Introductory

 Those of you who know my model railway habits, know that when I work on a project I tend to blog about it. I have many projects on the go, so I can have many blogs on the go. You’ll have seen the work on Facebook. Facebook is good for instantaneous, simple posts. But if you want to go into detail, then the blog format can’t be beat. 

The 16mm scale project has been bubbling under for quite some time. Ever since the days of my dalliance with 7/8ths scale. I was really grabbed by this large scale, and was working quite well towards getting something running. I had developed a track construction method, as featured in Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review (issue 127). I had built some rolling stock and had an interesting locomotive coming along. But when I got to the structures, I hit a wall of realization. The level of detail that can be achieved, was way beyond anything I could dream of. Hinges on doors should work for example. At the current time, that wall is insurmountable for me, psychologically anyway. I’m not sure that I could cope with that. 

16mm scale is a good bit smaller. About 25% smaller. Detailing can be lesser, though you only have to look through the late Roy C Link’s “Crowsnest Chronicles” book to see what level of detailing can be done. Right now, I’m OK with that. 

Coupled with all these thoughts going through my head was the introduction of some superb looking locomotive kits in 16mm scale from LocoRemote. The prototypes were quite different. A compressed air loco ‘Issing Sid. A small, freelance Hudson skip chassis based loco, “Huddy”, and the 4wheel Brush battery electric loco’s for the ministry of munitions. I was captivated by them all. In fact, I bought them all. I would have liked to have bought some of the other kits proprietor Chris Rennie had designed. But I had to stay realistic. I also had several Hudson skip kits from Peter Binnie for rolling stock. 

There I am. Three locomotives, four wagons and nowhere to run them.

Then Covid hit me…