Tuesday 5 March 2024

Revamp An Existing Layout


Revamp An Existing Layout this month becomes the 6th and final instalment in my Philden Model Railway Presents series of books.


It is an amazing experience to wrap up a series of books that stretches back 4 years, and the exhilaration of having clear space ahead of me while planning my next career move is almost intoxicating!

While working full-time on these books over the past 2 years will go down as one of my all-time highlights of my writing career, completing the final book has been akin to a musician wrapping up their final show on a tour. You take a moment to celebrate the milestone... and then head back into the studio to start working on your next album. Which is exactly how 2024 has started for me.

The untouched celebratory book launch platter! Prior to being devoured and photoshopped into the image at the top.

Case in point is my customary book launch platter to celebrate the books release. In the days after the wine and cheese had disappeared, I was able to teleport my table into the swanky surrounds of a waterside restaurant, which truth be told was just a bit of clever Photoshopping. However, when you're studying and immersed in a new creative field away from writing, things like this somehow make their way into each and every creative corner of your mind. A fusion of creative ideas if you like.

So, while I now leave behind a successful series of model railway how-to books, for the time being at least, my mind is already planning new projects, based around new ideas, with the end goal to cost-up which ideas will prove the most profitable to pursue. While I've loved every minute of writing about my favourite hobby and procuring the photos necessary to produce a series of books, it has come at a cost, measured of course in time and money. The two things in life that no-one ever seems to possess at the same time.

With my project of revamping my own HO scale shelf layout now complete, my model train hobby can now return to being an escape from the everyday. It resulted in a great book! Six great books to be honest, and the kind of books I wished I had read years ago when starting out in the hobby. If you've ever been interested in one of the world's favourite pastimes, then I know you are going to love these books.

Revamp An Existing Layout is available now and joins the other titles in my model railway stable. The book is available through the links below...

   

Tuesday 12 December 2023

AMRM Feature Book Review

The December issue of Australian Model Railway Magazine features a review of my two latest model railway themed books. Model Railway Weathered Wonders and Model Railway Backdrop Basics were both given a glowing review in Australia's premier model railway magazine when describing the helpful methods outlined within the pages of my highly popular how-to books.


News broke to me by way of a friend, who phoned me while I was on holidays recently with my wife Denise. At the time we were driving south to Victoria's Great Ocean Road, so it was a nice surprise to pull off the highway and walk into a newsagency in Goulburn, New South Wales, to find a pile of almost 20 copies prominently displayed. Being a long time reader, I still prefer to buy my copies of AMRM from my local newsagency back in Brisbane as a way of keeping the hobby visible on the magazine rack.

 

My 5 Philden Model Railway books have proven to be popular, both online and through hobby shops in Australia. However, plans to have a 6th title available early in 2024 have been delayed somewhat due to my decision to return to full-time study in 2024. As such, the next instalment will now likely follow in late 2024. Meanwhile, you can still grab a copy of any of my titles through the links found on my Books page.

Friday 13 October 2023

2023 BRMA Brisbane Convention


One of the absolute highlights so far in my journey as an Author, was accepting the keynote speaker position for the 2023 British Railway Modellers Convention of Australia, which just so happened to be held in my home city of Brisbane, Australia.


The combination of my books and modelling skills were on display for all to see.

Held at the Pacific Hotel in Spring Hill, Brisbane over the weekend of 22nd to 24th September 2023, the annual convention was a coming together of British Railway Modellers from across Australia. The weekend of presentations, demonstrations, layout tours and a visit to the Brisbane Tramway Museum kicked off with a Mini Expo held in the convention room overlooking the Roma Street Parklands and Railway Station.

I was kept busy signing copies of my railway and model train books over the weekend...

...and was stationed beside UK model producer John Wiffen (right) from Scalescenes.

Preparing my 40 minute keynote address took the best part of a week to prepare. It wasn't an easy task to condense my 40 year journey from being a young lad with a OO scale Flying Scotsman train set, to becoming the Author of 22 books into just 40 minutes. However, I did manage to contain myself to running only a few minutes over, including sharing the story of how I was almost hit by the Flying Scotsman on its' 1988-89 visit to Australia, back when I had hair like MacGyver as seen in the image below...

Yes, that's me in 1989, avoiding the throngs of people to pose for a photo infront of a slow-moving Flying Scotsman during its Australian Tour.

There has been a lot to ponder in my lifelong journey as a writer.

Along with meeting some extraordinary modellers from around the country and enjoying a full programme of interesting presentations, it was rewarding to be recognised for my contribution to the hobby in the form of my Philden Model Railway presents range of books. I received plenty of encouraging words from the many eager readers who waited patiently for me to sign copies of my books, including more than one person who has started building a layout based solely on my Build a Bookshelf Layout book.

I paused long enough to record this image from Saturday night's Gala Awards Dinner.

Apparently it is a convention tradition for the Keynote Speaker to present the trophies for the National model building and photography awards. As the role came with a seat at the five star Gala Dinner attended by a crowd of over 80 people on the Saturday night, how could I refuse? I must thank the BRMA Queensland Representative, John Rostron for the extraordinary lengths he went to in assisting me with setting up on the day, running a fantastic 3 day convention and offering the Keynote Speaker position to me in the first place. Next year the BRMA will meet to do it all again, only this time in Melbourne, and John... you can now have a well-earned rest and simply attend next year's event for the fun of it.

And my parting view looking over Brisbane, Australia, as I left on the Saturday night.

Having now had a year where I released 3 books, exhibited my own model railway at 2 different exhibitions and delivered a succesful presentation at a model railway convention, I topped-off September by becoming a Poppy for the first-time to a lovely little Grandaughter named Zailee... 2023 has been a big year. Now as the dust settles on the BRMA Convention and I prepare to sit down to write the 6th and final instalment of my Philden Model Railway Presents series, I can look forward to a much-needed holiday in a little over a month's time.

Next year is looking like it will deliver a new creative project for me to head into. So until then, I'm going to take the high from last month's convention, and harness that energy into writing the next Philden book. Until next time...

Saturday 9 September 2023

Weathered Wonders Video Review



Here's yet another great review of one of my books, courtesy of Will James and his Australian Model Railway News YouTube channel. The August 2023 edition also features an up close look at one of my weathered model railway items, of which I weathered more than 180 individual models throughout the course of writing and producing this epic little masterpiece.


With the first print run already sold-out, September is proving to be a busy month of restocking the hobby shops that carry my books around Australia. The run-on effect of sales of my previous titles has been a pleasant surprise too!

A huge thanks to Will James for his continued promotion, and if you haven't already visited the WillJamesRailways website, be sure to click on the link to explore some of his railway related merchandise and links to some of the many Australian model railway videos he has produced.

Model Railway Weathered Wonders is available now online through the following retailers

    

Monday 31 July 2023

2023 AGMRC Book Appearance

After making a rare book appearance last year at a model train club open day on Brisbane's northside, this year I ventured south of the river to the All Gauge Model Railway Club's sale day held at the Belmont Shooting Complex on Sunday 30th July.


What is dubbed as Queensland's largest model railway table sale always draws a crowd, and I've been coming to these events in search of a bargain from as far back as the mid 1990's. Aside from standing on the opposite side of the table this time, hawking my latest book Model Railway Weathered Wonders along with my other 4 Philden Model Railway titles, very little has changed over the years.

All 5 of my Philden Model Railway books...

Buy-and-sell days are normally a hit-and-miss affair at the best of times, depending on how many modellers are clearing out collections ahead of building new projects, or dare I say it... friends or family are there to help sell-off a deceased estate. Money changes hands at a frantic pace all morning long, as punters scrounge through collections of second hand models, books and DVD's and seem to enjoy haggling over a $5 item in the hope of fetching a bargain. For an author such as myself, it becomes even more hit-and-miss given that I am essentially selling a new book alongside tables full of second hand ones. In 2022 it was a huge success for me. But 2023... no so much.

Was that quite possibly my final stand-alone book appearance?

Occasions such as this have become a bit of a rarity for myself since my days of touring Australia's east coast as an aspiring author. Along with this year's huge All Gauge MRC July sale day, I had already committed to hosting a book stand at this year's British Railway Modellers of Australia Convention being held in my home city of Brisbane over the weekend of the 22nd to 24th September. Given that I will shortly sit down to write my 23rd and final book, I dare say there won't be another event such as this for me again. Conventions aside, it's just not a conducive environment for an author to be amongst.

Still, the morning doubled as a social outing, an excuse for a chat with people who follow the Philden Model Railway blog, and a chance to see what items of interest I could fossick through amongst the tables. It was equal parts nostalgic... and a little sad, knowing items that were once of great value could be found in various states of repair for a few bucks. Who knows? Maybe one day my own books will be sitting there on a table alongside a box set of Michael Portillo's Great British Railway Journey DVD's with a $5 price tag on it. That's how it goes right?

I only hope I'm not around to see it!