What we are up to – Page 2 – Newport Model Railway Society

Monday 8th September

8 September 2025 / B&MR 45, B&MR Usk, Cwm Carno, Frecclesham, Riding Van

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

3 September 2025 / 78xxx, Cwm Carno, Frecclesham, Queen's Wharf, Wiggly Tin

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 »

Week Ending 31 August

27 August 2025 / Frecclesham, Wiggly Tin

Monday and stock is starting to appear on Frecclesham ready for the Stafford Show. Testing was successful with only the usual problems of auto-couplings going out of adjustment.

The long dry spell has affected the trees outside with many now shedding leaves. The same has happened on Frecclesham but this is due to the age of the layout. However, Tuesday’s job was to tidy them up and renew growth, as can be seen in the later photos. (other hair products are available)

LBH has a new toy – a form tool to produce model corrugated iron.

The form tool, designed for 4mm/ft and 3d-printed, to provide a scale 3″ pitch in that scale.

Aluminium foil, removed from a takeaway container, material 0.04 mm thick.

Aluminium foil, removed from a buffet platter, material 0.08 mm thick.

In LBH’s opinion the 0.04 mm produces the most convincing results, with a visible but subtle overlap. I wonder if we can find applications for it on ABB and Cwncarno.

Week Ending 31 August Read More »

Week Ending 24 August

19 August 2025 / B&MR Coach, B&MR Usk, COT Trackwork, Cwm Carno, Dick Kerr

Paul🏅🏅continued his work on the halo attaching extra wooden blocks to provide support and a gluing surface for the facing material. Mr C worked on the final pair of turnouts fixing the stretcher bars in place.

Tuesday saw Mr Chairman continue with trackwork for Cwmcarno and Paul🏅🏅make more progress for on its halo.

Luke is building a Dick Kerr & Co petrol electric 40 hp tractor to 0n16.5, which will be finished in North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (a forerunner of the Welsh Highland Railway) guise. As with many white metal kits it will need some fettling before the body sits level on the chassis.

And LBH completed the conversion of a B&MR all-third to ScaleSeven by the simple application of Connoisseur Models’ Sprung Suspension Units.

It is seen here perilously balanced on Frecclesham’s 0 gauge track, Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae being in temporary storage.

The end of August was the milestone for submitting photos of layouts for the Scalefour Jubilee Challenge, so we moved the layout into the main hall for a little photoshoot.

And while we were at it I couldn’t resist a look through one of the chapel windows.

Our resident Wizard continues to make progress with the B&MR Usk, and tonight she had a trial fit of the safety valve cover, prior to it being cast in brass.

And LBH was so dis-satisfied with his ballasting on the CoT turnout he decided to remove it.

Week Ending 24 August Read More »

Week ending 17 August

13 August 2025 / B&MR Usk, Cwm Carno, Queen's Wharf

Monday and just a handful of us were present. Paul🏅🏅made the ‘halo’ for Cwm Carno (see Tuesday) Tuesday saw some significant Cwm Carno progress. TAFKATYS arrived with some supports for Cwm Carno. The legs were recycled from end protectors of LMJ baseboards – it was good quality plywood. New beams connect the legs and are very sturdy. The layout was tried in place easily and the upper section (halo) which will have a fascia and LED lights temporarily held up in place. Once the fascia is attached the halo will be far more rigid.

With Cwm Carno on the move we decided to check it will fit into the transport – no, they were not lining it up to throw it into the Range Rover. Moving around inside is possible as long as you rotate the board.

Some more track was laid on Cwm Carno on Friday. There is now a connection from the main line into the exchange sidings.

Elsewhere Luke tested a 3D printed chassis for an early mechanical shunter and consulted on the turntables for Queen’s Wharf. The Wizard continued with Usk having moved on to the boiler and some revision of the design of Cwm Carno’s terraces took place.

Week ending 17 August Read More »

And next we have . . .

6 August 2025 / Cwm Carno, Frecclesham

Frecclesham at the Stafford Show 27th and 28th September. Therefore on Monday we played a bit of 3-D Tetris moving around Lyne Road, Ty’n y Coedcae, Cwmcarno, ABB to get Frecclesham erected in the layout room.

Then Cwmcarno went back roughly where it came from.

On Tuesday the next turnout was laid on Cwm Carno, leading into the exchange sidings, with the headshunt to the left. Whilst that was drying under some weights, Mr. C started to assemble the mock-up row of terraced houses. These had previously been prepared by Paul🏅🏅and shortened from 6 cottages down to 4. They are mock-ups with errors and putting them together highlighted the changes needed. We might go for the classic sloping roof-line rather than this stepped one.

And next we have . . . Read More »

Week ending 3 August

28 July 2025 / 78xxx, ABB, Cwm Carno, Hogwash and Balony, Riding Van

This Monday we packed up ABB to create space for Frecclesham. We are due at the Stafford show at the end of September and Frecclesham hasn’t been operated for a while and does need some refreshing, so that goes up next.

Paul W has been working on his 78xxx kit in 7mm for some time. There were updates back in June. The tender is nearly complete and work has moved to the locomotive.

As supplied the kit has some inaccuracies and to correct them Paul W had to form a new spacer at the front of the chassis from a fresh piece of brass. This had to be measured, marked up and bent to avoid the fixing positions for pickups, yet form support for the cylinder blocks. (which need thinning down) Five folds were required which were achieved with the help of The Wizard at the first attempt.

Tuesday and more Hogwash and Baloney. This evening Mike E started to scratchbuild some girders for his short-line. This is for a modern addition to the scenario, so plate girders are in order, contrasting nicely with the wooden trestles seen previously. All parts were cut from 40 thou Plastikard.

Wagonman’s riding van now has a companion, a Tool Van, which is really a mobile workshop. These were normally paired this way in breakdown trains.

On Cwmcarno the pair of turnouts for the exchange sidings have come on well, been removed from the template and given a good clean with Viakal. The first pic shows them in place in the distance with all the remaining turnouts there too. So with plenty of bits of flexitrack available we ‘laid’ the rest of the formation as seen in the second pic. This shot is taken from the other end of the layout.

Friday was a quiet evening with only a select three present. The last part of the main line through the main platform was laid in as seen in the pic. Hopefully you can’t see the join. Also Wagonman Has been making girders for the river bridge which were tried in place and looked good, but no pic.

Then we moved on to trying to get the position of the next turnout correct, we think successfully. It was not stuck down as it needed the inside chairs to be installed. While Mr. C got on with that, Wagonman continued with his breakdown van and Paul🏅🏅tidied up some laser cut wood parts.

Week ending 3 August Read More »

A fresher week

23 July 2025 / Cwm Carno, Riding Van

Monday was another quiet day with some progress made. The layout room was much cooler with less heat and sun outside.To help with the design and planning of the channelised stream and bridge Paul 🏅🏅glued a wooden plate under the area so that there is a firm surface to work from.

By Tuesday some mock-up walls and were in place and dummy pillars in place either side. The span comes out at about 30ft. The view from the opposite side can be seen further below.

Tuesday had double the attendance of last week, but with different personnel being present. Discussion continued about the track over the stream. Should it be all ballasted or would it be better with longitudinal timbers supporting the rails? Our Wizard was unable to progress as his modelling glasses were at home but Wagonman continued with the latest project, a Riding Van usually employed in breakdown trains.

Friday and more progress with Cwmcarno. With the return of TAFKATYS some wood was laid in leading away from the first turnout to support the wire-in-tube for operation. It will be driven by servos and they are to be grouped under the colliery and accessible without grovelling on the floor. Meanwhile Mr. C was filing up three point blades for the exchange sidings crossing. Why three you ask as they are usually done in pairs? Well, one of the previous blades was filed upside-down. Mr C confesses to the error.

Using the facilities at the local Makerspace, LBH produced laser cut parts for the row of cottages. The design is a trial, but based on real ones from Abersychan, north of Pontypool. The parts were temporarily held together with masking tape and then tried in place. There are six units but we probably only need four. The angle looks about right, but they are sitting too high which can be reduced.

A fresher week Read More »

Two’s company

15 July 2025 / ABB, COT Trackwork, Hogwash and Balony, Peco Rail200

With the holiday season in full swing and other commitments only two of us made it the the clubrooms tonight.

Mike E has replaced the capping on the Depot roof with Tomato Purée tube foil, which is easier to form into the cap shape.

And LBH started the ballasting in the on the CoT (Chair on Timber 3d printed) turnout.

Friday was not exactly busy either. Andrew J decided on using card for the coping stones for Lyne Road’s bridge wall, our Wizard did more work on the 4-wheel tender before leaving for his third job as Dad’s Taxis. Robert cleaned the wheels on a Warship and Cl 37 whilst Wagonman got on with his project. Also he brought along some spare vehicle bits, so Mr C. cleaned them up and started to mock up the work/junk area for outside the workshop on ABB.