Cwm Carno – Newport Model Railway Society

Ammonia in Cwmcarno

13 July 2026 / Cwm Carno

While at Larkrail Bernie delivered four ammonia tank wagons, which will make up one of the well known traffic movements seen on the Brecon and Merthyr as it approached its final years and will fit in well on Cwmcarno.

Ammonia in Cwmcarno Read More »

Hello Halo

6 July 2026 / Cwm Carno

Not a Beatles’ lyric but welcoming the ‘halo’ or fascia top on Cwmcarno.

Hello Halo Read More »

No, we’re not dragging you off to Middle Earth, but showing a comparison between two water towers, both intended to portray Brecon and Merthyr prototypes. On the left is a printed resin one for Cwmcarno and on the right, the example on Llanastr, which is made up from individually carved plasticard stones (which took yonks to make).

As well as train/track testing Luke mocked up the bridges for on Cwmcarno, while MrC sorted out the Dingham couplings on two coaches that will represent the Newport – Brecon train.

And LBH finally erected Llanastr on its own frame.

The Newport – Brecon service was either two or three coaches, more often three. The two seen here fit into the short Cwm Carno platform better.

The Two Towers Read More »

Remember when beer was 75p a pint?

30 June 2026 / Cwm Carno, Llanastr

That’s what a pint cost when Llanastr was first exhibited. LBH has dragged it out again in anticipation of its trip to Larkrail next week.

Newly acquired is the RCH 1907 coal wagon from the Rapido range. It has been simply re-wheeled to S4 but will need weighting and weathering if its to get a trip to Bath.

The has been some chat in the club recently on buffer (and occasionally butter) stops, so here’s a view of the sole example on Llanastr.

In the meantime work progressed on Cwmcarno, landscaping and building the mount for its lighting ‘halo’.

Remember when beer was 75p a pint? Read More »

Too – hot

27 June 2026 / Cwm Carno

Monday and it was warm but not yet unpleasant. On Tuesday the workroom was bearable and the layout room hot. That day Wagonman brought along the current projects, both the result of progress outside in the sun.

By Friday the workroom was really hot, as was the layout room. Nevertheless, Luke was able to get some terra-forming done on Cwm Carno

Too – hot Read More »

Two

19 June 2026 / Cwm Carno

Just two at the club tonight, Luke and LBH, and Cwmcarno was the priority Luke continued to test stock and fettle track and fiddle yards and LBH did a bit on the Glan Carno Arms.

The Glan Carno Arms, a tied house serving Rhymney Beers, in the making.

Two Read More »

More testing

17 June 2026 / Cwm Carno, Hogwash and Balony

A quietish Tuesday evening but quite productive.

Mike E is riveting some brass strip to represent a reinforcing beam for his Hogwash and Baloney Railroad.

LBH fabricated a bunch of cassette alignment/power connection clips for Cwmcarno.

Luke completed wiring up the final fiddle yard allowing more through test running.

Testing times

16 June 2026 / Cwm Carno

With Cwmcarno’s visit to Scaleforum approaching track and stock is going through as testing my sequence.

Here we see Rob F’s Western successfully traversing all the track the layout, except under the screens where it is out of gauge anyway.

Testing times Read More »

All hands to the pumps

13 June 2026 / Cwm Carno

With the weeks slipping away before Cwmcarno is due to go to Scaleforum and the space now being available to erect it fully following the clear-outs most of this evening’s efforts.

Luke installing the electrical connections for the fiddle yard cassettes.

Mr Chairman on the colliery fiddle yard.

LBH has started painting the Glan Carno arms,

and brought a newly-acquired ScaleSeven BR(WR) 56xx to try on the test track.

Mr C was laying in the track from the colliery sidings into the fiddle yard.

Luke’s work resulted in the fist running from the layout onto a cassette and back out.

All hands to the pumps Read More »

09 June

10 June 2026 / Cwm Carno

Monday was another mucking out day with more stuff taken to the tip. This week was more small stuff with lots of drawers being sorted and re-labelled.

Tuesday involved a lot of shifting layouts around to allow ABB and Cwmcarno to both be erected.

So Cc now has all fiddle yards in place and the latest constructions tried in situ. Note the obligatory mug of tea.

Opening the ‘signal box’ reveals the signal options created by Andrew N. The starter signal is either very early with only one colour light, or early with two colours, or later somersault type or finally GWR standard. The ground signals are rotating (out of focus) or GW.

09 June Read More »