Hotter Friday evening

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The heat built up through the week and it was close to uncomfortable in the layout room.

During the week LBH did some laser cutting with MDF and included setting curves for the mainline on Cwmcarno. Unfortunately the cutting was not thorough and had to be finished off with a Stanley knife, hence some ragged edges. The curve looks smooth though.

(Some buildings have been moved around and are not in the right places)

And despite the heat we had a visit from Mike G with one of his latest creations an ex-GWR large prairie.

For more info on its construction pop over to Mike’s workshop blog on Western Thunder

Hotter Friday evening Read More »

Hot Tuesday Evening

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So hot that only three of us made it to the club this evening …

Mike E brought along his depot from Hogwash and Baloney, now sporting a corrugated iron roof and interior detail.

Our resident Wizard has completed the ever-awkward curves on the tender for Usk and set the running level close to where its needs to be with facility for further adjustments if needed.

LBH decided he didn’t like the original stretcher bars on his turnout which used a 3d-printed base, so has replaced them with a new set using brass lace pins (bought from the late lamented Eileen’s Emporium) and added power droppers. The ‘chocolate block’ pieces have since been fitted under the board to provide a traction power busbar.

But a good productive time was had by all.

Away from the heat of the clubrooms Andrew N has been working on another Sharp, Stewart four-wheeled tender, this time in 4mm/ft to P4 standards.

Springs, buffers and couplings to be added after painting and lining.

Hot Tuesday Evening Read More »

A Milestone for Cwm Carno

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Track laying continued on Monday. Well actually last Fridays work was checked and preparation made for the next stage of laying in the main line. The curve is pretty smooth but not yet stuck down. Then the first turnout in the exchange sidings was tried in place, though its not yet time to lay.

A Milestone for Cwm Carno Read More »

Week Ending 5th July

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Having taken receipt of the the last two LMJ boards Wagonman put all three together as a start of the process of conversion into its new guise.

Modellers abhor a vacuum!

The space made available by the LMJ board’s removal was quickly invaded by LBH.

Paul🏅🏅 has assembled and painted a pair of shelves for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae to hold coffee and the NCE Powercab.

Our Wizard is getting on nicely with the tender of B&MR ‘Usk’ (or ‘Wye’)

And to finish the Monday report a start has been made on the laying the track work on Cwm-carno, and following some helpful comments from sharp eyed readers of the entry on the Scalefour forum.

Tuesday was the first in July so we met on-line with a range of presentations. Mr C started us off with pictures gleaned from the internet showing LNWR 4 cylinder compound freight engines and 2-4-0s. Mike E had some pics of incredibly small shunting engines from Italy, though built in Germany. Steve Bell had yet more photos of the Cambrian lines, fascinating as usual, while Rod’s selection was from South Wales. Luke updated us on his latest project which utilises the baseboard for the Peco 200 challenge. Called Queen’s Wharf it is based on Towyn on the Talyllyn Railway. Finally Paul W showed us his scratch-built improvements to the tender of his 78xxx in 7mm.

On Friday there was a significant step forward on Cwmcarno with the first turnout to be laid. After careful siting and marking the position on Monday, the Evostic was applied and the main turnout stuck down and weighted in place with pieces of steel. We can now get on with laying the mainline through the station.

The second turnout in the view will have to be laid later as it needs aligning with this main turnout and exchange sidings crossover which has now been started.

Turnouts for the exchange sidings started.

Week Ending 5th July Read More »

The End of an Era

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To what do we refer? Little Mill Junction, the club’s super project, has finally been laid to rest – last two baseboards left the clubrooms today in the first step on their journey to a new home in Cheltenham, where they may be transubstantiated (is that the right word? Probably not) to a new and entirely different layout. Watch this blog.

The last boards had a proper send off with a toast of the now discontinued Little Mill single malt. There is a smidgen left for anyone who wants to say their farewell.

LBH, after procrastinating (playing to his strengths again) for a few meetings, has finally fitted a some stretcher bars to his COT turnout. They look a bit crude now but hopefully will look better once painted and lost in the ballast.

The End of an Era Read More »

As the days start to shorten ….

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Six at the club today, Andrew J working on the road bridge for Lyne Road and Paul S started the fabrication of a couple of shelves for Tŷ’n-y-Coedcae, ….

Rhobat continued work on his Hunslet Jazzer kit in OO from the CSP range.

Currently he is working on the footsteps, attaching a fiddly triangular strengthening piece with the aid of a jig he prepared.

Mr Chairman is finishing off the problematic area at the end of the terrace on ABB, planting this tree as a view blocker.

Paul W was using his scratchbuilding skill fabricating a brakeblocks and hangers for his 78000 Mogul.

LBH progressed with his COT turnout, completing filing up and then fitting the switch blades. Stretcher bar next.

Tuesday and it’s close to the time to lay the first turnout on Cwmcarno. Here Mr C and TAFKATYS sort out the method for driving the point blades (wire in tube from a remote servo) and how to go about the wiring (Drill holes later and solder the wires in) and checked for trackbed flatness.

As the days start to shorten …. Read More »

Too warm Friday?

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The hottest day of the year and only three of us ventured to the rather warm clubrooms. Mr Chairman gave some attention to laying the newly completed turnouts on Cwm-Carno and reviewing our options for plain track.

Wagonman completed the construction of a LNER-design Goods Brake Van, modified by BR as it was running in the Forest of Dean in the ’60s.

LBH started the building of a COT turnout by forming and fitting the check rails
next was filing up and fitting the rails that form the Vee
then the wing rails.
and finally for the evening the stock rails were formed and one blade (almost) filed up.

Too warm Friday? Read More »

Peco200 mania, etc.

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The Peco200 bug hasn’t affected everyone, but both Luke and LBH have decided to have a go. Both are being built to a scale of 7mm/ft and the available footprint is footprint is 750mm x 305mm.

Luke plan makes great use of the very limited space available combining both narrow gauge (16.5mm) and standard gauge (33mm) sections.

The design has its basis in the transfer facility at Tywyn on the Talyllyn Railway and rejoices in the name of Queen’s Wharf.

LBH’s use of the baseboard is much more modest as he is using his board as a test bed for 3d-printed COT (Chairs On Timber) track work. So far no more has been done than obtain the printed base.

The plan is to add some of the ScaleSeven Ready-to-Lay track when it becomes available.

Elsewhere, Mr Chairman was working on the turnouts for Cwm-Carno and Andrew J on scenery for Lyne Road.

Wagonman has made good progress on his GWR GBV side we saw it last month. The roof is loose and yet to be attached to the body.

Little construction work remains beyond adding the whitemetal fittings.

Mike E continues with the Depot for his Hogwash and Balony short line.

Discussions covered the colouring for the walls and the most likely prototype roofing material.

A delayed update on the Hogwash and Balony follows;

At the start of June Mike E confessed to a tracklaying error that led to the destruction seen in the 1st pic. The sweeping curves of the replacements show a great improvement.

Elsewhere on the line the tracks span the hog-wash on a typical wooden trestle structure seen in the later photos.

This is all built from basswood sections.

Peco200 mania, etc. Read More »

Monday 16 June

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Five of us made it to the club on Monday. Paul 🏅🏅 fitted a DCC socket (there’s no doubt a better name for it – I probably should have said fascia panel) on TyCc, Mr Chairman continued with the track work on Cwm-Carno fitting the inside halves of the chairs and LBH assembled a Loading Gauge kit, also intended for TyCc. Andrew J and the Wizard continued with their own projects, but away from the camera.

Monday 16 June Read More »

Week Ending 15 June

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Monday we welcomed a rare visit from Bernie, and the rest of us remained shy of the camera

Tuesday saw Mr Chairman fitted some Masokits stretcher bars to on of ABB’s turnouts.

and Luke sorted out the electrical connection in his railcar in anticipation of the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association Exhibition & AGM on Saturday.

Meanwhile LBH fitted a paxolin drawbar to his mogul and it no longer shorts out. Hurrah!

Friday proved to be a quiet night with only Andrew J, The Wizard and LBH in attendance.

LBH wrestled with a Severn Models bike kit, he hopes to get the handlebars on eventually, but the brake calipers he’ll omit.

Our Wizard worked on Taff Vale Models kit for a Sharp, Stewart 2-4-0 which we hope to transform with the use of a few alternative etches into Usk of the Brecon & Merthyr.

STOP PRESS Saturday 14 June

At the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association Exhibition & AGM today, Luke’s Railbus won Runner Up in the Internal Combustion/Electric Locos category.

Congratulations Luke

Week Ending 15 June Read More »

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