Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae – Page 2 – Newport Model Railway Society

First outing.

11 February 2024 / Monmouth, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

11 February saw Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae’s first exhibition at the Monmouth Rotary Club Exhibition.

Click the settings cog to pick the caption language. You may also view a similar video on YouTube here (mp4 file) or here (ogg file).

With a little help from my friends ..

Just in this view we have an ex-ADR loco and three wagons borrowed from Peter Drost, GBV and platelayers’ hut built and painted by MrC, backscene designed by Bernie, running-in board and chairs painted by Fred, old backscene removed by Paul 🏅, Andrew made the FPL cover.

So a bit more than just a little help!

A GWR Pontypridd to Newport service rattles through Rhyd-y-Gwern Halt.

First outing. Read More »

More Preparation

9 February 2024 / GBV, PBV, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

The NDR brake van is just about finished and ready for duty on Sunday at the Monmouth show.

*Luke’s suggestion of a private siding behind the wall looks good.*

With the goods shed not yet available a quick mock-up was made to block the view of exit to the fiddle yard.

Meanwhile Wagonman has started on a NE 6 wheel brake.

By the end of the evening the Goods Shed had acquired a rough coat of paint and a wooden FPL cover was fitted (Andrew N also made a hinged metal cover which will be fitted after the exhibition.

And Luke finished building and painting the layout nameboard.

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Lineside

5 February 2024 / control panel, Lineside, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Andrew N turned up with a couple of items for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae – a gradient post showing how the line climbs from the valley floor towards Caerphilly and a milepost in true B&MR style denoting 5 3/4 miles from Bassaleg.

Also from Andrew, but not photographed, were some components for the Facing Point Lock.

Elsewhere, out of shot, Rhobat continued with the yard crane and LBH wired up the west fiddle yard.

MrChairman worked on the cabling from the control panel to the Alex Jackson coupling magnets.

The relative simplicity here contrasts with panels 20 plus years ago when one could hear the phrase “knit me a control panel, Nellie” when work was in progress.

A bit more linesidary sprouted up on Tuesday, in the shape of a fixed lamp, that was installed at the halt to show drivers where the halt was in the hours of darkness.

Fred produced a running-in board for the halt, setting it off well.

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Lineside Read More »

Further brake van progress

3 February 2024 / GBV, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

The full brake gear can be seen with the pull rod running to the handbrake wheel. The folded up long footboards have had the brackets strengthened with wire, though if you look carefully some of the very delicate riveted fixings have broken off. After fixing they are quite strong though. there are short upper footboards too along with the hand brake column and safety loops which were bent up from wire as none were provided in the kit. with these components fitted the van is nearly ready for painting.

Further brake van progress Read More »

After the mess

31 January 2024 / cassettes, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

With the Evostik cleaned off the floor more of the cassettes could be assembled. At the front are three loco-sized ones, properly weighted down while the glue sets. The long cassette to the back only has one of the aluminium angles glued in so it can be left to set. It is much easier to check and guarantee the correct gauge over the 1.2 m length if both aluminium strips are not able to shift on the glue.

After the mess Read More »

Lifting the horizon

30 January 2024 / Backscene, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

As suggested on the post of the 29th (was it only Monday?) raising the backscene by just a couple of inches paid dividends. The 3-d model and the 2-d back scene gel together better now. Hopefully some of the shadows will disappear when the lighting is set up and the backscene gets flattened out a bit.

Looking West

Looking East

A lone Bedwas coal wagon, not far from home, poses in a couple of locations in front of the backscene.

Lifting the horizon Read More »

Another fine mess

30 January 2024 / GBV, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

There seems to be a bit of a theme around glue developing. Back around the 12th LBH made a mess with PVA, ending up with what looked like a Christmas cake. My effort on Monday was smaller and easier to clean but much smellier. (I was attempting to stick some cassettes together)

NBR brake van kit, partially built — *The GBV has some wheels now but the bearings are so stiff it really is a **brake** van.*

*Here are the real brakes*. *The safety loops are needed next*.

Another fine mess Read More »

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Goods Shed

29 January 2024 / Goods Shed, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Regular readers may have noticed an empty area in the east (Right-hand) end of Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae, this is the space that has been set aside for the Goods Shed.

TAFKATYS is casting it and here is the progress so far.

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae Goods Shed Read More »

A backscene

29 January 2024 / Backscene, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

*The first view of Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae’s backscene. Lighting needs to be applied and if we can raise it a bit I think it’ll look better – the horizon could be a bit higher.*

Here’s the aluminium frame in pieces, on the left and below (I hope) erected.

A backscene Read More »

Tar Works wall and a PBV

27 January 2024 / PBV, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Wagonman’s progress is unrelenting – he has just started on an ex-NER Passenger Brake Van based on a D&S kit.

Tke long-running saga of the Tar Works wall is approaching its denouement having been stuck down. We probably need a little more to show of the works itself now. Out of shot Paul 🥇 was painting the fascia, MrC was assembling cassettes as well as continuing with the GBV and Luke was preparing the name baord.

Tar Works wall and a PBV Read More »