By way of a little interlude from the "Two Dogs" project I dug my old Bachmann 45xx Prairie tank out of the top drawer and thought it was about time I did something with it!
When shopping for bits and pieces at the Warley exhibition I picked up a few sets of GWR cab side etched plates from Garry Wells at 247Developments.
Cambrian based 2-6-2T No 4560 being one of them.
The loco as it came to me second hand and a good runner was finished in BR lined green with late crest, whereas witho
A couple of enjoyable afternoons were spent over the festive season building up this Dapol kit that has been in my top draw for months.
The original door hinges being totally wrong were removed with a sharp knife and replaced by bits of micro strip, Some nice whitemetal buffers from Nairnshire modelling supplies have replaced the plastic kit supplied items.
Screw link couplings and some brake rods have been fitted the vacuum pipes are part of the Dapol kit.
The vent
One of the last few outstanding kits to be put together on my bench is this Parkside ex L.N.E.R. wood bodied van.
For extra detail and robustness I have used some parts from one of the excellent etches supplied by Dave Cleal of Mainly Trains.
Here's the underframe showing some of these excellent etched bits.
And another shot of the van complete (apart from axle box covers) ready for painting.
Finally here's the finished job complete with Modelmaster transfers, slight
I bought this Dapol (ex Airfix) kit whilst on holiday last year, Finally got around to building it.
Built as Dapol intended apart from the couplings here it is painted and weathered.
Almost 12 months has passed since I built the Dapol Lomac kit.
I have been thinking (ouch!) about some sort of load for it
Dapol make a JCB kit which is one option I had but I baulked at the price for what it is.
In the end I picked up this Fordson tractor for a couple of quid at an expo and u
I thought I would share some of my bench work via this blog.
Starting off with this Coopercraft cattle wagon kit.
Sold as GWR diagram W1 / W5 it is a little too early for my layouts era. So, I decided to modify the kit slightly to make it look more like the BR standard 8/12 ton cattle van.
Using Paul Bartletts picture gallery as a guide this is the assembled kit before painting.
This is the second one of these kits I have done in this way, learning from my mistakes on the fi
Greetings again from the Dukes kitchen table!
This weeks project has just come off the bench.
Last year SWMBO got me this BR standard 3 2-6-2T unweathered of course.
I really wanted the green one but, as it was a supprise gift from SWMBO I had no choice in the matter! (No change there then!)
Anyway the loco as it came is built as a southern region job and of course I wanted a western region job.
So, out with the tool box, remove the two unwanted lamp irons from the smokebox door an
My Cambrian modular layout is now nearing the stage where I need the proper power supplies for testing.
(Also tied in with this entry is this thread from this forum entry on RMWeb.)
As a qualified person I am quite capable of building my own electrical equipment for my model railway projects. However I must state here that anyone contemplating building anything involving 230V mains equipment should be aware of the consequences of their workmanship, and if in any doubt do NOT even think about b
Being the clumsy person that I am, i was getting a bit fed up of catching and damaging the ground disc signals on Pen Y Bont every time I cleaned the track.
After replacing the Ratio plastic ones several times I was getting a bit tired of buying and making up new ones. So when I came across some white metal ones made by Detail Matters.I jumped in and bought a pair.
They come ready painted so that was another fiddly job saved. However, they were still vulnerable to accidental damage.
After using Xtrkcad and other layout design software I've downloaded Templot to try.
I'm still getting my head round it at the moment but have made a start on this.....
The above is a screen shot of my attempt to draw some track work for Penmaenpool MPD.
Not bad for about 30mins work, I still have a lot to learn about this software though, I'll have to keep looking at the tutorial videos!
All I really want to do is produce some templates for the turn outs, I'm not too bothe
Just another update to say that all the track is now laid on Penmaenpool MPD. Well almost all, There is still about 75mm of track to be laid on the L/H exit-entry road.This will be laid once the West fiddle yard is started and aligned so as to ensure good track alignment across the baseboard joint.
All flexible track is C&L Finescale with hand built turnouts.
The track is glued down direct to the baseboard with no cork or any other material between track and wood.
I don't subscribe
All the track is now laid, and power feed droppers connected.
I haven't taken any pictures yet because no doubt you have seen 00 gauge track and turnouts before.
The points are home made copper clad sleepers and bullhead rail, so need some thing a bit less stressful than solenoid point motors to operate them.
I have chosen to use Fulgarex slow action motorised switch machines, unlike the Tortoise type motor the action is a linear movement rather than a fulcrum wire used on the Tortoi
Finally made a start on building Penmaenpool MPD
Butchered some wood and started track laying.
The first turnout and main running line are laid.
Hand built points and C&L track is being used.
The drawing pins are just to stop anything moving while the PVA sets. I don't use track pins, just glue.
Once ballasted it's not going anywhere.
This picture shows the view from the Morfa Bach end looking towards the next board/fiddle yard.
This view is looking away from the fidd
PENMAENPOOL MPD.
Now that Morfa Bach is nearing completion it's time to consider my options for board 2 of my new modular layout.
This board (whatever the final decision) has got to fit next to Morfa Bach to provide a continuous run from fiddle yard to fiddle yard.
Yet more scenic boards could be built, making the layout more flexible for exhibiting.
One option I am considering for module 2 is Penmaenpool MPD.
Unlike most small steam sheds Penmaenpool was not located at a terminus, ne
Those that are good at carpentry look away NOW!
I've just spent a few days "wood butchering" the new baseboard for the long delayed extension to pen Y Bont.
setting the layout up has to wait for decent weather as It's too big with the extension to erect indoors!
Anyway here it is! the long awaited extension in place but, about 2years from finishing!
Looking towards the fiddle yard, track and turnouts just placed on the board for checking the "fit"
A little closer to the
After what seems like ages work as again restarted on the construction of my new Cambrian Modular layout Morfa Bach / Penmaenpool MPD plus fiddle yards.
Poor weather for outdoor "wood butchering" and taking a holiday abroad have contributed to the long delay since the last update.
Today has been the first opportunity to get the modules built so far or under construction linked together for the first time.
This picture shows the three modules that have been built /under construction t
Yes! it's wood butchering time again!
I've made a start on the first of two fiddle yards for my new Cambrian modular layout, currently one module is built and finished (?) Morfa Bach.
The second module (Penmaenpool MPD) is under way and the track is down. Next job there is the turnout operating motor installation. How ever this has been put on the back burner for a day or two whilst I took advantage of dry weather to work outside and butcher some more wood!
The fiddle yard shown here is
Thank goodness for some decent weather so work can be continued outside on the East fiddle yard for my new Cambrian modular layout "Steam on the Cambrian".
Those who have read my first post on this subject will know that the layout requires two such fiddle yards, one at each end of the modules.
Both fiddle yards will consist of a three road turn table so that complete trains can be turned at each end without having to lift off any stock or cassettes.
Today's progress on the east fiddle yard i
Still not done anything much on the two dogs project. Been rather busy trying to finish a load of loose ends between now and Christmas.
One such project is this Dapol BR standard brake van kit that was started several months ago after being bought some 12 months before that! As you can tell I tend to take time to get a "Round Tuit"
I remember these kits when they first came out made by Airfix cica 1962 I Think.
Now, considering the moulds and tooling used for these models are getting on for 5
Mystery Loco revealed!
Following on from my last entry "Love me Tender"
Here is the loco I have been working on, although still waiting for etched number plates and shed plate as well as loco crew. Seen here running light engine on Morfa Bach.
Now for the history lesson and the reason for the secrecy...
The loco above was bought from the estate of our deceased fellow member and good friend Richard Lacey (Wheeltapper)
Like Jim SW I wanted something as a memory of Richar
Time for the weekly update....
This week it's ROCK & ROLL!
First the ROCK..
The spoil heap next to the tunnel portal has been made, glued, stuck down and painted. Some Mininatur grass clumps have been added.
The remaining area has now received it's base of hanging basket liner.
On the other (Viewing)side I've added some vegetation growing in the crack between the rock, just to break it up a bit. It's a pity that this view will not be seen by the viewing public but here
Better late than never! It's been over a week since the last update mainly because the amount of work done and worth showing has been a bit short this time, Jobs to complete this first section of Morfa Bach now coming close to the end.
At the Morfa Tunnel end some more vegetation has been added, and the fixed distant for the next section has been installed.
The fixed distant was built up from a mix of MSE and Ratio parts.
More rock scree has been laid at he rear of the siding and also in t
Time for the weekly update!
Things are starting to turn green on Morfa Bach.
Some trees and grass tufts have been added to the tunnel end of the layout.
The plate layer's hut has been scratch built from Plasticard and fixed in position.
To the right of the hut can be seen the next batch of scree to be painted, I haven't mentioned what I am using for the scree, so for those interested it is budgie grit from the pet shop and crushed red slate from the front garden.
It just needs p
Getting towards the finishing stages now, that's if a model railway is ever "finished" there are always little jobbies to be done somewhere.
Morfa Bach is no exception and I shall still be adding detail and paint in 12 months time!
But, all work and no play is no fun, so, taking advantage of this weeks fair weather I dragged the layout out on to the back yard and posed a few locos wagons and coaches for some natural daylight pictures.
Here's a few of the many shots taken this afterno
I haven't updated this blog for a couple of weeks mostly due to the fact that I have have had a few health problems and to be fair not much work has been done on the modelling scene.
However, Morfa Bach made it's very first outing on Sunday 22nd April to the MRG Forum's members meeting day at Bristol. So, the couple of days last week saw some last minute tweaks and a general tidy up.
I was hoping to get rid of the temporary back scene and replace it with something more suitable but, time ha
It's been a week or two since I published any progress on my latest winter project Morfa Bach.
I was looking through my books on the Cambrian and Great Western lines in Wales and discovered that "Morfa" translated into English is "Salt Marsh" and "Bach" is Baby or small, so it transpires that the model will both be small and include a coastal section of salt marsh.
Anyway, I digress and should be telling you about the layout's progress (or lack of it) so here we go...
I have ju
