Competition Time!

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Steady progress on Cwncarno and Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae but not so much in front of the camera.

Spot the difference! Wagonman has built two brake vans that are similar, but not identical. How many differences can you spot? The prize for the best entry will be Free Admission to our up-coming open day.

And TAFKATYS has been working on the servos and control system for the turnouts on Cwmcarno.

The servos and control gear are mounted on the tops of the baseboard and will be accessible via a removable side panel.

Competition Time! Read More »

Under the Harvest Moon

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Perhaps the super moon kept few of us away, but nevertheless five of us attended.

Wagonman has completed this AA16 Toad using the WEP kit.

Fred is making good progress on Usk and here we see the prototype Dome and Safety Valve covers for fit. Both look right so they’ll now be cast in brass.

Under the Harvest Moon Read More »

October Zoom

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The first Tuesday of the month is when we hold our Zoom meetings and this one covered more on Clee Hill and the Dhu stone quarry railways with Mike E making sense of the images LBH showed last time, the Cambrian Railways in the GWR period from Stephen B, and a miscellany from LBH with un-sheeted wagon loads (including sheep!), PO wagons, coal mines and industrial railways.

October Zoom Read More »

Cwm Carno Progress

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Monday’s meeting was well attended, with work going on on Cwm Carno and Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae but the only photo we have is this of the Cwm Carno station building, which is yet to bedded-in, that Andrew N has just finished.

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September / October

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The week started with tidying up after the return from Stafford, storing Frecclesham and moving on to more work on Cwm Carno and Ty’n y Coedcae. Also Luke brought down Queen’s Wharf in its completed form as submitted to the PECO Rail200 Competition.

The components for the Cwm Carno exchange sidings sector plate turned up and a quick pre-assembly revealed that while a couple will need to be remade the overall structure is satisfactory.

September / October Read More »

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.

Frecclesham at the Stafford Show Read More »

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.

Week Ending 21 September Read More »

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.

Monday 8th September Read More »

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.

September already Read More »

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