Pater Practicus

Fitting the headlights has been an absolute nightmare, but fitted they are.

1/72 scale Roden Type B Omnibus with some Airfix passengers boarding for the journey to the front line.

Crew in place and steering wheel fitted. Just about ready for final assembly.

Not at all in their intended position on the limber, my Royal Horse Artillery guys actually look completely at home in the Type B bus.

My Airfix figures are good but rather showing their age, and given the scale, I’ve decided not to sweat over the painting too much. I think the overall impression should still be pretty good.

Chassis and body now joined. Some alignment issues, but managed to straighten everything out in the end.

Weather forecast perfect for some little jobs on the layout: youtu.be/TzSk3T4gODY?...

For the brass work I’ve gone for a little less bling with The Army Painter’s ‘True Brass’. The leather colour came with my infantry paint set. Did I mention how small this is?

Another candidate for the box to model size ratio competition.

Paints have arrived for my WWI British infantrymen.

From the days when the King had a Vauxhall. #HistScaleModels

I think I broke about a 10% of the tiny pieces during this stage of the instructions, but that is my bus just about finished. Just the steering wheel to go, which I’ll fit after the crew.

With the wheels test-fitted the whole thing is looking much more like it. Still a way to go, particularly with the figures, and then I also need to work out a setting along with the staff car kit. #HistScaleModels

With the wheels test-fitted the whole thing is looking much more like it. Still a way to go, particularly with the figures, and then I also need to work out a setting along with the staff car kit. #HistScaleModels

Oh my! Such flimsy mudguards. Such tiny brackets. #HistScaleModels

Another of my older models dug out for testing the height of my 3D printed airliner steps. Although designed for a Comet 4, they’re not far off for something a little more contemporary like this A319.

I have decided to go into production with the 1/144 scale airliner steps I designed for my Comet 4 model. So, having tidied up the supports for a more reliable print, they are now available ready-printed from Pater's Shed: patersshed.com/products/res...

Tried out a few more of my Airfix infantrymen to start populating the bus. I think I can do something to tell a bit of a story here, beyond it just being a period vehicle. #HistScaleModels

Looking suitably war-weary, the Type B now has a staircase and some seating on the top deck.

Looking for a satisfying little job on the layout at the #weekend? How about rustling up some of these Metcalfe Models laser cut platform benches: youtu.be/TzSk3T4gODY?...

Roden decals extremely delicate. I broke one of the ones for the sides beyond repair, so I’ve had to redistribute with the ones for the front. I don’t think anyone will notice!

Another Roden kit purchase. I think this will look great alongside the bus in a little diorama. #HistScaleModels

Delivery from @pimoroni.com - everything I need for my station announcements.

Found a few suitable candidates among the Airfix WWI figure sets that should work as crew and passengers for the Roden bus, with perhaps some fellow road users to go alongside. #JFFWWI

Floors and seats painted, plus a coat of ICM Camouflage Green for the main bodywork. The restored bus I’ve found photos of appears to be a browner colour, so a little bit of guesswork involved. #HistScaleModels

Type B Omnibus now with loose-fitted top deck and stairs. #HistScaleModels

Progress made. Definite period likeness with the Dennis fire engine.

Made a start on the Roden Type B bus. Such a different experience to the 1/32 scale fire engine! I’ve decided to build the lower deck unglazed and fit the clear plastic sheet after painting.

Salvaged from another part of the old layout, this first generation DCC concepts accessory decoder will be more than sufficient for the points on my refurbished section.

I made life more difficult for myself by putting the track at an angle over the baseboard joins, but my soldered stripboard should hold everything in place.

Even managed to squeeze in a quick train run at the end of the afternoon, although at the moment it doesn’t have very far to go.

Station refurbishment just about done, with my new benches looking properly at home. Now perhaps for some signage - and of course the station announcements.

One end of the station now has a new roof. I really don’t mind the faded brickwork, so the rest is largely a cosmetic tidy-up.

This afternoon I’ve mostly been making platform benches with a Metcalfe models laser-cut cardboard mini kit.

YouTube tax forms completed for another year!

Going in!

Perfect fit! My station canopy is exactly the right size for the speaker for my station announcements. The @pimoroni.com Tiny FX can tuck inside the building and plug into a USB phone charger with the extension cable.

More renovations trackside too. Station still looking a bit sad and faded.

Yesterday’s work - almost all of the paving has now been replaced, and all looking much more even. Still need to replace a few of the chimney pots and the more faded parts of the Scale Scenes station print-outs.

A bit of repair work on the old layout to get it ready for my @pimoroni.com Tiny FX station announcement project. Covering my faded home-printed stuff and the older kit pavement with new Metcalfe paving sheets.

Three fire engines, three scales: Airfix 1/43 Land Rover and 1/32 Dennis, alongside Ace’s 1/72 Unimog.

Obligatory model and box photo. Great old kit - go and get yourself one on eBay. #HistScaleModels

Embarking on my next WW1 build - this time in 1/72 scale, with a Roden Type B bus. I’ve also got various Airfix figures I hope I can adapt for the driver and passengers.

My two #Airfix fire engines together - 1/32 scale Dennis and 1/43 scale Series 1 Land Rover - both with light and sound effects provided by @pimoroni.com Tiny FX.

My fire engine again, with the remotely controlled lighting and sound effects in action (sound on). You can find out all about the tech in my latest video if anyone wants to give something similar a go: youtu.be/DxHClpoQMJc

My vintage Airfix Dennis fire engine is finished - complete with lights and sound effects provided by the Tiny FX controller in the back. 1970s kit with 2026 tech. #HistScaleModels

Patiently waited overnight for the clear epoxy to dry in my 3D printed sidelights. Now they can be fitted along with the final details.

Already thinking about my next @pimoroni.com Tiny FX application, and I’ve got an idea for the model railway, but need some of the bits from the old layout that have been languishing in the shed. Quite a lot of repairs needed to my old Metcalfe buildings and faded home-printed surfaces.

For some reason, the number plates aren’t on the decal sheet, but printed as part of the instructions to cut out and glue on. As well as being too faded to use, I thought LF 1914 was a bit suspect as a real plate, so I’ve made my own, with a little nod to the Tiny FX’s #RaspberryPi processor.

Nearly finished, with just a few details outstanding. Would be nice to get it done by the weekend, but I’m definitely not going to rush it at this stage. #HistScaleModels