Welcome to October

Railway modelling is more than a hobby, it’s a community, and on occasion, we have our losses, the same as any family. Genuine friendships can be formed and developed over the years, paths cross at shows and events and we all become familiar with someone’s work and life both online and off. Understandably, we feel a loss when a popular member moves on to the workshop in the sky. Sadly, in the space of a month, we lost two extremely talented and generous members of RMweb, Gordon Stolliday and Mick Bonwick and it has been heart-warming to see the tributes and comments made to remember them both. Gordon, a member of RMweb since day one (maybe unwittingly), saw the forum grow into the world-leading site it is today, helped hugely by his generosity, while Mick was revered for his accessible and lighthearted approach to painting and weathering; gentlemen both. That may sound downbeat for a welcome, but there is positive from their activities, a genuine legacy and a lesson we should all take, that any one of us can help and encourage other modellers to take on new skills or refine them with encouragement and practical advice. If we all adopt that approach, there will be lasting skills and techniques passed on, by masters, to a new generation to keep this great hobby alive and well; even if, one day, we aren’t. Our October issue features a pedigree of modelling talent. Alongside our skilled team, inside we have some great practical features from the likes of Jamie Warne, Tony Wright and Chris Mead, the last-mentioned of which shows us that 3D printing may not be as ‘out of reach’ as we think. And as you would expect from BRM, we also cover some incredible layouts to inspire any would-be builder. The first layout is one of our largest and oldest. Copenhagen Fields has been a star of the exhibition circuit for a long time, so it’s easy to become blasé about the model. Encountering it at its home reminded us of just how impressive a layout it is. When it comes to its construction, everything has been done the hard way. The sea of finescale 2mm models owe nothing to RTR, and everything to craftsmanship, skill, tenacity and the bravery to tackle such a vast scene in such detail. Copenhagen Fields never fails to impress. We also pay a visit to Mike Lynch’s wonderful recreation of Carlisle Station, a large-scale diorama of architectural prowess that also serves to inter-connect two layouts. For our third layout, we travel to the picturesque location of Longnor, a sleepy station on the fictional Leek & Buxton Railway. Learning new skills is all part of the fun of railway modelling and our community is always more than happy to help. This seems a fitting opportunity to remind everyone that World of Railways will be running a Skills Week in September, to help other would-be builders gain all the information they need to start their own projects. The free-to-attend online event kicks off on September 20th and runs until Friday, September 24th, with a different theme on offer each day, covering all major modelling topics including trackwork, weathering, scenery and layout control. It’s a week not to be missed. Happy Modelling!