Riding Van – Newport Model Railway Society

Monday 8th September

8 September 2025 / B&MR 45, B&MR Usk, Cwm Carno, Frecclesham, Riding Van

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.

Monday 8th September Read More »

Week ending 3 August

28 July 2025 / 78xxx, ABB, Cwm Carno, Hogwash and Balony, Riding Van

This Monday we packed up ABB to create space for Frecclesham. We are due at the Stafford show at the end of September and Frecclesham hasn’t been operated for a while and does need some refreshing, so that goes up next.

Paul W has been working on his 78xxx kit in 7mm for some time. There were updates back in June. The tender is nearly complete and work has moved to the locomotive.

As supplied the kit has some inaccuracies and to correct them Paul W had to form a new spacer at the front of the chassis from a fresh piece of brass. This had to be measured, marked up and bent to avoid the fixing positions for pickups, yet form support for the cylinder blocks. (which need thinning down) Five folds were required which were achieved with the help of The Wizard at the first attempt.

Tuesday and more Hogwash and Baloney. This evening Mike E started to scratchbuild some girders for his short-line. This is for a modern addition to the scenario, so plate girders are in order, contrasting nicely with the wooden trestles seen previously. All parts were cut from 40 thou Plastikard.

Wagonman’s riding van now has a companion, a Tool Van, which is really a mobile workshop. These were normally paired this way in breakdown trains.

On Cwmcarno the pair of turnouts for the exchange sidings have come on well, been removed from the template and given a good clean with Viakal. The first pic shows them in place in the distance with all the remaining turnouts there too. So with plenty of bits of flexitrack available we ‘laid’ the rest of the formation as seen in the second pic. This shot is taken from the other end of the layout.

Friday was a quiet evening with only a select three present. The last part of the main line through the main platform was laid in as seen in the pic. Hopefully you can’t see the join. Also Wagonman Has been making girders for the river bridge which were tried in place and looked good, but no pic.

Then we moved on to trying to get the position of the next turnout correct, we think successfully. It was not stuck down as it needed the inside chairs to be installed. While Mr. C got on with that, Wagonman continued with his breakdown van and Paul🏅🏅tidied up some laser cut wood parts.

Week ending 3 August Read More »

A fresher week

23 July 2025 / Cwm Carno, Riding Van

Monday was another quiet day with some progress made. The layout room was much cooler with less heat and sun outside.To help with the design and planning of the channelised stream and bridge Paul 🏅🏅glued a wooden plate under the area so that there is a firm surface to work from.

By Tuesday some mock-up walls and were in place and dummy pillars in place either side. The span comes out at about 30ft. The view from the opposite side can be seen further below.

Tuesday had double the attendance of last week, but with different personnel being present. Discussion continued about the track over the stream. Should it be all ballasted or would it be better with longitudinal timbers supporting the rails? Our Wizard was unable to progress as his modelling glasses were at home but Wagonman continued with the latest project, a Riding Van usually employed in breakdown trains.

Friday and more progress with Cwmcarno. With the return of TAFKATYS some wood was laid in leading away from the first turnout to support the wire-in-tube for operation. It will be driven by servos and they are to be grouped under the colliery and accessible without grovelling on the floor. Meanwhile Mr. C was filing up three point blades for the exchange sidings crossing. Why three you ask as they are usually done in pairs? Well, one of the previous blades was filed upside-down. Mr C confesses to the error.

Using the facilities at the local Makerspace, LBH produced laser cut parts for the row of cottages. The design is a trial, but based on real ones from Abersychan, north of Pontypool. The parts were temporarily held together with masking tape and then tried in place. There are six units but we probably only need four. The angle looks about right, but they are sitting too high which can be reduced.

A fresher week Read More »