Rhyd Ddu

More carriages!

2011-10-24T16:22:00.001+01:00

And more go into the line for finishing...Here 24 in primer plus 2043/100/102 in ivory after priming. There's also two O14 diesels being painted green and blue.

Degrease lightning

2011-10-22T23:12:00.001+01:00

Tonight the bodies of 100 and 102 (the chassis await the interiors being built) plus the full body/chassis combo of 24 and 2043 were cleaned and degreased ready for primer. Alongside them I'm painting two O14 kb scale diesels for my other layout.

You spin me right round

2011-10-14T15:38:00.000+01:00

I've always said that it is important that the layout should be used at home, rather than just sit waiting for the next exhibition. Thus, upon moving it to the loft (and all that entails in terms of rafter insulation etc), I have two new problems: 1) the so-called 'question mark' board is a very tight fit through the new loft hatch, requiring the removal of the hatch hinges and retaining

Model rail surprise

2011-10-13T18:27:00.001+01:00

Today I picked up model rail magazine (nov issue) as for once it had some narrow gauge content. In fact I haven't bought a modelling mag for a while now. Well there's quite a few innovations that have appeared. Highlights are:- The new noch laser cut plant range which looks great- The hex frog juicer is gonna save loads of wiring! For DCC layouts it automatically switches the frog polarities

Upstairs downstairs

2011-10-06T23:27:00.001+01:00

I have now successfully moved downstairs and here is a shot of my new modelling bureau in action. The WHHR's Bro Madog Eisteddfod coach has been put together tonight.

Bearing up

2011-09-29T15:08:00.001+01:00

Latest progress on the mystery loco. Half moon shapes removed to assist pony truck swivel and holes for bearings reamed out ready to take the bearings.

Paternity leave modelling

2011-09-28T22:31:00.001+01:00

Baby and mum asleep so modelling can be done. Firstly I installed the new section on the question mark board to mirror the extra foot added to the station approach. I have decided to make this hinged so that access to the layout can be attempted by thin people without requiring a duck under (with the inevitable bang of heads!). A simple mating piece was screwed onto the next board to meet this

Riveting

2011-09-26T17:28:00.001+01:00

Have spent quite a while studying the backwoods B class instructions. A few observations:- the method of attaching cranks to the axles is far superior - the plastic friction fit pieces will avoid the wheel centre melting problem!- in fact the wheels come (along with a gear wheel) installed on their axles- the kit uses a live body arrangement with insulated wheels one side. This will require some

Look what the postman brought

2011-09-20T11:55:00.001+01:00

Sparshoff

2011-09-20T11:52:00.001+01:00

It is with regret that I announce that Rhyd Ddu will now not be able to attend the Sparsholt exhibition in April 2012. I’m part of a bid team for a st***ard gauge rail franchise which will be finalised in April 2012, and it is therefore it is going to be too difficult to exhibit Rhyd Ddu at the same time. This is a real shame as I had been really looking forward to the event but you can of

Gee whizz, Gee Dee

2011-09-19T22:53:00.001+01:00

Today I visited Gee Dee models as I was in Nottingham for business. It's been a while since I've been in but it remains an excellent shop. I made the following purchases:- a new mek pak bottle. - 4 buffer stops to finish off the hidden sidings board- and this can of paint. Now why would I need that?

Joining up

2011-09-11T23:24:00.001+01:00

Tonight all the hidden sidings feeds were attached to the DCC bus bars and then the continuity tested with the help of a DC controller and a zillertalbahn diesel (chosen as my DC test loco). All worked well. I also cut a block of acrylic sheet to become the base of the improved water tower

Nice pair!

2011-09-05T18:25:00.001+01:00

Here are the hudsons with footboards and seats fitted. The roofs are not yet fixed to aid painting/the addition of people. Now these will sit on the 'nearly' pile waiting for the etched mini doors promised to me by narrow planet.

Nailed

2011-09-02T12:34:00.001+01:00

All the hidden sidings track is now nailed down and wire has been poked through ready for feeds to be soldered on this weekend.

Hidden away

2011-08-28T08:15:00.001+01:00

The track for the hidden sidings has been laid out, cut and joined. Track pins need to be added yet (it was too late to start hammering last night!). In other news the baby stuff from the loft has been brought down giving me a full loft to be able to measure ready for erecting Rhyd ddu up there.

Toast is served

2011-08-15T23:22:00.001+01:00

And here are the two bodies made up - guard rails on, sides and floor fixed to ends. Next it's seating...

Racking them up

2011-08-12T22:46:00.001+01:00

Today the first ever 009 society kit was delivered to my door. In fact two were. The kit is for the Hudson toast rack carriages (rainmakers). One of these runs in the WHHR heritage train in maroon and another alongside two more modern versions on the FR in dark green. Tonight I made a good start on these. All the plastic parts were cut out and cleaned up (it's a new kit so the castings were

Hatched!

2011-08-11T16:01:00.001+01:00

and there it is complete and ready for a coat or two of paint.

Hatching a plan

2011-08-06T23:13:00.001+01:00

The loft hatch project moved forward today. The previous hatch was removed, the ceiling plasterboard cut out with a jigsaw and a support (not a joist!) removed. One board has now made it into the loft proving the new hole is big enough. Tomorrow I will replace the trim and construct a new hatch door.

Titbits

2011-08-04T19:53:00.001+01:00

I have invested in a new soldering station. My antex was increasingly showing it’s age and will now be retired for purely electrical soldering and my cheap variable temp iron was just that, cheap and nasty so this will be filed under B for bin. The new one is provides a temp controlled iron with digital readout from 150 deg (for low melt solder) to 400 (for some serious, some might call it ‘

24–the latest box

2011-07-29T15:44:00.001+01:00

Carriage 24 is now a box with a floor, and seats installed. This is how I add flux and keep it square when soldering – I also sometimes use a square, but this trusty block has built all my carriages. 87 continues a pace too and nears the finish line. K1 will be attended to next, with better matched motors hopefully meaning it can move to the ‘ready for service’ section soon too.

Twitter

2011-07-26T23:01:00.001+01:00

Should have said long ago that Rhyd Ddu is on twitter : @rhydddu and also Facebook.

Twenty four seven

2011-07-24T20:08:00.001+01:00

Work has been completely crazy recently, with very little time available for modelling, but I have found a little time to start on carriage 24. This is the replica full height summer carriage (i.e. NWNGR). It runs as a ‘lock up’ carr at the end of most WHR rakes and so is a vital model. I had a kitbash version – a plastic Parkside Dundas Vale of Rheidol carriage – but it just didn’t cut the

87 update

2011-07-17T23:23:00.001+01:00

The power bogies for 87 have taken a leap forward at the Cheltenham works. One bogie is complete and works well, it just needs painting. The other has been stripped back, problems solved and now just needs the valve gear reattaching. Best to paint it too though prior to reassembly, so that is the next job. The tanks and body are already 95% complete and painted with just minor details and the

Telford

2011-07-17T20:25:00.001+01:00

Attended the Telford NG show today, here are some shots: Calstock (Cotehele) in 7mm was nicely done and friendly – the periscope lent to Thomas was great fun. The original England loco was great too. There appeared to be some kind of diorama competition. These three caught the eye… Manod quarry art storage, Duffield Bank and Fairbourne… and I’m always impressed by the detail and

A Prince amongst engines

2011-07-17T19:54:00.001+01:00

Today we made a trip to the Telford exhibition (report to come) and on the way back visited Prince, who having been declared “Hors de combat” currently resides at the Engine House museum, itself a part of the Severn Valley Railway setup at Highley. The main reason was to take measurements and check colours etc. for Dad’s 7mm and 16mm versions (hence the measuring tape). Whilst there we

Semi industrial processes restart

2011-06-24T23:49:00.001+01:00

Today I took a day off work to kickstart a few areas of the project. 8 carriages (vans 4/5, 104, 106, 112, 116, 122, 124) were cleaned, primed and once dry (with the helpof the hairdryer that melts Baldwins) ivory was added for the windows and black for the underframes. That means they are now ready for seats to be painted, people added and Han painting of roofs, ends etc. Harlech and criccieth

Mucking about

2011-06-19T19:47:00.001+01:00

Tonight I added a lot more weathering to the Romanian ballast wagon. The ballast load was completed, a bit of extra lead weight added inside, general stray ballast added to the low level ballast doors and to crevices around the model, some rust highlights dry brushed on and the bogies reattached. Once final touching up is complete this needs a coat or two of matt primer. Earlier in the afternoon

Bushcraft

2011-06-18T18:28:00.001+01:00

Various bushes have been added today plus the final batch of tidy up ballasting. Painting the rails/sleepers with sleeper grime (railmatch) will be done tomorrow.

Rom-com

2011-06-13T20:56:00.000+01:00

Below is the culmination of many painting sessions (30 mins at once) with the Romanian ballast wagon made for me by Boston Largs Works (Rob Waller). It took so long as I didn't have time to devote more than 30 mins at a session and also because there are so many surfaces to paint! Also red really doesn't cover well so that took a few coats too. However I have enjoyed painting it as it is kind

And we continue

2011-06-09T22:40:00.001+01:00

The ballast was dry, so stage two commenced - full depth ballast added around the track, and then using a dropper, woodland scenics scenic Cement was added to seal it in place.

Tree cover

2011-06-08T20:24:00.001+01:00

I have now rewired the extension (and as it happens found the source of the expong shorting on the way). This means that tonight stage one ballasting (an initial drop onto pva glue) can commence. Alongside all this I purchased five gorgeous hand built Anita decor trees from international models. This have now also been placed and they look perfect. The key for me is to use as many different tree

Reconnected

2011-06-02T10:05:00.000+01:00

Both tracks are now reconnected and I have made a few test passes of bogie carriuages with good results. Now to reattach the feeds and put back the water tower base... In other news the Romanian ballast wagon has had its steps and balcony meshes added, been primed in red oxide and now awaits painting plus the addition of the tiny tie down cleats which I have finally decided I will in the end

A trip to the wrong end of Wales

2011-05-31T21:23:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it to Railex to see the Dduallt action this weekend as we had a family holiday booked. Alongside the usual beach activities, gardens etc we managed to fit in trips to the Brecon Mountain and Teifi Valley railways. The Brecon Mountain was scored as the 7th best line in the UK and using this track below the ‘soon’ to be opened 2 mile extension would likely push

Track resurrection

2011-05-25T21:26:00.001+01:00

The first set of rails have been soldered to the brass screws. The base green grass is also in view, with further coats to come plus detailing, so no worries that it doesn't yet match the older grass on the adjacent board.

Bit by bit...

2011-05-25T11:16:00.000+01:00

progress is being made. The new roadway surface has been painted, the grassy area in front of it has been coloured brown underneath and received a coating of static fibres as a base layer. I have also sourced the new trees that I will install (from International Models). Finally the 8 brass screws for the board join have been installed, the sleepers drilled to take track pins and lengths of

Going the extra mile

2011-05-22T09:32:00.000+01:00

Progress has been slow due to extreme work commitments but I have managed to source another pot of the paint I used for the roadway surfaces (crown fashion for walls herringbone) which was difficult a few years after I bought the first pot! I have also found 8 small brass screws which will be used to secure the rails across the new board joint, a departure from the copper strip method that gave

Snapper happy!

2011-05-10T09:38:00.001+01:00

Carriage progress. The langley kit for the ex L&B snapper bar carr (looks like a brake but it isn't), that I've had in the drawer half complete for a while has had some work done to it. I've filled the holes in the roof, added clips to make the roof removable and soldered on the long footboards both sides. A few details on the ends, the interior and handrails remain to be completed. I have yet

The green green grass

2011-05-04T23:45:00.001+01:00

The grassy area of the extension has been mown (using a hair trimmer) and titivated before being painted LNER Doncaster green (randomly applied with much thinners). Then a woodland scenics static grass mix was added on top, stuck on with hairspray. The few outlying rocks have had the first few coats too. Cork has been cut back to the correct profile and all is reading for tracklaying and

Shouldn’t you be going to wales soon…?

2011-05-03T20:08:00.001+01:00

Indeed you should. Check this out! Snowdon Mountain Railway – took the early bird train thinking we might get early morning misty conditions, but oh no! Only 30 mins at the top was nowhere near enough! Cafe nice but quite small really. Welsh Highland Railway The new plaque added to commemorate the ‘completion’ of the ‘40’ mile railway. This poor shot of the Statfold mallet at

back from wales

2011-05-02T23:28:00.001+01:00

Back from a 5 night stint in Wales, full report to follow, but for now enjoy this unusual view of Rhyd Ddu taken from a SMR train. I have a view of a SMR train from Rhyd Ddu too!

errrr…what?!

2011-04-11T17:37:00.001+01:00

On my recent visit to site (aka Rhyd Ddu station), I inspected the changes that had been written but not really shown in pictures on the various WHR websites. There has been a major change to the ‘bus turning area’ as shown below: Firstly though the tamper shed is gone (!) and a new tarmac path has been created out of the NP car park… This leads to a newly tarmaced bus lay-by… and a newly

A hairy moment

2011-04-10T08:31:00.001+01:00

Yesterday further progress was made on the extension. The modroc was painted brown and once dry covered in thick PVA and clumps of hairy underlay were added. Once dry they will be trimmed back and then painted with the usual LNER Doncaster green. A couple of random rocks were added from my box of spare pieces, these will be coloured too of course. The hidden sidings board has also been cleared

Lady in red…

2011-04-09T21:19:00.001+01:00

Well here are the promised pictures of our ‘Lady in red’ aka WHR Beyer-Garratt NGG16 No. 138. A few pointers to areas that have been changed from the kit to make the loco less SAR more WHR: - Addition of custom plates courtesy of narrow planet - Sun visors on side of cab left off, roof opening altered completely to create one larger opening rather than two smaller ones with curved covers

New leader

2011-04-07T23:27:00.001+01:00

Following my trip on the final bit of the WHR recently, I have updated my table of NG railway ratings and, by 1 point, there is a new leader (mainly as the line gains a cafe (at harbour) that it had not before). Note: for those unfamiliar with this system my ratings take into account 17 factors from locos in steam and timetables through the year, parking, cafes/shops, publicity, views,

138 progress

2011-04-05T10:16:00.000+01:00

I had some wonderful images sent me last night from Dad showing 138's body lined out. I'll post some shots here asap and explain some of the changes made to the base kit to accommodate the WHR changes to the SAR design - there are quite a few! watch this space.

Laying the land

2011-03-31T12:14:00.000+01:00

Last night I spent a little time laying a new cork base for the new track alignment and adding modroc to the scenic base (brushed with water). I also tore into many little pieces the carpet underlay ready for application as grass asap. That is once the ground has been painted a background muddy brown colour (in case of show through/damage) - soil isn't usually white! Steady progress on this

preparing the ground

2011-03-27T21:02:00.001+01:00

Flat grass isn’t flat, so in preparation for the laying of modroc over the grassy part of the new extension I’ve created some random effects in filler. I’ve also stripped the hidden sidings board to allow it to be treated for the damp that has affected the board (bleach off the marks and seal) as well as an updated track plan to create more through roads and get rid of the farish points that

Moving on

2011-03-21T11:28:00.001Z

The piece has been attached and an initial layer of filler added. I have also stripped back the rails either side of the new piece to start thinking about the new alignment. One clear issue is that the water tower base will foul the new alignment so this was removed too. Another layer of filler will be required once this is dry and then I shall glue down the cork roadbed.

Extension

2011-03-20T20:08:00.001Z

Today after mowing the back lawn and other various gardening jobs I found a couple of hours to work on the layout. Thus the extension to the station board was attached. The first photo shows the various brackets used to ensure strength. 2 L shaped ones at the sides, 3 smaller L’s along the top of the board and two long pieces across the underside joins. Should be good enough! Then I erected

Some progress going on

2011-03-19T22:14:00.001Z

You may have noticed some images of a nearly completed 138 in red livery from expoNG. Well the red was hastily selected in a murky halfords in the days preceding the exhibition. It turned out to be way too scarlet and in your face. We have now selected a better shade via railmatch and this is being applied. Photos to appear here soon. In other news, I added small plasticard spacers to the

Update

2011-03-14T09:23:00.001Z

I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find time for modelling due to my new job and the extent of the travelling involved. There is time to read, but not to act. So good planning is necessary to get the layout up to the required standard for Sparsholt next year. At the moment, the time I do have is being used to add vac pipes to carriages/wagons and to complete the detailing on Rob’s

Tonight tonight

2011-02-26T00:22:00.001Z

Tonight I discovered that the 3mm wheels I use for bogie pivots actually come in 2 different sorts. The difference us almost imperceptible but it makes all the difference. By checking the whr stock and swapping the bigger ones for these smaller pivots and by a little reaming of the bogie pivot holes I have managed to remove the need for the spacing washer and therefore have cured the ride height

Next stage

2011-02-26T00:18:00.001Z

Here we can see more progress on the etched carriage. The first shot shows me (with some help from small fingers) bending over pieces using the jaws if my small vice to keep it all square. The second shot shows the battery boxes and sides soldered up. Some cleaning with a file and fibreglass brush was done but it's not really a visible area so I don't spend too long. Also visible is the flux I

Bits and where they go

2011-02-24T11:35:00.001Z

So here is a better photo of the kit to be built (2043). Starting from top left we have doors, which have side and top folds which are a little fragile so I keep them on the fret until they’re needed. Next to them are the fallplates which I have yet to use on any carr (I may do in the future though) and these are therefore filed away. Next to them are the ends, which are likely to bend if

Etched in my mind

2011-02-21T23:12:00.001Z

Here's the story of an etched carriage kit. This kit is a Worsley works scratch aid setup for the whr saloon 2043. This is being rebuilt as the first one was used for test painting and as it was not up to standard was sold. So we start with the etches and cut them carefully from the fret using tin snips. Where the part is large enough and there is little risk if damage to the part from bending

showbusiness

2011-02-16T16:27:00.001Z

Rhyd Ddu will next appear at Narrow Gauge South: Saturday, 14 April 2012, 10.00am - 5.00pm Sainsbury Building, Sparsholt College Westley Lane Sparsholt Winchester Hampshire SO21 2NF The show is billed as the south's leading small scale narrow gauge model railway exhibition. It is proudly presented by the Wessex Narrow Gauge Modellers and will be their 11th show. It will be host

Stowage

2011-02-05T00:24:00.001Z

Thanks to some excellent tips on the NGRM forum and plenty of time to ponder whilst in a Canadian airport lounge I have devised a plan to stow the layout when in transit. This will allow the use of a ford transit type van rather than the huge box van we used for expong. This means it's cheaper for exhibition organisers, easier to drive and unload plus I can hire one much more locally than the

Wow!

2011-01-12T23:12:00.001Z

And here she is, fitted with a pair of liliput bogies I had ready for her (the yellow axleboxes on one bogie will be removed). A beauty! Wow!

Lead-ing the way

2011-01-11T19:59:00.001Z

Much work recently has been focussed on my O-14 emerging layout here: http://ohfourteen.blogspot.com/ But that doesn't mean that there isn't thought going into 009 either. Firstly I have to report the arrival of some self adhesive lead strip (used to create fake stained glass windows) which is cheap, comes on long rolls and at either 4 or 6mm wide is perfect for adding weight to wagons/

Mystery solved

2011-01-02T19:11:00.001Z

The bizarre mystery of the failure of 143 during expong has been solved. I took the motor out and it was fine. We looked at the valve gear/quartering and all looked fine. So dad took it all apart and what had happened was a bit of sticky ballast had got into the gears in such a way that it was not visible but was stopping the gears rotating. Frustrating, but ultimately now sorted. I'm confident

carriage mods

2010-12-20T21:03:00.001Z

I’ve bought a new diesel (Liliput zillertalbahn 4 wheeler + jackshaft) for testing purposes. It’s not the most powerful in the world and struggles with 4 WHR carriages up a gradient but it runs really well with lesser loads, was quite cheap (new at £50) and has a 6 pin DCC plug on board making switching from DC to DCC easy. I’m using this little red diesel to test the mods I’ve made to

finished chassis changes

2010-12-08T15:24:00.001Z

Here are the two finished chassis for harlech and criccieth castles. The rt models kit went together pretty well but here are some notes for anyone attempting this conversion themselves:-- drill the jackshaft pin holes out 1.6mm not the suggested 1.4mm. - suggest soldering the balance weights to the axles rather than using 603. It is stronger that way. - when laminating the balance weights use

jack the lad

2010-12-06T22:36:00.001Z

Tonight I started the conversion of two farish class 08 chassis to 0-6-0+jackshaft. These are for Harlech and criccieth castles. The conversion kit is from rt models. So far I have replaced the coupling rods after a bit of the usual reaming to get the holes just right. I've also replaced the keeper plates and soldered up the balance weights (triple laminations). The only tricky bit was soldering

New blog

2010-12-06T11:56:00.000Z

Check out 'ohfourteen', my new blog about my micro O-14 layout plans. http://ohfourteen.blogspot.com/

A beast takes shape

2010-12-06T10:20:00.001Z

As some of you I’m sure will have worked out by now, Boston Largs Works are again involved with a project for Rhyd Ddu. This time it’s the other ballast wagon – the beast that is the Romanian new-build. The wagon is able to spread ballast between the rails as well as to the sides. I know how much effort when into initial alignment as track was laid as I did it myself a few times - avoiding

Coupling up

2010-12-03T20:06:00.001Z

I have started the process of reviewing the coupling characteristics of all carriages. The first set of culprits were the FR saloons where the couplings did not protrude far enough past the end of the body (they were installed like this to get close prototypical coupling, but suffer from problems on the layouts tight curves). I also now have a functioning test track to test the new mark 2 longer

Warley 2010

2010-11-22T11:42:00.002Z

A cut-down trip to Warley this year due to family commitments (had to leave at 2pm), but still enjoyable. Highlights: Pete Waterman’s NGG16 No. 109 was there (well one power bogie): Some exquisite modelling: Some cracking 7mm narrow gauge layouts – the well known Stoney Middleton, Bridport Town and Picture This… and some standard gauge layouts were impressive, notably

Some progress actually

2010-11-16T15:34:00.000Z

Now I did say I'd be doing nothing on Rhyd Ddu until the new year....well... I have demolished the old hidden sidings boards, put the traversers up for sale on ebay and saved the wooden frame for future use. The reason for this? The far side of these boards feature a 1 foot by 2 foot section, which was to be used to store stock. This is just the perfect size for the proposed extension to the

sound as a pound

2010-11-13T20:21:00.001Z

For those of you who couldn’t hear it at expoNG, or who didn’t make it, here is a quick video of the sounds installed in Castell Caernarfon. It’s a Loksound micro programmed with the closest sound I could get (some standard gauge continental loco called a SNCB/NMBS HLD 59 - Cockerill Baldwin-Westinghouse 12 cyl – images here http://www.belrail.be/F/fiches/diesel/index.php?type=hld59&page=image

a diversion

2010-11-10T18:53:00.001Z

The workbench has been cleared and some different projects are to be tackled next - a 16mm de winton for the garden and the starts of an O-14 micro shunting layout that can live inside. I have a 2 foot square board ready! The plan is to develop it as a kind of shunting challenge. I also want to add the decoder to merddin and replace the dead motor in 143.

A dream comes true, with 4 minutes to go...

2010-10-31T20:26:00.001Z

As regular readers of this blog will know, over 5 years of work culminated in the layout's first public show on Saturday. Indeed this was the show known as 'Europe's premier narrow gauge exhibition'. It was a dream come true and I am very proud of what I achieved, with help from many people, including significant work on the loco side from my Dad. However, it probably wasn't a great idea to

and we're off...

2010-10-29T15:26:00.001+01:00

ExpoNG here we come.

crazy

2010-10-26T22:39:00.001+01:00

Things are proper crazy getting ready for expong so please don't expect much in the way of updates! Much is coming together but a number of elements won't be ready:- Russell will appear in brass only although this should be interesting like that?!?-Most carriages will not be glazed, have numbers/crests on or vac pipes. Time beat us. - the backscene will be a simple blue sky- the water towers

hidden sidings progress

2010-10-24T15:10:00.001+01:00

Nailed down, connected and wired up. Really good progress this weekend!Also ALL board joins are now sorted, so with just a few minor electrical jobs to sort, testing can begin.

fiddling

2010-10-18T14:32:00.001+01:00

Points and plain line track arrived here is draft 1 of the marshalling yard setup.

frantic!

2010-10-17T22:49:00.001+01:00

Sorry for the lack of updates but it's frantic here and in glos. But below are some images showing amongst other things: the lighting supports installed, the new board incline added and modroc added on top and the mirror vinyl added at the end of the yard board. Getting there!

erected

2010-10-14T19:07:00.001+01:00

The layout has been erected today in a major garage reorganisation job. That is all boards except the fridd board as I have decided to add two more of the breakfast bar legs to that board to make putting the layout up easier. I am now starting the job of clamping together the new boards and drilling 10mm holes for the m10 bolts that act as alignment dowels. I've also sourced the incline risers

K1 painting – more good progress

2010-10-14T09:08:00.001+01:00

new boards....done

2010-10-13T16:05:00.001+01:00

The Two new boards were constructed today and all the locating pieces for static legs repositioned (5 of the 9). Upstairs I booked the van for expoNG and also found time to drill holes for the Greenwich couplings to be used on the bugs everso often checking how many miners were safe - an incredible story just made for live tv news!And if you're wondering what the second picture shows, I've

K1 paint progress

2010-10-12T23:14:00.001+01:00

etch primer on chassis, satin black on body! nice!

Change of plan (another one)

2010-10-12T09:23:00.001+01:00

After a considerable time last night playing with the hidden sidings I have come to the conclusion that traversers will not be reliable enough for exhibition running. Aligning 6 lots of tracks up reliably with <1mm gaps is proving very troublesome and the extra strong magnets are not strong enough to align the tracks vertically, although they do a great job horizontally. Also the magnets as

visitation

2010-10-10T23:41:00.001+01:00

Enjoyed a visit from the family for thomas' birthday today. This meant that dad and I had a chance to catch up. Super progress has been made on k1, Gelert now has sorted rods and 87 has been transferred south. Dad is to concentrate on Locos now. I have now been able to add couplings to carrs 23, 20, 16, 2115, 2060 and the flying bench. The latter having a coupling on just one end to allow it to

K1 and Vale update

2010-10-10T08:38:00.001+01:00

coming along nicely…

photo update

2010-10-09T13:17:00.001+01:00

Here's a quick photo update of progress:- 87 both sides with handrails on and misc other piping added. - Carr 26 with handles on and bogies. - altered coupling throw to achieve closer coupling on the buffet and 25- a new coupling system for the locoal (all steel bogie wagons) train- two trays of carrs with bogies on and couplings!

87 moves on

2010-10-08T16:03:00.001+01:00

Here the pipework for the other side of 87 is coming together – ejector added with associated ‘U’ pipework etc and steam pipes into the smokebox.

News from the western works

2010-10-08T09:55:00.001+01:00

It seems that the WHHR have opened a secret extension to Glaslyn Junction using dual gauge track (2' and 4’) and borrowed rolling stock from the WHR. The first train enters the station hauled by 'Gelert' and comprising modern Romanian-built coach 2060. Also seen partly painted in Vale of Ffestiniog. Actually, this was just test running 'Gelert' having done some work on the chassis.

Catch up

2010-10-06T15:13:00.001+01:00

Very little time to blog due to the impending exhibition, but here’s some highlights. Firstly a comedy shot of the new zoo car in 009 painted and sat inside a 16mm slate waggon! I had a short holiday to North Wales, the waterfall at Tanygrisiau was expecially good and this HDR shot on Pwllheli beach was nice I thought. Also managed to finally visit the Vale of Rheidol, which now sits

Ffestiniog Railway: The Fairlie Duplex Engine

2010-10-06T15:09:00.000+01:00

The bogieman!

2010-10-06T14:44:00.001+01:00

So here we go, the mass run of couplings being added to bogies…

Coupling up

2010-10-06T12:48:00.001+01:00

I have found a solution to affixing couplings to the three types of bogies I use. Some of the lilliput bogies are fine as is, they come with bemos on already and if the length is correct they go straight on (B wagons are like this). If not then the bemo is removed and replaced by a bachmann OO DMU coupling (like bemo) with a small retaining piece of plasticard glued on. The removed bemo is

Boring but useful progress

2010-10-05T18:55:00.001+01:00

Many many many small and fiddle door handles and grabs added to loads of carriages today. Really makes a difference, but is quite a job!

More on 143

2010-10-05T10:26:00.001+01:00

Forgot to mention yesterday that the smokebox steam pipe covers were cut from thin brass and soldered together. They are really fiddly but should be fettled and attached today. So far today, I have added the ejector and U pipe, bent the blower pipe and altered its position on the cab front and reattached a vac pipe that had come loose plus some touch-up painting. Only the plates, some pipework

143 progress

2010-10-04T22:10:00.001+01:00

Or putting it back together. New copper pipes to top feedBoiler bands painted silverHeadlights added to tank endsCowcatchers painted blackUnderside of roof paintedWhistle added to turretSmall grab handles added to smokebox saddleDecoder added under oil tankSmall strips added to bunker sidesEjector pipework and nameplates prepared for installation tomorrow. I also glazed and roofed 2 bugs.

25 days to go…

2010-10-04T21:20:00.001+01:00

Progress: - woodwork – new breakfast bar style legs need installing and new board covers need building. Mostly done, board covers just need velcro now. - track – painting to be finished on yard board, but well on now. hidden sidings transitions need installing with work needed to finally align board joins using brass tubes which have been made ready - pointwork – need to install tortoises on

a good weekend of progress

2010-10-04T00:00:00.001+01:00

Rolling stock continues to make good progress. This weekend we:Painted all roofs in varying shades of greyDrilled out hundreds of holes for handrails Installed handrails on many carrsAdded people to 24 and repainted Pullman seats in a better shadeDiscussed details on k1 including the odd cab handrails. Holes were drilled for these. Painted lettering on 23 and bugs the latter also getting varnish

carriage works

2010-10-02T21:27:00.001+01:00

Work in progress today... Roofs being painted, grab holes drilled out etc.

Bugs populated

2010-09-27T20:32:00.001+01:00

People added to the bugs. Also behind is FR van 6 bought at Walton. It just needs painting green and then is ready to go as it's glazed and sports nice couplings.

Walton exhibition

2010-09-26T08:40:00.003+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgzBUn-HY8A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Blame it on a rush of blood to the head

2010-09-24T19:48:00.001+01:00

Well I said I wasn't going to touch 143's boiler details. Well that lasted one day before I decided to alter them. Frankly with the lovely NG143 plates coming I felt it would be disingenuous to add them to a loco that bore only a passing resemblance to the real thing. The parts have been moved to their correct positions and once they have set I will add replacement piping. Washout plugs have