Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Orfe Quay and Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae at Warley at Statfold 

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Two members’ layouts were at the Warley at Statfold show; Bernie’s Orfe Quay and LBH’s Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Orfe Quay

A general view of Orfe Quay

The Metro tank also ran on Hadley Town. 
Built by the late Vic Halliwell, it had run on the layout many years ago, soon after Paul Jones built it. 

Bernie would like to thank Alastair for all his help, together with Pete Rigby and Michael Sykes of EMGS for their help at the end.

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae

Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae erected and ready for operation.

On loan from the Tanat Valley, GWR 2-4-0T No 1179 approaches Rhyd-y-Gwern halt with a short rake of B&MR four-wheel coaches.

A Victory class, a Minerva product, wheels reprofiled for Scaleseven but awaiting a repaint, eases a short freight through Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae in the Caerphilly direction. 
1197 again, this time with a close-coupled GWR set
Some TVR stock, painted by Dave Studley and borrowed from Wagonman

And some even stopped to look!

Thanks to the volunteer operators, Luke, Rob, Rhobat, Andrew J and Alastair. for operating and their compsany on a great weekend,

Fiji

As well as having show halls, Statfold also has the real thing. A special train for exhibitors was organised.

Orfe Quay and Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae at Warley at Statfold  Read More »

Week ending 13th October

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Monday saw five of us at the club; Andrew J was working on Lyne Road, creating a bank at the back of the station area; Rhobat contemplating repainting the whitemetal GWR ex-Barry Class G 0-4-4T we saw back in w/e 15 September while Mr Chairman, Paul🏅🏅and LBH preparing Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae for its trip to Warley at Statfold on Friday. Switchblades were freed up and electromagnet switch cabling corrected. But nothing found its way to the camera.

Tuesday was busy with further preparation for Warley at Statfold. Which meant that Friday’s attendance was just a few of us with again little to report. But here are some pics from the show over the weekend.

Week ending 13th October Read More »

Week ending 6th October

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Many shoulders to the wheel one Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae on Monday

Paul 🏅🏅made a removable shelf for the Tar Works siding on Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae. The split in the sleepers is a quick conversion from 0 gauge to S7!

Elsewhere Mr Chairman made up sprung inside-bearing units for S7 wheel sets for some wagons and Andrew J ground the old 0 gauge axles out, while LBH attended to some areas that were tight to gauge.

Conversion of this little beauty will have to wait for a few weeks though.

Tuesday’s Talk featured a presentation on Rhobat’s proposed layout. With the aim of keeping it simple and achievable it will be in 00 with a through mainline and a few sidings. It will be called Silstwn and is based on Gileston on the Barry Railway. Following on from that in a similar vein Andrew N ran us through his list of ‘Welsh stations that would make good models’. Then LBH had some additional pics gleaned from the internet.

Week ending 6th October Read More »

Week ending 29 September 2024

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Monday saw us getting things straight in the clubrooms, having quickly dumped ABB off after a long and fraught journey back from Scaleforum. LBH erected Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae in the vacant space in preparation for its trip to Warley at Statfold in a couple of weeks time.

Mr Chairman gave a casual glance to a 3d-printed smokebox/tank/fittings component for a TVR Class V from Taff Vale Models and pronounced himself very satisfied with the result.

Fred has done a great job finishing off LBH’s ADR No 14, here see posing at Rhyd-y-Gwern Halt.

LBH made a couple of additions to Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae in the form of a water crane (which still needs to be bedded in) and a storage tank in the Alma Tar Works.

Wagonman has completed a BR(WR) Autocoach in 0 Gauge.The trailer is a Hawkesworth A38 from an Orion kit – (now marketed by Ragstone) – finished in the lined crimson livery adopted from 1957- W223W was allocated to Gloucester in 1964 and was used on the final Gloucestershire Railway Society tour of the Cirencester and Tetbury branches before the railbus services ceased – also would have been a regular on the Chalford auto-service which finished in October 1964.

Here’s the same coach with its more modern partner. It is correct for the final service on the Chalford autotrains out of Gloucester. Loco 1472 was also at 85B at this time

Also from Wagonman is this composite coach from a Haywood Models kit. It will be used as the centre car of a three coach set suitable for secondary services.

Next on Wagonman’s list is a corridor connection – here we see it opening and closing.

Week ending 29 September 2024 Read More »

Week ending 14 July 2024

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Monday at the club had the usual tidying up theme. Inevitably lots of bits were thrown in my workbox at the end.

The only major problem with Pavilion End at the show was the failure of a point mechanism. Its position was too difficult for an immediate fix so the drive has been positioned to come from the rear of the layout instead from under the platform. The next steps are to connect a servo onto the other end, connect the drive, disguise the tube and reposition the ground signal.

On Tuesday Luke came with some lovely NG stock from Bachmann. The loco represents the Alice class from Dinorwic Quarry and the wagons are very good too.

We took the cliched opportunity to contrast two locos, both to 7mm scale – Dave’s 42xx and Luke’s Quarry Hunslet

Friday and a much better attendance than the usual four. There were 8 of us plus one visitor.

On Pavilion End the wire-in-tube drive has been connected up and hot glued in place. It curves around so that the servo can be close to its controlling circuit board to make plugging in easier. The turnout has been tested and all is satisfactory.

When he wasn’t installing point servos TAFKASTYS spent some time grinding away on the goods shed for T’yn y Coedcae blending in some new stonework. With 9 bodies present space was at a premium, so the corridor is being used to work out how to recycle ex-LMJ legs into supports for Luke’s shunting layout, advised by Wagonman.

Week ending 14 July 2024 Read More »

Week ending 16 June 2024

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An all-clubroom week this week.

Not many model photos from Monday, despite a good attendance.

TAFKATYS has made some progress on the Goods Shed for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae and it is seen here in situ. Don’t be misled by the cerise hue; it’s an effect of the light passing through the curtains during a rare spell of sunshine.

A review of period images of south Wales’ pubs, principally here showed that rendered pubs were generally painted a very pale colour, probably while with the lowest 3-4 foot being a dark colour, probably black. Hence the repainting we see here and the mock up of the finishing,

The regular reader will notice the name change, chose to reference the Abergavenny location and its association with Crawshay Bailey, Junior.

Mike E brought along a whitemetal kit for a Midland 2P – a typical S & D loco. it was something unearthed from a cupboard. You can see the date on the wonderful instructions. Mike claims probably bought it about 20 years ago.

On Tuesday Mr Chairman continued to battle with the 4MT. A new hole has been drilled in a more convenient spot for the wires and leaving space for the connecting plug and socket. (under the centre axle)

But bits keep coming adrift. The black locating tab by the rear axle came off and resisted both butanone and superglue. It’ll have to be araldite next.

By Friday the low level light black paint had been applied, but it’ll need to be toned down before we’re finished.

And the lean-to, which will eventually be at the other end of the terrace, gained corrugated-iron roof.

For the row of houses a start has been made on some of the details. The chip shop frontage has been put together and awaits priming.

The ‘fret’ to the right are the parts for doors and windows of a single house. The door is three layers and the windows two. The glazing will be two separate pieces attached to the back, and I haven’t worked out yet how to do an open window.

The wiring is nearly complete on the 4MT with a plug attached to the tender sub-chassis. Having done some fiddly soldering in there I was keen to give it a test run. I thought trying to get the last two wires in (from the tender pickups) was pushing my luck. The test was successful, it still runs smoothly.

Week ending 16 June 2024 Read More »

NEWGOG update

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Pavilion End made its third appearance at NEWGOG but improved by additions to give more of a South Wales feel since its first outing. The coal train is headed by 4248, shedded at Ebbw Jct, the mixed freight is behind 666, and ex-ADR Victory tank, and the workman’s train now has three 4-wheeled coaches with real (or dubious) stories.

Ty’n-y-Coedcae was also at the show and also sported a Victory tank from an earlier era (and dubious colour). There is plenty of stock to make the yard look busy. What is stored in the fiddle yard is always of interest, particularly the Cambrian brake van – a very nice model.

A little damage to the fiddle yard track was repaired quickly before the exhibition opened.
Since its last outing the halt has gained a lamp.
The two B&MR dropside wagons in the Engineering train are Luke’s first essays in Scaleseven.
TAFKATYS’s Cambrian stock looked and ran well

And the surprise event of the day was the 1200 mm free-fall plummet.

The Ty’n-y-Coedcae entry was a Minerva Victory tank, which despite the fall, the most serious damage was this dent to one buffer. It says volumes for Minerva’s build quality.

NEWGOG update Read More »

Are you sitting comfortably . . .

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Reports this week might well be minimal as layouts are prepared for the NEWGOG show on Saturday. And what is more typical of preparations than grovelling under the baseboard trying to find out why it’s not working properly. This was Tuesday and the drive to the point blades was eventually fixed by careful adjustment.

By the end of Wednesday the electromagnets for uncoupling were operational too.

Friday before the show and some last minute preparations. The GWR autocoach is without a bogie as it is being fitted with Scaleseven wheels. The other bogie has already been done but work has stopped on the second as one of the wheel bearings is missing. A search of the floor and clothing, by a couple of people found nothing. The bearing is a special shape so TAFKATYS started to bodge one out of brass tubing and a Dremel. On asking ‘Show me what the wheel looks like’ the missing bearing was revealed. The coach from Dapol is a cracking model.

Are you sitting comfortably . . . Read More »

First outing.

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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

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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.
A hint of what might run at the show.

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.

More Preparation Read More »

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