Rodney Hall – Page 9 – Newport Model Railway Society

Monday Monday

26 February 2024 / 31577, Frecclesham

Four of us present, TAFKATYS managed to return from a skiing holiday with all limbs intact and worked with MrC preparing Frecclesham for Ally Pally. Rhobat continued work on a crane for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae and LBH on the ADR two-plank wagons.

The conversion of Pol Sands to Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae made available a typical Southern Railway concrete line side hut, which became earmarked for use on Frecclesham to hide some point actuators after it was deemed that the World War II pillbox wasn’t quite up to scratch. However, given the relative sizes we shall need to be a bit inventive in order to make it work. Watch this space.

The Wainwright D class engines are very elegant and look good with the Birdcage set. These coaches have been improved by the addition of magnetic couplings which makes forming the set so much easier. Also the couplings have been shortened for a more realistic close-coupled appearance.

Monday Monday Read More »

Friday 23rd February

23 February 2024 / ADR Wagons, Frecclesham, Prickley Pear

A quietish Friday with cleaning underway on Frecclesham .

With the scenic side of Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae largely attended to and the baseboards disassembled while Frecclesham is readied for its trip to Ally Pally LBH reverted to type and went back to building wagons. This time he is trying the Prickley Pear wagon springing units for some ADR two-plank wagons. The solebars on the wagons will need to be eased slightly to allow the rocking units to move.

Another visitor to Frecclesham was Luke’s Dapol Terrier. This also ran successfully and tested the now adjusted turnouts. Luke also was busy removing accumulated dust from the surfaces with a trusty brush and vacuum. Hopefully you can see the difference it makes in the last picture where the darker area below the ground signal has been swept clean.

Friday 23rd February Read More »

Back to DCC?

16 February 2024 / BPRC, DCC, Manning Wardle, Minerva

The space available for a battery in a Manning Wardle Class K has proven to be too limited so it is reverting to DCC and thus pickups will be required. Unfortunately the perfectly good OEM ones were removed and have gone astray so some new ones will need to be fabricated.

*Fitted with a DCC decoder and reunited with its body, it ran but not well and LBH will need to give a bit more attention to the pickups.*

Back to DCC? Read More »

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Lineside

5 February 2024 / control panel, Lineside, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Andrew N turned up with a couple of items for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae – a gradient post showing how the line climbs from the valley floor towards Caerphilly and a milepost in true B&MR style denoting 5 3/4 miles from Bassaleg.

Also from Andrew, but not photographed, were some components for the Facing Point Lock.

Elsewhere, out of shot, Rhobat continued with the yard crane and LBH wired up the west fiddle yard.

MrChairman worked on the cabling from the control panel to the Alex Jackson coupling magnets.

The relative simplicity here contrasts with panels 20 plus years ago when one could hear the phrase “knit me a control panel, Nellie” when work was in progress.

A bit more linesidary sprouted up on Tuesday, in the shape of a fixed lamp, that was installed at the halt to show drivers where the halt was in the hours of darkness.

Fred produced a running-in board for the halt, setting it off well.

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Lineside Read More »

Lifting the horizon

30 January 2024 / Backscene, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

As suggested on the post of the 29th (was it only Monday?) raising the backscene by just a couple of inches paid dividends. The 3-d model and the 2-d back scene gel together better now. Hopefully some of the shadows will disappear when the lighting is set up and the backscene gets flattened out a bit.

Looking West

Looking East

A lone Bedwas coal wagon, not far from home, poses in a couple of locations in front of the backscene.

Lifting the horizon Read More »

Let there be light

30 January 2024 / Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae. Lighting

Paul🥇has finished building and fitting the lighting enclosure. Now LBH needs to wire it up!

Let there be light Read More »

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Goods Shed

29 January 2024 / Goods Shed, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Regular readers may have noticed an empty area in the east (Right-hand) end of Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae, this is the space that has been set aside for the Goods Shed.

TAFKATYS is casting it and here is the progress so far.

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Goods Shed Read More »

A backscene

29 January 2024 / Backscene, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

*The first view of Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae’s backscene. Lighting needs to be applied and if we can raise it a bit I think it’ll look better – the horizon could be a bit higher.*

Here’s the aluminium frame in pieces, on the left and below (I hope) erected.

A backscene Read More »

Tar Works wall and a PBV

27 January 2024 / PBV, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Wagonman’s progress is unrelenting – he has just started on an ex-NER Passenger Brake Van based on a D&S kit.

Tke long-running saga of the Tar Works wall is approaching its denouement having been stuck down. We probably need a little more to show of the works itself now. Out of shot Paul 🥇 was painting the fascia, MrC was assembling cassettes as well as continuing with the GBV and Luke was preparing the name baord.

Tar Works wall and a PBV Read More »