What we are up to – Newport Model Railway Society

Too much like the real thing!

22 July 2026 / ABB, Cwm Carno

The layout room at the club is covered by a flat roof. In the sun it can get very hot and this year it is often unbearable. Just like the real thing the track expands and you can see the result in the first picture. The strip of MDF is the intended curvature. We’ll have to wait for cooler weather before ballasting. Also present are the new coping stones on the platform edge.

Meanwhile Luke has cracked on with buildings for Cwm Carno. The terrace is painted, the chapel renovated and both are close to their final positions. And ABB is erected ready for preparation for the Swansea show. A test loco has run over all track, after cleaning and vacuuming, though no uncoupling tried. Luckily there is space for both CC and ABB in the layout room.

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A red halo

19 July 2026 / Cwm Carno

Following some preparation work by Andrew N on Monday, Paul 🏅🏅applied the final coats of paint on Cwmcarno’s halo, while Mr C fettled the chassis of Maggie, the NCB loco.

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Ammonia in Cwmcarno

13 July 2026 / Cwm Carno

While at Larkrail Bernie delivered four ammonia tank wagons, which will make up one of the well known traffic movements seen on the Brecon and Merthyr as it approached its final years and will fit in well on Cwmcarno.

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Llanastr at Larkrail

11 July 2026 / Larkrail, Llanastr

On a very hot Friday and Saturday we took Llanastr to Larkrail in Bath. Its a small venue with not a lot of space for our worktray and wheel cleaning. So give the temperatures we moved it outside.

And here is Mr Chairman doing sterling work fettling stock, and LBH’s stuff needs a lot of fettling.

Here’s the day’s crew.

Double vision, Andrew N and LBH both built a Brecon & Merthyr 2-4-0T in S4, and both chose to make it No. 11.

Here is (I think) Andrew’s No 11 and a brace of Masokits B&M composites.

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Hello Halo

6 July 2026 / Cwm Carno

Not a Beatles’ lyric but welcoming the ‘halo’ or fascia top on Cwmcarno.

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The Two Towers

3 July 2026 / Cwm Carno, Llanastr

No, we’re not dragging you off to Middle Earth, but showing a comparison between two water towers, both intended to portray Brecon and Merthyr prototypes. On the left is a printed resin one for Cwmcarno and on the right, the example on Llanastr, which is made up from individually carved plasticard stones (which took yonks to make).

As well as train/track testing Luke mocked up the bridges for on Cwmcarno, while MrC sorted out the Dingham couplings on two coaches that will represent the Newport – Brecon train.

And LBH finally erected Llanastr on its own frame.

The Newport – Brecon service was either two or three coaches, more often three. The two seen here fit into the short Cwm Carno platform better.

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Remember when beer was 75p a pint?

30 June 2026 / Cwm Carno, Llanastr

That’s what a pint cost when Llanastr was first exhibited. LBH has dragged it out again in anticipation of its trip to Larkrail next week.

Newly acquired is the RCH 1907 coal wagon from the Rapido range. It has been simply re-wheeled to S4 but will need weighting and weathering if it’s to get a trip to Bath.

The has been some chat in the club recently on buffer (and occasionally butter) stops, so here’s a view of the sole example on Llanastr.

In the meantime work progressed on Cwmcarno, landscaping and building the mount for its lighting ‘halo’.

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Too – hot

27 June 2026 / Cwm Carno

Monday and it was warm but not yet unpleasant. On Tuesday the workroom was bearable and the layout room hot. That day Wagonman brought along the current projects, both the result of progress outside in the sun.

By Friday the workroom was really hot, as was the layout room. Nevertheless, Luke was able to get some terra-forming done on Cwm Carno

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Two

19 June 2026 / Cwm Carno

Just two at the club tonight, Luke and LBH, and Cwmcarno was the priority Luke continued to test stock and fettle track and fiddle yards and LBH did a bit on the Glan Carno Arms.

The Glan Carno Arms, a tied house serving Rhymney Beers, in the making.

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More testing

17 June 2026 / Cwm Carno, Hogwash and Balony

A quietish Tuesday evening but quite productive.