Free N Gauge Police Station

Following some feedback (thanks Chris!), I've created a new Police Station model to add to my CD collection available on eBay. Users old and new can download the plans here for free. It's in the style of my ambulance and fire stations, so lighting and figures can be added inside if required.

The above pictures are the result of the test models I created but without cutting out the windows and adding interior walls, lighting etc. as in the other models mentioned, pictured below. The sad thing is, I don't have room on my layout for the new model :(

Happy modelling and Happy Christmas 2018! :)

Homemade N Gauge Belisha Beacons

A quick video of my new N Gauge belisha beacons on the zebra crossing. Not too difficult to make, although everything N Gauge is pretty fiddly.

I used two tiny flashing amber smd LEDs, 1.6mm heatshrink both from layouts4u.net. The globes are 4mm clear glass beads painted matt yellow.

First I removed the resistors from the 2 smd LEDs as I wanted to use a 3 volt cell battery (No 2032) in a holder as they seem to work best for LEDs. Above 3v you need the resistors to prevent damaging them. I then arranged the tiny light on its wires, so that it pointed vertically up. The glass beads I bought had a hole through the middle for threading. This provides a small dip to fit partially over the smd. I then glued the glass bead carefully in place on top. I use super glue gel which works a treat on most things n gauge as only a tiny drop is needed. Also a tiny blob on the top of the bead covered the top hole.

Next I used some heatshrink around the tiny wires as a pole. You could then paint small white hoops around the pole but I printed out a small sheet of black and white stripes, which I glued around the poles with paper glue. Finally I painted the globes with matt yellow enamel. Once dried it was just a question of drilling two holes and adding them to my zebra crossing.

Smoking Chimneys On My N Gauge Model Railway

I found quite a cheap way to make the houses on my layout come to life with smoking chimneys. I used 3, 4 and 5mm plastic pipe, a cheap Chinese aquarium air pump and an e-cigarette from Poundland. There are 6 chimneys that smoke. Two are on the station in the foreground, one on each of the shop/apartment blocks behind, one in the pub next door and one at the back in the goods depot office. I changed all the flimsy paper rolled chimneys with pieces of pipe, painted appropriately on all the converted buildings. This has had the added advantage of stronger chimney pots which cannot be accidently knocked off :)