About Me

A Bit about me:

Having grown up next to one of the Peak District Quarry Lines I have always been fascinated with trains and started collecting 00 gauge models from a very early age. My very first set “The Mighty Mallard” was very much cherished until my younger brother “dismantled” the loco and the rest of it while I was at junior school one day! This was only a small hiccup and I have been collecting and picking up new, but mostly used pieces of rolling stock and locos since. What I have been astonished about though is just how expensive models have become and how the younger generation of modellers are being put off by such expensive costs.

A class 66 Trundles past my childhood home.
The extended XZY sidings in Buxton, Derbyshire.

As a Design and Technology teacher I have always been fascinated with CAD/CAM and new and upcoming technologies such as 3D printing. I Purchased my first 3D printer (an XYZ mini) back in 2017 and after the initial euphoria, it was only used for a few “bits and bobs” and became another piece of equipment laying around the house collecting dust.

My first 3D Printer – XYZ Mini

It wasn’t until the first Covid lockdown of March/April 2020 (when I had some free time!) that I thought lets have a go and try and model a simple 00 gauge wagon.

With a bit of reverse engineering I was able to CAD model a rough prototype and print it. It was a success to a degree but the quality was certainly lacking due in part to the relatively basic XYZ printer that I purchased back in 2017 (See pictures below) Wanting a better quality print I upgraded my 3D printer to a Prusa MK3+ in April 2021

Reverse Engineering a 00 gauge wagon
The first 3D Printed model with the less than average quality

This allowed me to create more accurate and better detailed models and to a quality that was commercially viable. The quality of Prusa MK3+ (named Peter) was in fact so good and accurate that it has also allowed me to model the wheels for the rolling stock too, it did take 56 prototypes to get the wheels spot on mind you!

My current set up with “Peter” the Prusa MK3+ 3D Printer
3D Printed Wheels

And so since April 2021 (in whatever spare time I can find) I have steadily been updating my original CAD models and adding to them along with producing the logo and the website for the brand. The drive to produce quality models at affordable prices for all is still the driving force behind what I do today and with the recent purchase of a Prusa Mini+ (named Parker!) I have been able to increase production quantity and speed.

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