81A Oldoak

The Minerva 0 gauge BLUE CIRCLE and FERROCRETE cement vans have been very popular since their arrival in April. Stock of BLUE CRICLE vans is down to about 40 pieces. The number of FERROCRETE vans in stock is a little higher. We will not be producing a second re-run in the near future. The vans are GBP47.50 each plus GPB4 postage inclusive of VAT in the UK and EU. You can order via telephone on 02920 531246 or 07775 782086, email to sales@minervamodelrailways.co.uk or directly from the internet shop www.minervamodelrailways.co.uk Chris K

We are able to post most days and, thankfully, have been able to maintain a normal service to customers during the current pandemic crisis. My post office is a 400 metre walk and it is open six days a week. For locomotive deliveries in the UK we use Royal Mail Special Delivery for delivery by 1pm the day following posting. This actually costs us £11 for all our locos except the Manning Wardle. For wagons and DCC equipment we use Royal Mail Signed-For First Class. I hope this helps. Feel free to call us or use our email sales@minervamodelrailways.co.uk to discuss your wants and needs. Kind regards, Chris Klein

Great set of photos. Thanks, Mike.

Very helpful, Tim. Plenty to think about. I think whatever I do will be a winter project. Regards, Chris

The first baseboard frame for Cwm Fawr is completed. It is 9mm plywood with 20mmx25mm stripwood cleats. Dimensions are 122cms x 54cms (48” x 21”). Weight is 2.4kgs. The top surface will be 6mm ply. Parts are ready for the second board. Meanwhile, the scratchbuilt signal box is progressing and I have just built a Y point. Another three points need to be built. “On, on” as the Hash House Harriers cry. Regards, Chris K

Wessy (hope that's ok), could you take a photo of the underside of this layout? What are the dimensions? Regards, Chris K

Steve, That Hornet is a beauty. I am binge watching "Sailor" from 1976 on Youtube. Here is a great little compilation from Youtube. There is a tantalising view of a Skyraider near the end. The music from "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "1492 The Conquest of Paradise" by Vangelis suits it well. The MD of one of the companies I worked for flew Scimitars in the early 1960s - I congratulated him on his survival. Regards, Chris K

No need to panic, Rod. I will probably start assembling the two main boards later to day and I am also most of the way through building a Y-point for Cwm Fawr. Most importantly, I have commissioned Narrow Planet to etch the nameplate for Cwm Fawr signal box so it is happening. As a sideline project over the winter, I may build a quick 4mm scale cameo layout of an ex- GER goods only branch around 1960 inspired by Iain Rice's "Fen Drove" layout idea. If I do, I will probably experiment with 5mm foamboard for the base as Chris Nevard has done. My other distraction at the moment is building kits of post-War Fleet Arm Aircraft. I have almost finished an Airfix 1:72 Sea Fury FB11 and have a Trumpeter 1:72 Westland Wyvern S4 at the top of the stash. I have my eyes on a Fairey Gannet and then it will be onto the jets. Regards, Chris

Building baseboards, along with wiring and ballasting track, is one of those disagreeable tasks that must be endured before we can move on to the exciting stuff. Today I started cutting the beams and stretchers for the main boards for Cwm Fawr. They are exterior grade 9mm birch ply. The top will be 6mm ply. I also cut a bagful of cleats from 20x20 PAR stripwood for strengthening the joints. I confess that in a moment of weakness I priced up some of the baseboard kits on the market, but for comparable quality timber the price for what I need was was between £245 and £375, which compares poorly with the circa £40 I paid from a local merchant. And they still have to be assembled. So assembly next. I must keep fighting off the temptation to use the space for a 1950s/60s East Anglian diversion in 4mm scale. Get thee behind me... Chris K

I know what you mean about the handrails on this kit. You have done a much neater job than me. With careful weathering it is possible to maintain the slop (compensation is too dignified a word) in the axleboxes. Sadly, I dropped my model a couple of weeks later and it's in the repair shop awaiting repair. Regards, Chris K

They'll have to wear one next week. Every cloud...

Indeed. The G0G is the only club I know where the members proudly display their membership number as a symbol of their seniority. A four-figure membership number seems to denote a demi-god status deserving the genuflection of the callow youths in their 60s.

I must get on with Cwm Fawr, but I am side-tracked building Airfix kits of the Hawker Sea Fury FB11 and Hawker Tempest 1B. Unfortunately, my airbrushes have decided to go US and despite striping and cleaning them to within a millimetre of their lives they refuse spray paint. I must admit that I find airbrushes very temperamental creatures requiring a lot of maintenance, and mine are not cheap tools. A Trumpeter 1:72 Westland Wyvern also arrived in the post yesterday: I can't resist post-war Fleet Air Arm aircraft. Chris

Yellow and blue are the colours of the Blue Circle brand; it's as simple as that. Chris K

Minerva 0 gauge Manning Wardle K CESTRIA advances gingerly along the Tonfanau Quarry siding from Tonfanau Camp station. The loco has been fitted with DCC sound, weathered, suited and booted for a customer. Crew figures are ModelU painted by Claudia Everett. Regards, Chris K

Paul, The photos were taken on Cwm Bach. They have been posted in the Minerva section on RMWeb, on Facebook and in Western Thunder. The fundamental question when choosing what to make is "How many can we sell?" That shortens the list of candidates considerably. Chris Rod, It is an attractive and simple locomotive, and they got into South Wales. Chris

Same as Cwm Bach. The NCB loco pulls the loaded wagons into the exchange siding. The BR train arrives with the up empties into the main platform, runs around, uncouples the brake van and shunts it to the loop and then collects the full wagons from the exchange siding and shunts them onto the brake van. The released NCB loco retires to the colliery line clearing the exchange siding. The BR engine collects the empty wagons from the platform road and shunts them onto the exchange siding. The NCB engine advances and couples up to the empties before returning the colliery at leisure. The BR engine couples up to the full coal train ready to return down the valley. I may try to get a second exchange siding in as this will leave the loop line clear. Still lots of thinking to do. Regards, Chris K

Cwm Fawr is my latest layout. It replaces Cwm Bach, which departed with its new owner on 19th June. A very rough sketch of the new layout is attached. Dimensions are approximately 15'x21". Cwm Fawr’s raison d’etre is, of course, coal mining and so it will share the same basic operating pattern of exchanging empty and full trains of mineral wagons between the main and NCB lines as occurred at Cwm Bach. New features are the bay platform and a short siding serving a factory. A very rough sketch of the layout is attached. Timber has been procured and I hope to start cytting and assembling baseboards next week. Meanwhile, I am making progress with scratch-building the new signal box. The station building is likely to be based on wriggly tin affair at Trawscoed on the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line. Stay tuned for periodic sitreps. Regards, Chris K

That looks excellent. Plasticard is an easy and forgiving medium that can look very convincing when carefully finished. Chris K

Thanks Andy. When will you be heading down here?

Gents, Thank you for your kind remarks. I am fiddling around with track and ideas at the moment. When my thoughts start to crystallise I will open a new thread. The theme will be broadly similar as I love the South Wales scene and a I have lot of industrial locomotives that need a home. However, I want it to look different as well so much cogitation is going on. kind regards, Chris

Following some essential works on my garage, Cwm Bach would not slot back into its alloted space without major surgery and had in any case sustained some minor damage. I therefore decided to recover as much as I could for a new layout. However, I couldn't bring myself to break it up so casually asked on Facebook if anyone was interested in making a sensible offer. The deal was done in 12 hours including night-time. The new owners hope to exhibit the layout. Meanwhile, I am planning the successor, which will be named Cwm Fawr. Work on a new scratchbuilt signal box is already quite advanced, but I will have to get on with the boring tasks of making baseboards, wiring and ballasting track. Regards, Chris

Cwm Bach has left the building. Bring on Cwm Fawr.

Thank you for the photos. The angle of lighting is very helpful. We will talk to the factory to see if a solution is possible, but It won't be an etched metal or injection-moulded part as they will be too heavy. Worst case is that we can't find a practicable or economically viable solution and that individual owners may have to raid the hosiery stock of their nearest and dearest. Chris K

Dear Torsten, Protective mesh was not fitted behind the cab steps. This is a common misunderstanding unless you can find photographs of Class 14 locos fitted with mesh in British Railways use. Mesh may have been fitted to some preserved locomotives, but care is always needed when viewing preserved locos because of modifications. We will not wire the running lamps as it is complex and adds to the cost of the model, which we want to keep below £300 for the DC version. Each lamp could show a red and white light, but they were not used as head and tail lamps for which standard oil lamps were used mounted on the lamp irons fitted to the electric lamp housing. Solder pads for stay-alive will be fitted. Ultimately, all models involve compromises because of cost or tooling and manufacturing limitations e.g. the cosmetic springs on the chassis have been thinned to allow sufficient sideplay for the loco to traverse Peco Setrack curves. The art is judging whether a compromise will be a deal-breaker. Meanwhile, we have spent the past few days trying to solve a tricky tooling issue that involves a small, but visible detail. Thank you for your feedback. Kind regards, Chris K