TWIN-TRACK HEAVEN - THE LONDON FESTIVAL OF RAILWAY MODELLING

Anyone in range of London with an interest in model rail needs to get down to Alexandra Palace this weekend, for what’s claimed to be London's leading railway modelling event.


The Festival runs this weekend, March 23-24, 2013, at Alexandra Palace, North London, and visitors are promised a weekend packed with 40 working layouts, more than 100 exhibitors, demonstrations aplenty, clubs and societies on view, and - new this year, though the organizers haven’t said what it is, exactly - the British Railway Modelling Village.

Sponsorship
Big-name trade sponsors for the Festival are the well known Hornby, Bachmann Branchline and Graham Farish.

Layouts to look at
The Model Railway Club - otherwise known simply as the MRC - organises the layouts, and whatever their skill level, visitors are always welcome and can get involved on the MRC displays.

Different sizes
Rail scales and gauges are something else entirely to the non-specialist, so it’s no surprise to find that there will be a myriad of them at the Festival, including 2mm fine scale, N gauge, 00, EM, HO, S scale and O-scale all represented. We’d like to think there will be the odd ON30 layout too, as many of the old-timer locomotives and logging-style layouts are excellent and unusual.

Hornby at the show
Trade sponsor Hornby has big news at the show with its new e-Link, a computer-based system that allows layout control from a computer, iPad, iPod or Android device. The e-Link system can operate up to an amazing 9,999 locomotives, running with more than 2000 sets of points or other accessories at any one time.

Aimed at families
Simon Kohler, Marketing Manager for Hornby says: “We need to get the interest of the young families for this pastime to continue to thrive and grow. Young and old have to see the excitement in it, model railways is the ultimate pastime and can bring a family together as they take part in the hobby.

“The e-Link system makes controlling a technical layout intuitive and Hornby’s passion for the hobby allows the simple train set to continue as the beginning of an endearing hobby for life."

The 2013 Hornby catalogue is out now too (below), and looks an interesting read.

e-Link locos
The Majestic train set includes a classic 4-6-2 steam locomotive and coaches, and a modern-style Class 47 diesel hauler, ideal for moving assorted wagons around the twin oval of track, all included in the box.

Easy to use
To use e-Link, all you need to do is to connect up to a computer, load the ‘RailMaster’ software and then you are ready to roll. According to Hornby, using e-Link is incredibly intuitive, making train operations simple and straightforward.

Oh, not forgetting that an iPad isn’t included... oh well, we can but hope.

Visit the Festival here.

Hornby digital rail stuff here.

BATMAN AUTOMOBILIA UPDATE - MODEL PIX AND FREE iPAD APP

We've got ourselves a copy of the 2013 edition of the Batman Automobilia partwork, and reckon it looks every bit as good as the first version, last published in March 2011. Computer tech has changed a bit since then, so there's now a free App for your iPad that's available to download from the Apple iTunes Store.

We'll let the pix do the talking, but suffice to say that it's a good package, especially if you decide to subscribe. There are a bunch of freebies that include such tasty items as a Batwing model, a 'Batman Returns' armoured Batmobile, a binder, plus that absolute necessity for Batfans, a free numberplate, labelled with  'BAT-1 GOTHAM CITY.'

The free App (below) isn't so dusty either, with flick-thru pages that include a timeline, slideshows and a mini-movie showing the TV ad from publisher Eaglemoss. To get the App for your iPad visit the Apple App Store here.

But of course the meat of the matter is in the 1:43 scale Batmobile model, and it's a pleasure to report that it's an excellent rendering of the original, produced in diecast metal with plastic details. Small screws hold the model to the base, so you can remove it easily if needed. The oil drums are heat-fixed in place, but could be removed in a moment.

The 1:43 scale means that this and following models in the series will sit nicely with other diecast models, so if you'd like to see a Batmobile crushing a Ford Anglia, or hard at work in a shootout with a same-scale Lambo, you're free to make it happen.

WHAT NEXT FOR SCALE MODEL NEWS?

Here’s an update on SMN’s forward plans that have affected our daily routine. We’re working hard on moving ahead with some new ideas, including...

Model competition

We’re aiming to present a regular model competition, with prizes. You’ll get to vote for the best looking creations, so perhaps now’s the time to get cracking and finish off those half-finished scale projects!

SMN Store

We’re looking for better ways to buy kits and components with an easy-to-use SMN Store.

Wordpress coming soon

A techie thing this, but we’re moving to the popular Wordpress platform, which should enable quite a few extra features, including easier to use real-time comments and conversations.

Ready for Autumn

These improvements are taking a while to get into operation, so meantime, we’ll be here with weekly articles until the new Scale Model News comes up to speed.

Look out for

Mat Irvine’s latest work, Mat’s Marvellous Model Museum, which we’ll be producing as an ebook available here and at all online sellers, from Amazon to the Apple Store, and many more besides.

Revell kits

Meantime, Revell has revealed tasty views of recent kits, including the ones shown here. Top to bottom: Ferrari SA Aperta, Leopard 2 A5, Heinkel He 219 Uhu. And below, more shots of space and sic-fi stuff from the recent smallspace model show. The bottle-green Starbug is our favourite - how about yours?

MARKLIN TINPLATE WARSHIP HMS ‘TERRIBLE’ SELLS FOR RECORD MONEY

SMN report:

An ultra-rare steam-propelled tinplate cruiser became the most expensive single toy ever sold at a UK auction on Friday, April 20, when it shot past the estimate of £40-60,000 GBP to fetch a record £76,000 GBP ($122,500 USD). 

Collection on the block

The ship was a model of HMS Terrible, part of a lifetime collection of toys and trains belonging to the late Ron McCrindell, who died in August 2011, aged 91. Auctioneer Hugo Marsh said of the sale: "As far as we are aware it is the most expensive single toy sold in the UK." It was bought by an anonymous overseas collector, so sadly we can’t report on the excitement of owning this delightful collector’s treasure trove. The 620 mm (24.4 in) long vessel, made in 1905 by Marklin of Germany, was one of 340 toys on sale. The model itself made the headlines 40 years ago, when it featured in a BBC TV show, steaming across the calm waters of Hampstead Ponds, in north London.

The Auctioneer’s description

We quote below in full, as it makes interesting reading, especially the mention of the TV series, and the real ship’s naval operations, though note that in Royal Navy service, HMS Terrible was classed as a ‘protected cruiser’, not a battleship: 

“A rare Marklin spirit-fired steam tinplate 62cm First Series Two-Funnel Battleship HMS Terrible, Cat. Ref. 4091, the hull hand-painted in cream and red, tan deck with simulated planking and tinplate clips for semi-round sailors, cream superstructure decorated with circular and arched-top square portholes and rivet detail, two masts, two torpedo net booms, single screw, forward and aft gun turrets, pairs of port and starboard gun turrets, lower deck and upper decks, raised ship’s wheel, fabric stern flag and pennant, two guns mounted on forward bridge and small gun in crow’s nest, all guns, crow’s nests and funnels painted in bronze, most with rivet detail, two davits, anchor, chain and pneumatically-operated rudder, the steam plant with vaporising burner..."

"...double-acting cylinder, safety-valve and slip-eccentric reverse, on wave-painted four-wheeled stand, circa 1904, G, one davit base repaired, lifeboats missing, one port side gun roof and searchlight replaced; see ‘The Art of the Tin Toy’, Pressland, D, New Cavendish Books, 1976, page 41, for illustration and discussion of this famous toy; for suitable Heyde for Marklin semi-round lead sailors to fit the deck-clips, see Lot 67 in this sale; see also the BBC2 television programme from 1972, ‘Ron McCrindell’s Toys’, in which Ron fires her up and runs her; the prototype was launched in 1895 and was involved in the siege of Ladysmith in South Africa in 1899 and the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900.”

Free Marklin App for iPhone, iPad

Marklin is still going strong, with an international reputation for the excellence of its model trains in particular. These days, digital control  is the buzzword, and Marklin is a leader in this. There's also a free App available for those of us with iPhones and iPads.

Visit the App Store here for the useful and interesting Marklin App.

Visit Marklin here.

Visit The Saleroom here.

The real ship

The Terrible is shown below at the 1897 naval review to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The ship was just two years old at this time, and note that Marklin's designers 'lost' a couple of funnels when making the model. The drawings illustrate the Terrible and her sister ship the Powerful. Each vessel was armed with no less than 42 guns of various sizes, plus a quartet of torpedo tubes.

SCALE MODEL NEWS GOES MOBILE

SMN report

We’re pleased to say that Scale Model News is now available in a ‘small-screen’ Mobile Edition. It’s neat, elegant, and very personal: something you can read wherever you have a phone signal, though it’s fair to say that, as ever, 3G or wi-fi provide best results.

SMN Mobile Edition

SMN-ME comes up automatically on your phone (we use the iPhone 3GS here, on which SMN-ME works like a charm) and is simple to use. Just place a finger on a picture, when a new screen will open to enlarge it. Zoom the image bigger still by doing the finger-spread action. Comments are also easy to make, using the on-screen touch keyboard. 

iPad 2 Edition

We’re also working on an iPad 2 Edition, though SMN looks pretty nice even now on the standard iPad. Talking of which, we’ll be having an article on the iPad for Model Fans soon, so do keep an eye open for it. The iPad 2 is a remarkable piece of equipment that is a lot easier to haul around than even the smallest conventional laptop.

Meantime, enjoy the SMN Mobile Edition on your phone.