NS&T redux

As hinted at in yesterday’s post, I’m salvaging much of my current S Scale layout, based on the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway. I’m not abandoning the prototype – far from it – but rather refocussing my efforts in a different direction.

Up she comes. It’s time for a change, so I’m clearing space for a new version of the NS&T.

I have been unhappy with a number of aspects of this project and recently realized that I was building the wrong layout. So, my plan is to clear the benchwork back to the car barn and start over. I’ll recover turnouts, rail, and plywood – and the new layout will be less complex – so I expect the rebuild will go quite quickly.

My plans for my next NS&T layout are well underway but I’m not yet ready to share them publicly. However, my goals include less track… a higher scenery to track ratio… more suitability for one-person operation (with options for guests)… and more rural setting. Fortunately, the NS&T offers plenty of suitable examples I can draw upon.

I also plan to make use of at least some of the structures from my Port Rowan layout, and employ broader track standards so I can also run my S scale CNR locomotives and passenger equipment when the mood strikes.

I’m starting from the end of the long peninsula. I’ve already recovered the track from the Niagara Street scene and am working on Eastchester Yard.

Pulling up the Niagara Street scene.
Saving the turnouts will make rebuilding go quickly.

Admitting that one has made a mistake on a layout is always difficult – especially when one is so far along in the construction.

But once it’s obvious, I’ve always found it’s better to tear up and start fresh than to keep pushing ahead in the hopes it will all work out for the best: It never does.

Bydemill in RMC

That’s not something you see every day…

One of the things I enjoy most about Bydemill – my 7mm scale interpretation of an Edwardian era, Great Western Railway branch line terminal – is how it forced me to explore ideas, techniques, and resources that were new to me.

As I’ve noted on this site, many of those have now found application in the parts of my hobby with which I have more experience. For example, building the many photo-etched kits for GWR wagons that fill out my goods trains helped me hone the skills required to build the freight motors that form the core of my S scale version of the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway.

Bydemill has also given me a much-needed change of focus when I experience setbacks on projects for other interests. Bydemill is closer to “finished” than any other layout I’ve built, and it’s a consistently reliable runner – so when my enthusiasm for the hobby wanes, I can always rely upon my British layout to remind me why I have enjoyed railway modelling for more than five decades.

Knowing that other hobbyists may also benefit from moving out of their comfort zone, I used these thoughts as the basis for a brief feature in the October, 2026 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. RMC focusses on North American subjects and readers who are not open-minded will probably be annoyed to see a British layout grace its pages – but I also know those people account for just a minority of RMC’s readership.

I hope the article will inspire the rest of consider exploring a scale, gauge, prototype, era, or theme that’s outside their comfort zone – whether via one or two mantlepiece models or, as I have, through a secondary layout.

I kept the article short, but submitted many more photos than space allowed, to provide editor Otto Vondrak with some choice as the laid out the feature. Here are the images that did not make the cut. Thank you, Otto, for continuing to share my work with your readers.

A GWR “Siphon” – a specialized wagon designed to transport milk churns in passenger trains – awaits loading at Bydemill.
Coal was a huge commodity for railways in the UK, and the private owner wagons used to transport it added colour and variety to trains. Here, a couple of wagons spotted at the far end of the goods yard await unloading by the local coal merchant.
With the starter signal showing green, a short goods train prepares to leave Bydemill for Swindon.

NS&T 17 award follow-up

The award from the National Association of S Gaugers (NASG) for my article on building a freight motor in brass was a bigger deal than I thought. A few days after I received the certificate, a courier left a box on the front porch. Inside was a lovely plaque recognizing my contribution to promoting S scale to the broader railway modelling community:

“It’s a major award!”

I mention this not to brag (although I am proud of the model, and pleased my work has been recognized) but to encourage others working in S scale to share their passion with those who do not model in 1:64.

S is not for everyone. But those who like it, like it a lot and it’s a shame more hobbyists don’t explore it – perhaps by tackling a mantlepiece model or small diorama. And as my experience demonstrates, the effort is appreciated.

NS&T 17 publication award

This S scale freight motor is already my all-time favourite construction project…

This week’s mail included a pleasant surprise: An award from the National Association of S Gaugers (NASG) – recognizing my feature in Railroad Model Craftsman magazine about building Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway freight motor 17.

The NASG is a class act, and creating awards like this can only encourage hobbyists to share their love of 1:64 modelling with the wider world.

Those who enjoy building in niche scale/gauge/prototype combinations often end up talking in an echo chamber filled with like-minded modellers. What’s more, one of the frequent topics is, “How to we attract more hobbyists to our favourite combo?”

This award is a good example of what can be done. It’s specifically designed to recognize modellers who have written an article about S scale for a non-S scale publication. What a great way to expose others to what can be done in 1:64.

Thank you to everyone at the NASG who was involved in this. I’m grateful for the recognition: It means a lot.

I’m also grateful to Otto and the team at RMC for being open to running features about niche combinations: If you have an idea for an article, I encourage you to get in touch with RMC to get it published.

If you missed the article on NS&T 17, you can find it in the May 2025 issue of RMC. And you can follow this link to learn more about my interest in the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway.