All hands to the pumps
With the weeks slipping away before Cwmcarno is due to go to Scaleforum and the space now being available to erect it fully following the clear-outs most of this evening’s efforts.
All hands to the pumps Read More ยป
09 June
Monday was another mucking out day with more stuff taken to the tip. This week was more small stuff with lots of drawers being sorted and re-labelled.
Tuesday involved a lot of shifting layouts around to allow ABB and Cwmcarno to both be erected.
So Cc now has all fiddle yards in place and the latest constructions tried in situ. Note the obligatory mug of tea.
Opening the ‘signal box’ reveals the signal options created by Andrew N. The starter signal is either very early with only one colour light, or early with two colours, or later somersault type or finally GWR standard. The ground signals are rotating (out of focus) or GW.
Call to arms
Friday night and one’s thoughts run to the local. In this case the Glan Carno Arms, which is starting to take shape before it finds its way to Cwmcarno.
Elsewhere TAFKATYS was breathing life into some of Robert H’s locos, Luke and MrC were fettling a couple of locos and our Wizard was bringing Usk to a conclusion.
Trackwork continues on Cwmcarno colliery with point blades fitted and replacement track down to the exchange sidings.
Also a signal box has been started and tried in place. The rather delicate stairs will have to wait for the ground to be made up before appearing.
Mucking out Monday
After years of procrastination we finally got to sort and chuck unnecessary ‘stuff”, especially wood, from the clubrooms. Thanks to those who turned up with empty cars and permits for the tip booked. We removed a lot of stuff and freed up space.
You can actually see the wall now that there’s no sheets of ply leaning there and no lengths of timber on the floor to trip you up. And at the other end the black dustbin rammed with off-cuts has gone.
Mucking out Monday Read More ยป
26 May
Further progress has been made on the colliery track with the new crossing laid in.
Elsewhere we have been planning, yet again I have to say, to have a clear-out and create space. We’ll see how well it goes.
On Tuesday Andrew N delivered some very nice signals for Cwmcarno. I’ll get some pictures later, but there are two varieties of ground signal and four varieties for the starting signal.
Mid-May missing
Posts have been a bit rare recently so here’s an update to cover mid-May.
The track in the colliery on Cwm Carno is extremely difficult to reach when in its usual horizontal position. So a chunk of polystyrene was carved to shape to support the layout vertically, leaning against the wall, making access much easier. The track work is being replaced with stronger components to hopefully make maintenance infrequent. It’s back to copper clad timbers and long lengths of nickel silver rail. Sticking the sleepers down when near vertical needed clamps. Then the layout went back horizontal to check and adjust the alignment and flow of the stock rail.
Frecclesham showed signs of age later on at the Thornbury show, with wiring and servos causing minor problems. With a number of invitations being received we decided to upgrade some components to ensure future reliability. Here is TAFKATYS at work, and currently not swearing.
08 May
Not many of us there on Friday, but two locos were present for the camera, both in 7mm scale. The saddle tank is from the Gwendraeth Valley railway and was built by Wagonman from an Agenoria kit. The little shunter was a bargain at just under ยฃ100 from Accurascale / Heljan. It runs very smoothly and is destined to be a second works shunter on Pavilion End, after a repaint. Hopefully it will be battery powered, radio-controlled but there is not a lot of space for all the bits.
Frecclesham at the Bristol Show, Thornbury
The show at Thornbury was a good weekend away for us. We managed to get get Frecclesham erected, tested, fully stocked and running in 1hr 15 mins. We had run two sequences prior to the doors opening. There was just one electrical niggle to sort out.
Naturally we celebrated in the usual way but by Sunday morning supplies were low. But Don saved the day.
The arrangement of stock in the following photo may be the result of the celebration, or it might be just clearing space for track cleaning.
Frecclesham at the Bristol Show, Thornbury Read More ยป
Preparing Frecclesham
Frecclesham has been assembled to ready it for the Bristol Show at Thornbury. With the track cleaned Wagonman brought along the Lyme Regis set and other coaches for checking. He also brought this charming Terrier – one of his collection of four of these engines. All performed properly.
A new addition to the rolling stock on Frecclesham is the dark maroon pull-push set hauled by D1 0-4-2 tank 2296. The loco has been available for some time and acted as a standby, but finally it has its own stock. At the other end of the locomotive scale is Bullied pacific ‘Croydon’ which is just performing its run-round. All three shots emphasise how a back-scene is valuable in ‘suspending disbelief’.
Preparing Frecclesham Read More ยป
Newport at NEWGOG
Newport MRS was well represented at this year’s NEWGOG with the club’s members providing Hogwash and Baloney, Tลทโn-y-Coedcae and Glanfa Newydd y Camlas
And TAFKATYS’ new opus Glanfa Newydd y Camlas. It was displayed as a non-working diorama but nevertheless received several invitations to other exhibitions.
Newport at NEWGOG Read More ยป