Rail Auto Truck - RT Models Kit Build

The build of the Lister Rail Auto Truck (Murquick Mine's Loco No 4) has been completed.

Today saw the completion of construction of this diminutive white metal kit of the Lister Rail Auto Truck from RT Models.
It was a pleasure to build using low melt soldering throughout and it sits upon the Kato Portram Tram Chassis that has been purchased and modified to carry it.
There are very few parts to the body kit and would be an easy project for a beginner, producing a good model of a prototype that was to be seen on many a Narrow Gauge mining or industrial railway.

Still requiring some more work, such as painting, the insulation of the chassis from the body and a decision on the most suitable model driver.

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Mar142011

A Lister Rail Auto Truck - RT Models Kit Build

Finally wired and tested the Kato Portram Tram Chassis.

Finally built up enough nerve to bring the soldering iron close enough to the pickup lugs on the Kato Portram Tram Chassis. Not an easy task given that this is an expensive ite and that the lugs are very lose to the plastic body and gears.

Still, all over and done with now and following testing, the chassis was found to run quite well, though in need of some weight to aid traction. It is important to note that no resistor was used to limit the current and so the maximum voltage needs to be carefully controlled to 6V or less.

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Mar32011

Prototype Protected 40hp “Simplex” Works Numbers

A complete list of all Protected 40hp “Simplex” Works Numbers

The complete list of the prototype Protected 40hp “Simplex” works numbers has been uploaded to supplement the Protected 40hp “Simplex” kit build. The list only contains the works numbers issued to the Narrow Gauge Protected 40hp “Simplex” on manufacture and those rebuilt by Motor Rail & Tramcar Co.Ltd. It does not yet include any delivery details, historical notes or information about preserved examples.

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Nov132010

The Billard T75D Locotracteur - Meridian Models Kit (LT01) Build

The construction of the Billard T75D Locotracteur is virtually complete.

The construction of this very straightforward kit from Meridian Models reaches completion with all but fine detailing to be done.

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Nov92010

The Billard T75D Locotracteur - Meridian Models Kit (LT01) Build

A start was made on the body of the Billard T75D Locotracteur.

Started this relatively heavy white metal kit from Meridian Models. The kit is based on the prototype Billard T75D Locotracteur as built for the French army prior to WWII.

By all accounts a very simple kit to build with relatively lage parts that help to imitate the chunky appearance of the prototype.

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