Frecclesham

Preparing Frecclesham

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Frecclesham has been assembled to ready it for the Bristol Show at Thornbury. With the track cleaned Wagonman brought along the Lyme Regis set and other coaches for checking. He also brought this charming Terrier – one of his collection of four of these engines. All performed properly.

A new addition to the rolling stock on Frecclesham is the dark maroon pull-push set hauled by D1 0-4-2 tank 2296. The loco has been available for some time and acted as a standby, but finally it has its own stock. At the other end of the locomotive scale is Bullied pacific ‘Croydon’ which is just performing its run-round. All three shots emphasise how a back-scene is valuable in ‘suspending disbelief’.

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Frecclesham at the Stafford Show

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We chose to drive up through the scenic Marches, stopping at Craven Arms for lunch, then cutting across to Stafford.

As expected the layout worked well with no major issues and members of the crew were able to entertain themselves, or even totally relax, between operating sessions.

The building is a little basic – no carpeted floors – but we were given plenty of space behind the layout. The clear shadows you can see gave us a problem with lighting the layout. In the two pics you can see the dark shadow cast towards the front. We may need to consider a filter material above.

Mr Chairman reached the ripe old age of 75 on the Sunday and was presented with a card, had Happy Birthday and Penblwydd Hapus sung, and then we all celebrated in the usual manner. N.B. the bottle was full at the start of the show.

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Just Monday and Tuesday

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We will be at the club just at the start of this week as we are away later on.

On Monday Andrew N brought along the station building for Cwm Carno, following on from the platform facing that arrived last week. This is based on a Brecon and Merthyr pattern of building. Also on Monday we tested the fascias and backscene for Frecclesham and messed up installing the backscene supports. So the uprights have now been labelled for their outer face and orientation.

Tuesday was packing up Frecclesham so the workroom and layout room were covered in boxes.

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Week Ending 21 September

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You can’t have too many cranes! Well, perhaps you can have a layout too small for cranes. TAFKATYS has been exercising his two SR breakdown cranes and now has a feasible train with the addition of the Birdcage Brake 3rd from Wagonman’s collection, as seen leaving the main platform. The second crane in the foreground has some damage and does not run so well so is a static exhibit for now. Both cranes were scratchbuilt by our late member Steffan Lewis. (Apologies for the rubbish background)

This week our time at the club was largely spent preparing for Frecclesham at Stafford with little new to show. I can report the Crane Train made an appearance in the most recent timetable session.

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Monday 8th September

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Monday saw five of us at the club, Andrew J working on Lyne Road scenics, Paul W on his BR Mogul and Mr C on Cwm Carno.

AlsoThe Wizard continues work on Usk and boiler and firebox are now fixed, allowing the temporary new safety valve cover and dome to be tried out in position for fit.

Meanwhile LBH did a little fettling on a new dome for B&MR 45 to replace the 3D-printed resin one.

Here is the narrower trackbed for the bridge girders on Cwm Carno. Whilst this position in the centre of the layout is scenically correct, it makes it very difficult to reach in and cut away the excess material.

Tuesday. In preparation for the Stafford Show The Wizard has weathered the P class built by TAFKATYS. Its shown posed on Frecclesham in th Bay road.

On Cwm Carno the next pointwork – the crossing in the reception sidings – has been laid in along with the headshunt. The red pin is there to locate that end in the correct position.

Wagonman has progressed with the tool van for his breakdown train.

Much of Friday’s energies went towards practicing operation on Frecclesham prior to its trip to Stafford.

But LBH did fine a few moments to apply some lettering to a S7 dead-buffered Gloucester five-plank wagon. This is what it should look like.

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September already

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On Monday the attendance was good with preparations on Frecclesham ahead of Stafford proceeding, more wiggly tin tomfoolery, this time in 7mm/ft, a wagon turntable for Queen’s Wharf and a few bits and pieces on Cwmcarno.

Tuesday evening was a Zoom session and we covered a range of topics. Initial discussion was about corrugated iron in 7mm scale following on from the previously seen form tool. (see previous post) Paul W talked us through his recent work on his 78xxx chassis with modifications to cylinders, crossheads and hornblocks, with provision of extra support for details. A ‘working’ Wakefield lubricator was discussed. Steve B’s Cambrian theme for this session featured interlopers – DMUs, Hymeks and EE type 3s, Southern 4-4-0s on Tal-y-llyn Railway specials, Royal trains, Radio Cruise and ex-LNER locos. Finally LBH had some photos and maps of the Clee Hill mineral railway and its rope-worked inclines.

Friday only two of us made it to the club with Luke working on the wagon turntables on Queen’s Wharf, and trialing various ballasting techniques.

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Week Ending 31 August

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Monday and stock is starting to appear on Frecclesham ready for the Stafford Show. Testing was successful with only the usual problems of auto-couplings going out of adjustment.

The long dry spell has affected the trees outside with many now shedding leaves. The same has happened on Frecclesham but this is due to the age of the layout. However, Tuesday’s job was to tidy them up and renew growth, as can be seen in the later photos. (other hair products are available)

LBH has a new toy – a form tool to produce model corrugated iron.

The form tool, designed for 4mm/ft and 3d-printed, to provide a scale 3″ pitch in that scale.
Paper 0.22 thick.
Aluminium foil, removed from a takeaway container, material 0.04 mm thick.
Aluminium foil, removed from a buffet platter, material 0.08 mm thick.

In LBH’s opinion the 0.04 mm produces the most convincing results, with a visible but subtle overlap. I wonder if we can find applications for it on ABB and Cwncarno.

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And next we have . . .

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Frecclesham at the Stafford Show 27th and 28th September. Therefore on Monday we played a bit of 3-D Tetris moving around Lyne Road, Ty’n y Coedcae, Cwmcarno, ABB to get Frecclesham erected in the layout room.

Then Cwmcarno went back roughly where it came from.

On Tuesday the next turnout was laid on Cwm Carno, leading into the exchange sidings, with the headshunt to the left. Whilst that was drying under some weights, Mr. C started to assemble the mock-up row of terraced houses. These had previously been prepared by Paul🏅🏅and shortened from 6 cottages down to 4. They are mock-ups with errors and putting them together highlighted the changes needed. We might go for the classic sloping roof-line rather than this stepped one.

And next we have . . . Read More »

London Weekend ’24

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It is an impressive venue. We were able to drive the van right inside so unloading was easy and dry. We celebrated the Friday with various liquids, warm tea, cold tea and beer.

There were a few small problems to sort out over the two days but nothing major. However, we will have to think about some dark material to put behind the backscene as the sunlight (yes, really!) streaming in highlighted the supports and joins at the back

There were many layouts there, but here are some of our favourites.

West End Drift EM and Llawryglyn EM, then The Yard 0/16.5 with vehicles and working crane.

Purgatory Peak with a selection of Shay locomotives and Harton Gill P4

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Final Preparations

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Over Monday and Tuesday finishing touches were made to Frecclesham in the scenic area and all the ‘stuff’ that goes to a show assembled. Then the layout room was reorganised with the layout and that stuff set out on the floor ready to load straight out of the doors and into the van on Friday morning. Note the lurid Hi-Vis jackets that we will be wearing during set-up and breakdown at the show.

The other image is of a wagon for Ty’n-y-Coedcae very close to completion. The body is a resin moulding from the HMRS of a Harrison & Camm wagon running on Bill Bedford springing units, which we understand are unavailable since the demise of Eileen’s Emporium.

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