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Week ending 9th February

Monday and our well-glued baseboard is set for ‘the test’. Will it fit into the intended vehicle? As long as it goes in low down for side clearance, it can be lifted up afterwards to allow items to be stored underneath. It is very light and we did notice that it will move in the wind.

Also Rhobat brought along the final prototypes for his Bryngaer Models Cambrian wagons. Looking very good.

And Rhobat completed the lineside hut for Cwm Carno.

First Tuesday of the month and we met on Zoom as usual. We looked at advance planning for which layouts need to be erected before they go on show, using Luke’s spreadsheet. Guided by LBH we visited a great variety of pubs from the Valleys seeking features to be included in the pub on Cwm Carno. (The Cordell Arms?) Then Mr Chairman talked about his visit to Bradenton MRC when on holiday in Florida over Christmas. SteveB continued down memory lane with pictures centred around the Cambrian mainline. (The Manors on the Cambrian Coast Express looked magnificent) Finally back to Luke for some Corris Railway and other narrow gauge pictures.

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Week ending 2nd February

Monday saw us starting to glue together the baseboard for Cwm Carno,

By the end of the afternoon we had glued the perimeter, with a number of strengthening blocks added the joints. And we see Mr Chairman applying some PVA.

And Rhobat is making a hut for Cwm Carno, the roof is yet to finished.

Gluing and clamping continued on Tuesday along with discussion of materials for the trackbase and its fixing.

While all this was in progress we did our first practise timetable with ABB. There were the expected usual issues with coupling/uncoupling, otherwise it was satisfactory. The slightly revised timetable was better, though it would have helped if the signalman, yard and driver all had the same version.

Friday, and five of us chose to not watch Wales trying to play rugby. The Cwm Carno baseboard had dried nicely and was light and rigid enough for an ancient club member to lift by himself. It was on its way to being inverted, so that the last strengthening pieces could be glued underneath with assistance from Luke.

Meanwhile, back in the workroom;

Wagonman continues with the Ditton Priors pannier tank and brought along photos of it at Newport Dock Street in the 50’s.

Luke has the boiler test-fitted in place and the bunker completed.

The Welsh Wizard continued working on a pannier tank that needed TLC.

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Week ending 26th January

Another week the club and a fair turnout on Monday

With the Scalefour Jubilee Challenge criteria specify that entrant layouts must fit in a car, so we checked that the Cwm Carno baseboard fitted in one. Here it is in LBH’s Peggie, and it just scraped in. We might need to trim some of the beams to make sure it’ll fit in satisfactorily and recheck regularly.

Elsewhere Rhobat was working on a hut, also for Cwm Carno.


Andrew N just finished ten (yes 10) of the 3dPrintolutions wagons to scalefour standards. Suspension methods include compensation and springing – both internal and external, unfortunately as they stand they are a bit too light (typically 22g) to run reliably so will need further weighting.

Friday brings a few adjustments (i.e. correcting where LBH messed up) to some of the components of Cwm Carno baseboard and it’s more-or-less ready for glueing.

The corrections included new slots at the correct levels being cut at the south end, though the chunky support piece also needs raising. And extra, smaller holes for wiring feeds were made.

Elsewhere Wagonman and Luke were working on their pannier and side tanks respectively.

Luke now has the inner sides of the tanks fitted, and after a clean with Viakal is looking the part.

Wagonman’s pannier tank is one of the Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors locos rebuilt by the GWR. This one will be GWR No 28 as you can see in the photo. The nice reversing lever in the cab was believed to have fallen on the floor and after a bit of scrabbling around was actually found up on the work surface. Typical!

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Week ending 19th January

On Monday a little reorganising was done. With the components for the Jubilee Challenge / Cwm Carno baseboards due to arrive this week, possibly, a work-surface was created to enable construction at a reasonable height rather than grovelling on the floor. Care was take to get it nice and flat.

It apparently didn’t occur to Poppy’s Woodtech that anyone would be daft enough to build a 7’6″ wheelbase wagon, but, yes, LBH is quite daft enough so the jig is being modified with an extra slot at 6′ to provide 7’6″ in combination with the +1’6″ slot.

In the background you can see the Gilvach (sic) wagon patiently awaiting its axleguards.

By the time Tuesday arrived plans had changed slightly and ABB needed to be erected, which with 8 weeks until its appearance at Ally Pally was a good move too. It was levelled (with some effort) and successfully tested for trackwork. Next will come uncoupling checks and cleaning.

Further vegetation for ABB appeared too.

Friday the laser-cut parts for the Jubilee Challenge/Cwm Carno were delivered chez LBH. And with the aid of Fred and his van transported to the club.

Within a few minutes the packing was opened revealing the fifty-odd components of the baseboard framework.
And just a further few minutes later the components fell together with surprising speed and ease, much to everyone’s (especially LBH’s) relief.

There a few errors that will need to be sorted out before the pieces are glued together. Mr Chairman and LBH can be seen plotting remedial action.

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Week ending 12th January

Monday, and BYR2 progresses further with holes cut in the ends for access to the fiddle yards. But the big challenge was . . . . . will it fit in the car?

Automatic tailgates will test whether it fits well. After the initial failure, moving the front seats forward a bit and straightening the baseboard, all was well.

Friday was the annual post-Christmas curry and drinks. As normal we went to Hatti for the meal, so with their usual bright blue lighting we didn’t take any photos.

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Welcome 2025

Friday 3 January saw a good turnout of nine people, Paul S fitted end protectors onto Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae, Wagonman prepared a Agenoria kit for an ex- CM&DPLR pannier tank, LBH worked on some weird wagons, Fred on a wagon kit, Andrew on his signal box and

Don brought his railcar along for a bit of attention, the original assemblers had been a tad too parsimonious with the solder allowing the bogie pivot to come adrift.

Ed worked on a kit for a pair of semis

Luke made good progress on his S7 0-4-0T

And TAFKATYS spent some valuable time planning the arrangement of his 0-16.5 layout, Bwthyn y Rhosod II with building mock-ups.

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2024’s last hurrah

Our last meeting of 2024 fell on a Monday. not many of us wishing to forfeit New Year’s Eve at home. LBH was very proud of himself for successfully changing a failed encoder in his NCE PowerCab,

Luke made a start on his first kit-built standard gauge loco, an 0-4-0T from a Connoisseur kit, which will be built to Scaleseven standards. Before long the footplate was assembled.

Paul S made a frame to allow Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae to be transported more safely.

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Christmas Party and Test Track Evening

Friday 20 December was the date chosen for our annual Christmas Party and Test Track Evening, this year 0 gauge being supplemented by 16.5 mm gauge for OO and 0-16.5.

The newly-released Lionhearted 3MT performed well straight from the box and garnered a lot of interest.
American short lines have engaged several members interest.
Luke’s quickly-progressing ModelT Railcar had a good run out.
Paul S almost answered the call for a Christmas Jumper, sporting an apt T-shirt.

Not captured in the photos but we and a couple of guests had a very enjoyable evening aided by some fine, often home made, foods and drink.

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Week commencing 16th December

Monday and Tuesday saw a fair bit of activity at the club with a particularly goos turnout on Monday.

Luke has finished assembling and painting his Loriot and is obviously becoming a dab hand at soldering (despite his protestations).

Wagonman (does he need a new moniker?) is still taking great strides with his mogul.

This is fast becoming the Gozzy Show with Luke making good progress with his Railcars, and, below some Tal-y-llyn coaches from 3d prints

And TAFKATYS has completed the baseboard and legs on his narrow gauge layout.

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