NeilHB

The full confirmed list of attendees is as follows: Layouts: Elsbridge Town - 7mm Standard Gauge (Neil Blair) King Edward Street - O14 (Simon Jones) Whiteoak Light Railway - O-16.5 (Allen Law) Wheal Ponder - O-16.5 (Andrew Young) The Basin - O-16.5 (Dave Marriott/West Midlands Area Group) Kinver Light Railway demonstration/info - O-24.5 (Kevin Hughes) Brymston RR - On3 (Paul Martin) Trade: EDM Models 7mmNGA Modelling Goods 422 ModelMaking Iconic Rail Port Wynnstay Demo: Building Association Slate Waggon Kits (Adrian Gray) Please do note that Paul will only be bringing a limited selection of EDM Models stock, as he’ll also be bringing part of his new layout. So please ensure that if there is something specific you want, that you’ve pre-ordered it from Paul well in advance of the day. The TVAG are very much looking forward to seeing you all on the 28th January!

Mike, I use Dettol for stripping paint, so that may be an option explore if you do want to strip the current project back to basics. Worth testing on a small piece though as sometimes it can react oddly to some types of paint. I see no problem with your wagons that didn't come up to scratch, I'd be very happy if my projects looked as good as yours!

A bump to add the following confirmed attendees: Layouts: Wheal Ponder - O-16.5 (Andrew Young) The Basin - O-16.5 (Dave Marriott/West Midlands Area Group) Kinver Light Railway demonstration/info - O-24.5 (Kevin Hughes) Traders: Iconic Rail Port Wynnstay 67 days to go now folks! I best get my finger out and get the layout finished...

I’ve been pretty lousy for most of this week thanks to an IBS flare up, which left me with little inclination to do anything but sleep, so there’s been a distinct lack of modelling. I managed a little bit last night as I’d started to feel a bit more human thank goodness, and added the transfers to the North Western Railway wagons, increasing the size of that fleet considerably. Most only carry NWR lettering on one side, enabling them to cover multiple time periods. The only ones which do are those in full NWR livery of bauxite: The others represent a mix of W&S and ETCo stock either still in their original colours with NWR lettering on one side only, or in full NWR livery. It adds a nice bit of variety to the fleet for when the transition period (1914ish-1925) is being run. I also added the classifications to the NWR liveried tramcars: Though there’s still plenty to do on them, and I doubt they’ll be ready for Mickleover in January, not when I look at the rest of the list of jobs that need to be done by then!! Speaking of which, I made a start on the Seed & Feed Mill: Got the basic shell cut out this afternoon. Next step is to sort out the loading platform (external and internal).

I'm not sure if it's just me or does the beading on the ducket look deeper/thicker than that on the bodyside? It does make it stand out a bit too much otherwise. The rest of it looks good though, and I reckon they'll look very fetching in WNR colours.

Thankfully the only lasting damage to ‘Thorkell’ has been the handrails and a small dint in the top edge of one of the cab side sheets. A bit of careful painting and weathering should cover that up, and I’ll see if Mr Basten at Minerva can supply me with some new handrails in due course. Surprising the Tramcar has gone back together nicely as well, and the damage isn’t noticeable. The only permanent casualty being one set of balcony railings (not much left of them!), but they are easily replaced. I’ve just got to repair the sheep wagon now, which lost a couple of buffers and part of the railings around the top, both of which are easily glued back on. I think I’ve been very fortunate, and it could have easily been a lot, lot worse!!

Wellsworth & Suddery Wagon Sunday: The FQC 3-plank and one of the UMC 3-plank dropsides have now been repainted into W&S livery, in order to increase the size of their wagon fleet. I’ve also done a partial repaint to one of the W&S 5-planks, as this will gain NWR lettering on one side. This, plus one of the vans, and one of the 3-plank opens will all have W&S on one side, and NWR on the other. They will cover the transition period in my modelling between the independent Sudrian pre-grouping companies, and the North Western Railway, i.e. still carrying their previous colours, but with the new companies lettering. There’s one more UMC 3-plank dropside to repaint, and this will go into full NWR livery. I’ll do the same with some of the ETCo stock as well.

A mixed day today, on the one hand I had great fun playing trains on my lunch break, having worked out that I can cross trains in the station using the loop: On the other hand somewhat disastrous as I managed to drop one of the fiddle yard cassettes: Very much an oh sh!t moment :( Thankfully ‘Thorkell’ still runs fine, and pretty much all of the damage is repairable. Just very very frustrating as it was due to my own clumsiness.

He'll get internal steps to match the others. I tried out external steps on the mk1 model of him, and they looked awful.

Three Indian Red locos, all lined out now: Much happier now that I’ve repainted ‘Sigrid’ to match the others. Must get around to sorting out the steps for ‘Godred’ soon.

I cracked on last night and finished lining out ‘St Machan’: A couple of bits of paint to touch up, sort out some numbers, and then he’s good to go off for sound fitting.

Some more progress on grass growth between the rails: Mill siding is now done, and the back siding has been started: Todays lunchtime modelling session saw the lining started on ‘St Machan’: Lots to do still!

The paint arrived yesterday, so I stuck a coat of sleeper grime on the sidings: When they’ve finished drying thoroughly I’ll grass them like the rest of the trackwork. This evening I finished painting ETCo No.4 ‘St Machan’, and reassembled it ready for the lining to go on before it goes off for sound fitting: Its a much chunkier loco than the coffee pot trams: A couple of bonus black and white shots for you all of ‘St Machan’ departing with the down Sunday evening mixed tram: And a bonus black and white shot of the official portrait as it looks good:

That’s definitely one possibility to consider. Will have to see if there’s enough room on the platform for that without looking too cramped.

Was surprised myself just how much I got done during the zoom call! Thanks - me too, it feels right now with how it looks. Yes I think that sounds like a very good idea, would add some more colour to the vast green swathes. Dan suggested some planters/flowerbeds on the platform (something for the stationmasters wife to attend to) so I’ll have a think about adding those as well in due course.

Trent Valley group virtual pub zoom meeting tonight meant I could progress the greenery quite a bit! Just the sidings and the far end of the platform road to go, but I need the paint to arrive first before I can do the sidings. I’ll also need more scatter material as I’m down to the last few dregs now. I will admit I wasn’t sure if I’d done the right thing burying the trackwork in the surface etc, but I’m so glad I did as it hides the heavy nature of the rail, and makes it look better suited to a lightweight Victorian/Edwardian tramway.

Urgh not the curse of the dreaded Times New Roman - you have my sympathies John. I hope that the swirling circle of doom (as it’s known in my department) politely moves on to somewhere else soon! As a cheer up here’s No.4 “St Machan” trying out the new water crane: I really must get on and finish painting it!

A brief modelling session at lunchtime today has seen a small change carried out following a good suggestion from Mr Young, with the water crane dug out of storage and planted: I’ve also experimented with adding some more greenery to the main running line, which I think works rather nicely: Greenery up to the edges of the rails, and then a bit in the middle (what’s pictured isn’t all stuck down so the excess will be removed).

Thank you Annie, that’s much appreciated 🙂 What did I say earlier about building some howlers? Well I’d clearly built one last night with the two-plank open. Despite the chassis itself being square, the chassis cross frames were not, which meant then that wheels had gone in ever so slightly out of alignment 🤦‍♂️ All was not lost, and I was able to transfer most of it over to the spare chassis (which was square in all areas), and then crack on with the detailing work: The only casualty was one w-iron, which refused to part company from the old chassis, and decided instead to part company with itself, in several pieces. Never mind, I’ve got plenty spare thankfully! The two-plank is now ready for the paintshop. I was going to build another van for the next model, but I’m thinking now that I might build a cattle van instead. Something small and compact using the same chassis design, which can alternate on the layout with the sheep wagon. Need to build another chassis unit though first. I don’t suppose anyone has any of the brake gear from the Parkside PS01 kit going spare please? That’s the North British Jubilee wagon - I don’t need the w-irons that come on the same sprue, but having standardised on the brakegear for most of the ETCo wagonry built so far, I find I’m in danger of running out soon. If you do, I’m happy to exchange for modelling tokens 😀

The 422 van looks lovely John, and that brakevan is superb!

Thanks Annie. It was fiddly, but quite therapeutic at the same time. Thanks John, believe me there’s been a few howlers that I’ve built over the years 🤣 Last night I finished off construction on the four-plank open, so that’s now ready for the paintshop. I then started on the next one which is a two-plank open, but to add some variety it’s one with a door rather than a dropside: I’ll make a start this evening on the strapping for this, and then there’s a third chassis frame awaiting wheels and a body… I also made up the name board for the station, so passengers now know what station they are arriving at:

It looks like a lovely spot to sit back with a cup of tea and watch the trains go past.

The livestock loading ramp is now 90% complete, just needing the top and bottom gates building: A fun few hours this morning building up the fencing from plastic strip! I then made a start on the next wagon for the layout - a four-plank open: This one will be finished as a private owner wagon belonging to the coal merchant based at the station. I’ve had some fun playing around with some grass tufts I bought from Primo Models at the Guild Spring Show at Kettering: They’re rather nice, and a good price for a decent sized pack. May need some more soon though!

It’s usually where they’ve modified the coach to enable the guard to also act as the conductor, and pass between the coaches/compartments whilst the train is on the move. Generally done by modifying the interior to enable a corridor of sorts to be created, and doors in the ends of the coaches to allow the guard to pass from one vehicle to the next. With these ones it looks like they have sealed off most of the doors along the sides (note the lack of door furniture), with a set of steps allowing access at either end from the ground level platforms.

That looks much better.