Cwm Carno

Hotter Friday evening

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The heat built up through the week and it was close to uncomfortable in the layout room.

During the week LBH did some laser cutting with MDF and included setting curves for the mainline on Cwmcarno. Unfortunately the cutting was not thorough and had to be finished off with a Stanley knife, hence some ragged edges. The curve looks smooth though.

(Some buildings have been moved around and are not in the right places)

And despite the heat we had a visit from Mike G with one of his latest creations an ex-GWR large prairie.

For more info on its construction pop over to Mike’s workshop blog on Western Thunder

Hotter Friday evening Read More »

A Milestone for Cwm Carno

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Track laying continued on Monday. Well actually last Fridays work was checked and preparation made for the next stage of laying in the main line. The curve is pretty smooth but not yet stuck down. Then the first turnout in the exchange sidings was tried in place, though its not yet time to lay.

A Milestone for Cwm Carno Read More »

Week Ending 5th July

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Having taken receipt of the the last two LMJ boards Wagonman put all three together as a start of the process of conversion into its new guise.

Modellers abhor a vacuum!

The space made available by the LMJ board’s removal was quickly invaded by LBH.

Paul🏅🏅 has assembled and painted a pair of shelves for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae to hold coffee and the NCE Powercab.

Our Wizard is getting on nicely with the tender of B&MR ‘Usk’ (or ‘Wye’)

And to finish the Monday report a start has been made on the laying the track work on Cwm-carno, and following some helpful comments from sharp eyed readers of the entry on the Scalefour forum.

Tuesday was the first in July so we met on-line with a range of presentations. Mr C started us off with pictures gleaned from the internet showing LNWR 4 cylinder compound freight engines and 2-4-0s. Mike E had some pics of incredibly small shunting engines from Italy, though built in Germany. Steve Bell had yet more photos of the Cambrian lines, fascinating as usual, while Rod’s selection was from South Wales. Luke updated us on his latest project which utilises the baseboard for the Peco 200 challenge. Called Queen’s Wharf it is based on Towyn on the Talyllyn Railway. Finally Paul W showed us his scratch-built improvements to the tender of his 78xxx in 7mm.

On Friday there was a significant step forward on Cwmcarno with the first turnout to be laid. After careful siting and marking the position on Monday, the Evostic was applied and the main turnout stuck down and weighted in place with pieces of steel. We can now get on with laying the mainline through the station.

The second turnout in the view will have to be laid later as it needs aligning with this main turnout and exchange sidings crossover which has now been started.

Turnouts for the exchange sidings started.

Week Ending 5th July Read More »

As the days start to shorten ….

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Six at the club today, Andrew J working on the road bridge for Lyne Road and Paul S started the fabrication of a couple of shelves for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae, ….

Rhobat continued work on his Hunslet Jazzer kit in OO from the CSP range.

Currently he is working on the footsteps, attaching a fiddly triangular strengthening piece with the aid of a jig he prepared.

Mr Chairman is finishing off the problematic area at the end of the terrace on ABB, planting this tree as a view blocker.

Paul W was using his scratchbuilding skill fabricating a brakeblocks and hangers for his 78000 Mogul.

LBH progressed with his COT turnout, completing filing up and then fitting the switch blades. Stretcher bar next.

Tuesday and it’s close to the time to lay the first turnout on Cwmcarno. Here Mr C and TAFKATYS sort out the method for driving the point blades (wire in tube from a remote servo) and how to go about the wiring (Drill holes later and solder the wires in) and checked for trackbed flatness.

As the days start to shorten …. Read More »

Too warm Friday?

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The hottest day of the year and only three of us ventured to the rather warm clubrooms. Mr Chairman gave some attention to laying the newly completed turnouts on Cwm-Carno and reviewing our options for plain track.

Wagonman completed the construction of a LNER-design Goods Brake Van, modified by BR as it was running in the Forest of Dean in the ’60s.

LBH started the building of a COT turnout by forming and fitting the check rails
next was filing up and fitting the rails that form the Vee
then the wing rails.
and finally for the evening the stock rails were formed and one blade (almost) filed up.

Too warm Friday? Read More »

Monday 16 June

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Five of us made it to the club on Monday. Paul 🏅🏅 fitted a DCC socket (there’s no doubt a better name for it – I probably should have said fascia panel) on TyCc, Mr Chairman continued with the track work on Cwm-Carno fitting the inside halves of the chairs and LBH assembled a Loading Gauge kit, also intended for TyCc. Andrew J and the Wizard continued with their own projects, but away from the camera.

Monday 16 June Read More »

Week ending May 25

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Monday was very lightly attended with quite a few people gallivanting around the country.

The garage / workshop as had some colour applied to the side and roof, and the fence stuck in place. We now need some debris and junk to go in the corner around where the tree will go.

On Tuesday the workshop had more paint applied and it was turned around with the doors at the correct end.

The good looking 82xxx from Lionheart is having some attention from the Welsh Wizard. The handrails are very fragile so will be removed and replaced with nickel silver wire.

The station building for Mike E’s Hogwash and Balony short line continues to take shape with the windows going in today.

For Cwmcarno the second turnout is nearing completion and is being tried in place on the layout with the one made previously. The first shot looks down the valley with the mainline curving to the right. The second one looks out from the exchange sidings.

Friday was extremely lightly attended – just myself and Robert making his second visit to the club. He came with some electrical questions that I was unfortunately unable to answer.

Having decided to have one of the doors on the workshop in the open position, I tried to carefully cut it out. However, it broke at the weak point where the windows were, so I made a replacement out of plastikard. To make the doors into a pair I later removed the window bars from the other one.

Week ending May 25 Read More »

Almost Easter

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Monday saw a quiet afternoon meeting, the Wizard painting the stonework for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae’s goods shed, LBH on barrels and cable drums and Mr C on Cwmcarno track work.

More around on Tuesday, The Wizard and LBH carrying on much as before. Mike E bringing a collection on Fuchsia cuttings to act as pit props on Cwmcarno; The specification being
1” diameter per 1 ft of prop. Pit props were cut to 7, 8, and 9 ft lengths, and cut to shorter lengths underground. TAFKATYS, Luke and Wagonman discussed chassis construction, particularly in respect of Luke’s Railbus and S7 0-4-0 tank.

Luke has also completed a water column for Cwmcarno, seen here posing with its big brother on Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae, the different colouring reflecting the variation in south Wales sandstone with red predominating further south.

Our resident Wizard completed the repaint of the Goods Shed for TyCc.

Also from Luke were some very welcome homemade Hot Cross Buns.

Friday was more trackwork from Luke and Mr C. For the project we had been donated two common crossings (1 in 6) and three V’s for the four turnouts in bullhead track. So two more common crossings are needed. So Mr C made a quick jig by mixing up some Milliput and pressing the made-up crossing into it to form a template. You can see before and after pics below. The first resulting crossing looks good and checks out with the gauges.

LBH has been working on a few bits and pieces to populate Tý’n-y-Coedcae.

Almost Easter Read More »

Week ending April 13

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Next up on the exhibition timetable is ABB at the Scalefour Crewe show in June.

After the Ally Pally show some suggestions were made to improve the triangular supports, commonly known as Toblerones. So on Monday Paul 🏅🏅added a flap that hangs too the side of the toblerone but can be deployed across the top giving a wider flat surface. This will make it easier to add any packing necessary for uneven floors. Also the bottoms of them was trimmed to form feet rather than one flat edge.

Although ABB’s trip to Crewe remains on the horizon Cwmcarno has not been forgotten. Luke, under the watchful eye of Mr Chairman has completed his first turnout, and yes, it is in P4. Construction is nickel silver bullhead rail fixed to copperclad timbers with Masokits chairs.

So that is two of the five assembled.

With only three at the club in Friday it could be said this was the best turnout of the day. (Sorry)

Week ending April 13 Read More »

Into April

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What, it’s already April?!!!

At Monday’s club session we received this mock-up for the station building on Cwmcarno. The terrace behind is only temporary being some built for another layout.

The Zoom meeting on Tuesday was lightly attended. Preparations for the NEWGOG show continued while we were on-line, holding over any presentations until next month.

Friday was preparation for the NEWGOG show followed by the exhibition itself on Saturday. Of course club traditions were observed and the layout performed well with perhaps too much (!) stock available.

Into April Read More »

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