Monday and TAFKATYS and Andrew N connected up the lights for Cwmcarno station. The lights will need to be toned/turned down.
Tuesday was a little destructive as Mr. C removed the troublesome track from the colliery sidings and will attempt to lay it for the third time.
Let there be light Read More »
Monday was more stock checking and coupling adjustment whilst Andrew N installed the lamps on Cwmcarno.
Tuesday was a Zoom meeting featuring Col. Stephens and his railcars from Albyn, a selection of photos including the Monmouthshire Railway Society at Blaenavon and Glascoed from Mr C and LBH completed showing his haul of pictures.
On Saturday 10th LBH took Crindau Pill (still a work in progress) to the Scale Seven show at Mark near Bridgewater. We were able to get some movement, answer questions and chat to people.
After the intensity of two exhibitions on the same weekend – quite a stretch for small club like ours, thing have quietened down a bit. Here we see Alastair working on an ex-LMS Stanier 3P 2-6-2T.
and LBH spend a while wiring up Crindau Pill before it goes to to the ScaleSeven Group’s National Show next week in Mark, Somerset.
Meanwhile Mr C was fettling some of the stock that underperformed at Swansea and High Wycombe.
Into the fourth quarter Read More »
Cwmcarno made it to Scaleforum 2026 to compete in the Jubilee Layout Challenge, despite some worries earlier in September.
And it all fitted into a normal family car – one of the criteria of the Challenge
We of course started things in the traditional manner (pity the tea always seems to get cold!)
Whilst the scenery was representative rather than detailed it still looked like South Wales as some visitors said. The running of the stock was less than perfect but nevertheless trains moved through the landscape.
Thanks to RedKiteRail for these three photos.
For the last hour on Sunday pre-grouping stock was to the fore.
Cwm Carno at Sforum ’26 Read More »
Only a week to go until Scaleforum so minds are concentrated on getting groundwork showing some vestige of colour.
The halo is off-scene having its lighting tidied up.
With more ground work done its beginning to look more like a bit of the valleys.
OK, the first report from Monday actually happened at the end of August, but lets not let it spoil an alliterative headline.
Mr C has finally assembled enough bits and pieces to stick outside the workshop on ABB.
On Tuesday the Zoom session featured Steve B from the middle of France with a mix of 6 wheel carriages as breakdown vans, Welshpool and Wrexham. Mike E visited northern Spain for the eclipse and also the railway museum at Gijon. There he took lots of pictures of industrials of various gauges and some weird valve gear arrangements. Also there was a proper transporter bridge nearby and we considered a club pilgrimage there in the future. LBH showed a varied mix of photos, mostly undocumented so we had fun trying to work out what and where.
Tuesday evening saw the installation of the lighting, a pair LED strips in different shades of white. The job needs to be tidied up but it’s a bright start.
A quiet Monday, and most work was camera shy, but several of us had recovered from Friday’s exertions to attend.
Seen in the image are series of fiddle yard cassettes where Rob F had fixed the ply lozenges in situ.
Elsewhere work continued on the scenics for Cwmcarno and Andrew J weathered some wagons.
On Friday 21st August seven members of the club set off to walk a lower section of the Wye Valley Greenway. We took the train to Chepstow (a through Cardiff to Edinburgh service!) Then walked over the Wye and into the English part of Chepstow. Crossing over the main line we were able to pick up the Wye Valley branch trackbed and head north. Climbing through cuttings we came to a support structure and sculpture, then the 2 kilometre long tunnel.
Having dodged cyclists but no bats in the tunnel we had a break at the north portal. Here there was a dragon sculpture that would make a good P4 soldering challenge.
Our leader and organiser Rob F had photos of the line in use and historical information. (Many thanks to Rob for this great day out) Apparently there was a structure on the line called BlackMorgan’s viaduct (very piratical) which we were finally able to find by detouring a bit and peering through bushes. At the Tintern end we walked across the wireworks branch bridge with a Newport connection.
We ended up at Tintern Station where we were too tired to take any pictures.
Wye Valley Greenway 21st Aug Read More »
More decisions on terra-forming are being made with more foam base stuck in place. The white foam and dark ground make decent photos difficult. We have to sort out the wall supporting the colliery next.
